Why choose Huddersfield
Huddersfield makes a great first choice university. Here's why.
Choosing your degree course is a big deal. You’re probably looking at various universities, trying to weigh up what’s good about this one? What’s better about that one? Where’s the best location? Who’s got the best facilities?
There’s lots to think about, but to help we’ve picked out just a few of the many reasons to study at Huddersfield.
We're recognised for our teaching excellence.
- Huddersfield is rated gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework. This recognises that we deliver consistently outstanding learning and teaching of the highest quality found in the UK.
- We are joint first in England for the proportion of professionally qualified teaching staff (HESA 2020).
- In 2017, we won the first Global Teaching Excellence Award, recognising our commitment to world-class teaching and success in developing students as independent learners and critical thinkers. The awards are organised by the Higher Education Academy and entries were received from five continents.
- We're one of the four leading institutions in the country for National Teaching Fellowships. Think of them like the teaching Oscars – they rate the UK’s best lecturers. It’s part of our drive for teaching excellence, which helps you achieve great things too.
- We’re the first and only UK university where 100% of permanent teaching staff are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy*. So you’ll learn from some of the best, helping you be the best.
*Permanent staff, after probation: some recently appointed colleagues will only obtain recognition in the months after their arrival in Huddersfield, once they have started teaching.
We’re top 20 for graduate employment
Our impressive record for graduate employment shows how much confidence employers have in our students. Our emphasis on degrees that include industry experience and prepare you for the real world means you could have that extra advantage when it comes to applying for jobs. We also offer the Global Professional Award alongside your degree so that you gain valuable skills and attributes that we know employers are looking for.
This is great news for our students. After all, getting a job is a key reason to study at university.
†97.3% of our undergraduate students go on to work and/or further study within six months of graduating. This places us in the top 20 UK Higher Education providers (UK domiciled, Full Time, First Degree, DLHE 2016/17)
Professional work placements are a key part of student life
One of the reasons employers have such confidence in Huddersfield graduates is due to the real-world experience they gain from placements.
Huddersfield is one of the Top 15 universities in the UK for work placements***. You might also know them as sandwich courses.
***HESA Student Record 17/18
Learn more about placements here.
Placements are a key part of the courses at Huddersfield. We know how much employers value graduates who have real-world experience on their CV and that’s why we encourage our students to make the most of the opportunities available. Our students have worked with companies such as the BBC, Pfizer, UK Ministry of Justice, NHS and Bang and Olufsen to name but a few.
Our campus
To achieve great things at university you don’t just need inspirational teaching. Top class facilities and resources help too. We’ve invested nearly £156m in some exiting new buildings to make our campus a great place to be. Take our recently opened £30m Barbara Hepworth building. This is the new home of art, design and architecture. An exciting hub of creative studios and technology facilities.
Our University Plaza is the home of Student Central, the hub of University life. This £22.5m building combines access to the library, computing, sport, leisure and eating space all under one roof.
You’ll also get to use some fantastic facilities as part of your course. To find out more visit our course finder.
Find out more about our campus, including accommodation options, on the Explore our Campus page.
“When I visited the campus I was blown away! Everything was close by and I got this really positive vibe”.
Rhys Khan Childhood Studies BA(Hons).
Now what?
Placement in Massachusetts
All our students have opportunities to undertake professional work experience during their studies, including guest lectures and projects set by industry partners. One of our Pharmaceutical Chemistry MSCi students talked us to about her interesting work placement in Boston, USA.
“I’m studying Pharmaceutical Chemistry MSci and I always wanted to be involved in the organic aspect of small molecule drug discovery. My 12-month placement was as a Research Trainee at LDDN (Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration) in Massachusetts. It was established to discover small molecules to develop a new generation of drugs to treat neurodegenerative diseases.
“I was one of six British students from different universities working alongside American staff. I feel so privileged to have gained hands-on experience every day in the lab.
“I chose to go on an international placement so I could learn to work independently and experience life in another country. The memories you get to create are so precious. One moment I’ll never forget is visiting Niagara Falls.”“I’d advise anyone to apply to work abroad. It shapes who you are and helps you discover what your true passion is in life. It’s also a chance to make your impression on the world! ”
Priscilla Ogunmola, Pharmaceutical Chemistry MSci
Sam Wood
Sam Wood, one of our Business Management BA(Hons) students talked to us about how his career had a great start after leaving Huddersfield.
“I graduated in 2015 in Business Management BA(Hons). As part of my degree I completed a twelve month placement with Lloyds Banking Group where I worked as a Project Management Office Assistant. My role involved supporting project and programme managers within my team. This experience led to an offer of a place on the Lloyds Banking Group Risk Graduate Scheme.
“Once I completed the graduate scheme I secured a job as Rectifications and Insight Manager within Conduct, Compliance and Operational Risk. My team work to proactively identify instances where the bank’s actions may have resulted in customer detriment, the most familiar example of this being PPI. Long term I want to develop my career within Risk and explore the other disciplines within it, for example Credit Risk, Cyber Risk, Fraud and Financial Crime.”
“I’d really recommend the University of Huddersfield. I can genuinely say that I loved my time there and left with everything I needed to begin a successful career.”
Dr Todd Borlik
Senior Lecturer in English Literature at Huddersfield, Dr Todd Borlik talked to us about what he loves about working here.
“The Yorkshire countryside is so striking and atmospheric and I was blown away by the stunning architecture in Huddersfield. The University is a diverse and vibrant community and the teaching staff are truly dedicated to their students”
Having previously taught at the University of Washington and Bloomsburg University, Todd likes how well the UK education system enables teachers to get to know their students, and believes his teaching has been enhanced as a result.
Adapting teaching to the needs of students
“Students learn in different ways and I adapt my teaching methods because of this”
Todd describes how his approach to teaching has been shaped by his students:
“In response to conversations with BAME (black, Asian, and minority ethnic) students at Huddersfield, I developed a module titled ‘Global Shakespeares’, which surveys the vibrant history of Shakespearean adaptation across cultures all over the world.”
The module was met with such enthusiasm from students that it won a ‘Diversity Prize for Curriculum Innovation at the University.’ Todd says of the award,
“It was indisputably one of the highlights of my teaching career.”
What makes a great teacher?
“Perhaps the most important thing a teacher can do is to radiate conviction in the significance of the subject”
English Literature BA(Hons) student Aaisha Raja agrees.
“Todd’s a great teacher in many ways, but one of them is his ability to really make his subject matter relevant,” she said.
Todd’s passion and enthusiasm for his subject are clearly infectious. “I wear my enthusiasm for Shakespeare on my sleeve” he said.
Aaisha added:
“Todd is incredibly engaging – he has the ability to interest everyone in the subject that he lectures about.”