Chester, Cheshire, UK
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The University of Chester has roots going back to 1839 and its original buildings were the first in the UK to be purpose-built for professional teacher training. Through steady expansion of student numbers and a variety of courses on offer, over the course of the twentieth century it has grown into a major UK institution. The ever-growing university is currently home to more than 1,500 staff and over 14,000 students drawn from across the globe.
In addition to innovative and exciting undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, ranging from animation to zoo management, the University of Chester offers a new range of foundation and apprenticeship degrees that combine conventional study with real-world learning. The number of MPhil and PhD qualifications offered are also on the rise, with the emphasis on research that has both economic and cultural benefits. Starting 2023, the university’s academic delivery has been organised into three distinct faculties: Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; Health, Medicine and Society; Science, Business and Enterprise.
The University of Chester has continually invested in upgrading facilities, resources and accommodation to enhance the student experience. Recent developments include the construction of two large accommodation blocks and an expansion of the learning resource centre at one of its campuses.
As a modern and contemporary city, yet one steeped in history and culture—with its Roman walls, amphitheatre and cathedral—Chester welcomes over eight million tourists each year. The city is less than an hour from Liverpool and Manchester, and just a two-hour train journey from London. It is also home to events and festivals featuring great music and food throughout the year, thus giving students plenty of options to unwind.
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The University of Chester offers generous international and merit-based scholarships for both undergraduate and postgraduate study.
Some of the available funding options include:
International Alumni Scholarship: Current University of Chester international undergraduate students are eligible for the International Merit Alumni Scholarship when progressing on to a University of Chester postgraduate programme.
Applicants will automatically be considered for these scholarships when their application is reviewed.
The awarding of these scholarships will be according to the academic achievements or potential of a student, as well as their country of origin—or a combination of both.
Studying in the UK as an international student can be a challenging adjustment. Fortunately, students at the University of Chester have completely free access to comprehensive and award-winning support services.
The university’s Student Services team offer a wealth of information and advice through a variety of services including wellbeing and mental health support, disability and inclusion provision and financial advice.
All international students are provided with an induction programme from the International Student Experience Team. This pack contains pre-arrival information, a Welcome Week timetable including welcome events, along with guidance on setting up a UK bank account, organising any relevant visas, registering with a doctor and much more.
The University of Chester’s Students’ Union (CSU) plays a key role in supporting students. CSU carries out its role of representing all students very seriously and works closely with university staff to make sure that the student voice is heard.
The union also has a range of sports clubs and societies, including the International Students Society. These provide a great chance to make friends and to feel more at home at the university.
The University of Chester has been recognised for its high quality in teaching, with particular areas of excellence including its appointment, development, and promotion of teaching staff.
The university’s teaching staff are highly qualified with extensive industry experience in their subject areas. Many have taught overseas and are able to communicate effectively with students from all backgrounds.
The university is divided into three faculties, with each one specialising in providing high quality teaching in a variety of academic disciplines. The faculties are:
The arranging of its faculties enables the university to benefit from the connections that exist between subjects and disciplines. This provides collaboration opportunities between departments and helps develop new areas of teaching and research expertise.
Each of Chester’s campuses act as the base for specific academic departments. The university currently has four campuses in the heart of Chester, with additional sites in nearby Warrington and Shrewsbury.
Chester Sites
Exton Park – The historic Exton Park campus hosts the majority of central facilities at the university. This includes the Chester Students’ Union (CSU) bar, a wide range of indoor and outdoor leisure and fitness facilities, and the Seaborne Library. That’s not to mention the variety of catering outlets and university accommodation!
Queen’s Park – Queen’s Park is home to the award-winning Chester Business School, along with a specialised business library, group and private study spaces, and cutting-edge computer suites.
Kingsway – The modern Kingsway campus, also known as the ‘creative campus’, offers a variety of workshops, rehearsal spaces, bespoke studios for rehearsal and performance with excellent equipment, a range of cutting-edge creative technologies and study spots.
Wheeler – The Wheeler Building hosts a wide range of facilities for students of various disciplines, ranging from cutting-edge simulation suites to science labs, art spaces and state-of-the-art virtual reality technology. That’s in addition to a wealth of computer and multimedia rooms, study spaces and the Wheeler campus library and its extensive collection of resources.
Warrington – Opening a central site in 2022, the new Warrington campus provides students with excellent access to its facilities and a convenient location near transport links. Students can make use of a range of quality study and learning spaces, as well as being a short way from the town’s services and shops.
Shrewsbury – Home to the University Centre, Shrewsbury provides access to a number of modern computer suites, an expansive library, well-equipped laboratories and a range of fitness, social and study spaces. It also offers musical theatre students easy access to the prestigious Theatre Severn close by.
An impressive 91.7percent of the university’s full-time students are found to be in employment or progress to further study on graduation and it’s not hard to see why.
Courses at the University of Chester have an emphasis on practical learning to enhance prospects via industry placements or overseas opportunities, ranging from five weeks to one year.
Most undergraduate degrees include a work-based learning module in the second year, which typically consists of a five-week placement at a professional workplace either in the UK, or abroad. Some business students will have the option to study a four-year programme which features a 12-month work placement at a professional organisation.
All Chester students enjoy free and full access to the university’s Careers and Employability services which provide career guidance and help to enhance employment prospects.
Services include:
The university also runs the Chester Difference Award (CDA). This is an employability award which recognises students who participate in extra-curricular activities whilst they study and improves their chances of employment.
Careers support does not end after students graduate from Chester. All graduates can access most careers and employability services for up to two years after graduation. Graduates are also able to access the CareersHub which is an excellent way to search for jobs.
Following countless student reviews, in July 2022, the University of Chester was ranked in the Top 10 UK Universities for international students in the WhatUni Student Choice Awards. This award recognises the overall student experience which each university provides for international students, and includes considerations for campus diversity, academic and extra-curricular opportunities, and availability of targeted student support.
With over 70 cities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the University of Chester are pleased to announce that in December 2022, the university ranked in the Top 20 ‘Best Student Cities’ as voted by students.
This recognition was based on 6672 student reviews and examined the cities cost of living, restaurants, night life, shopping, and public transport in their university location.
11,71,923 Undergraduate Fees are for indicative purposes, check with institution for details
14,13,021 Postgraduate Fees are for indicative purposes, check with institution for details
9,29,298 Living costs
2,64,369 To live on campus
International applicants must meet both the English language and the academic entry requirements for their chosen course.
Entry requirements for some courses may differ, so it’s recommended that applicants check the University of Chester course pages for specific criteria.
To find out which qualifications are acceptable from a home country, students can visit the Your Country section and choose a country's flag.
For entry onto the International Foundation Programme, students will need a school leaving qualification which is equivalent to British GCSE’s and English proficiency equivalent to IELTS 4.5 overall (minimum 4.0 in each sub-category).
Integrated Foundation Year with a Bachelor’s Degree
A leaving qualification which is equivalent to British GCSE's and English proficiency equivalent to IELTS 6.0 overall (minimum 5.5 in each sub-category) is required.
A school leaving qualification which is equivalent to British A-level/International Baccalaureate is typically required for an undergraduate degree.
An undergraduate/bachelor’s degree of equivalent standard to the British undergraduate/bachelor’s degree is required for a postgraduate taught/master’s degree.
International Foundation Programme - IELTS for UKVI 4.5 (minimum 4.0 in each sub-skill)
Integrated Foundation/Undergraduate – IELTS Academic: 6.0 (minimum 5.5 in each sub-skill)
Postgraduate – IELTS Academic: 6.5 (minimum 5.5 in each sub-skill)
Students may be eligible for the University of Chester English Language Test (UoCELT), which gives applicants an excellent opportunity to demonstrate they can meet the required level of English to join one a course.
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