University of Kent

One of the UK’s leading universities, the University of Kent offers you a world-class education and one of the best student experiences in the country. The University produces world-leading research and is rated as internationally excellent.

Rankings

Ranked in the UK top 20 in the Times Higher Education ‘Table of Tables’, and with the fourth highest score for overall student satisfaction* (NSS), we enjoy a global reputation that attracts students from around the world. Our academics are engaged in world-class research and this informs their teaching, enabling you to study with some of the most influential thinkers in your field.

The Times Higher Education has ranked Kent 17th in the UK for research intensity in the Research Excellence Framework, and the QS World University Rankings by Subject places Kent among the world’s elite institutions in eight of the 36 featured subjects. 

*out of all publically funded, multi-faculty universities

Inspirational Teaching and Academic Excellence

Kent is renowned for its teaching style; our academics have an outstanding ability to pass on their passion for study and debate. You will be challenged and encouraged, and develop as an independent thinker, capable of thriving in different situations. This approach is enhanced by the opportunity for you to attend numerous talks and workshops in related fields, allowing you to place your studies within a broader context.

Our postgraduate students further develop their skills by presenting work at research seminars, participating in conferences and publishing papers.

Study Options

We offer a wide range of foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, exciting study abroad, work placement and internship opportunities, European summer schools and a generous scholarship fund, including awards for academic, sporting and creative excellence.

And if you don’t yet have the required qualifications or level of English language, we offer a range of flexible pre-sessional courses and the International Foundation Programme (IFP) to enable you to progress to your chosen degree. Free English lessons are also available during your studies.

Go Abroad - International study abroad and work placements

Going abroad as part of your degree is an amazing experience and a chance for you to develop personally, academically and professionally. As a Kent student, a world of study abroad and work placement opportunities is available to you – from China, Hong Kong and Thailand, to the US, Latin America, Australia, South Africa and Europe – and we’ll support you every step of the way.

Our Campus locations

The UK’s European university, we have beautiful campuses in southeast England close to London, and specialist centres in Paris, Brussels, Athens and Rome. Each offers an attractive, vibrant and safe environment for your studies.

The University provides dedicated support for its international students, with a choice of accommodation on campus. International students are offered University accommodation for their first year of study (providing they meet the application criteria).

Employability

Kent graduates enjoy excellent career prospects around the world. 95% of Kent students who graduated in 2015 were in work or further study within six months.

Kent offers a wide range of foundation programmes and over 700 undergraduate and postgraduate degrees through the University’s faculties of Humanities, Sciences and Social Sciences. Our Centre for English and World Languages (CEWL) specialises in the delivery of internationally-focused programmes, modules and courses, including pre-sessional courses and the International Foundation Programme (IFP) for students that need to improve their English language and academic study skills.

For information on our doctoral programmes (PhDs), please see our online Graduate prospectus.

Humanities

Our Faculty comprises:

• The School of Architecture
• The School of Arts
• The School of English
• The School of European Culture & Languages
• The School of History
• The Centre for American Studies

Sciences

Our Faculty of Sciences comprises:

• The School of Biosciences
• The School of Computing
• The School of Engineering and Digital Arts
• The School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science
• The Medway School of Pharmacy
• The School of Physical Sciences
• The School of Sport and Exercise Sciences

Social Sciences          

Our Faculty of Social Sciences comprises:

• The School of Anthropology and Conservation
• The School of Economics
• The Kent Business School
• The Kent Law School
• The School of Politics and International Relations
• The School of Psychology
• The School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research
• Centre for Journalism
• Centre for Professional Practice

Our academic schools produce world-leading research, and we are rated as internationally excellent, leading the way in many fields of study. We are ranked 17th in the UK for research intensity and 97% of research at Kent was found to be of international quality in the Research Excellence Framework 2014, an independent national survey of UK universities. This means that you will study in one of the best research-intensive universities in the UK with outstanding academic staff who have a strong track record of research publishing.

Contributing to the University’s REF success were:

• the number of our world class publications

• the number of research active staff

• the demonstrable impact our research has made to the sciences and to economic, social and cultural understanding

Recent research achievements at Kent include:

• the discovery of a new antibiotic for MRSA

• the development of a 3D facial recognition system used in criminal investigations

• the discovery of the origin of BSE through animal feed 

• developing a marker test for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)

Sport

Our superb sports facilities at Canterbury provide students with the opportunity to experience sport either for leisure and recreation or to an elite competitive level using state of the art equipment and a wide-range of facilities. We also offer a wide variety of fitness and dance classes, sports courses and fun tournaments throughout the year.

Facilities include: an air-conditioned fitness suite fitted with the latest StarTrac equipment; a strength and conditioning training area equipped with four Olympic lifting platforms and Eleiko discs and bars; a Physiotherapy Clinic; large group exercise studio which hosts a full timetable of dance, studio, cycling, toning, holistic and combat classes, three multi purpose sports halls for activities including badminton, basketball, football, netball, table tennis, and volleyball; two squash courts, an indoor and outdoor tennis and netball centre; a floodlit 3G football pitch and multi-use astro-turf pitch; grass pitches for sports including rugby, football and cricket; a sports pavilion and two café areas.

Our outstanding facilities led to Kent being selected as a pre-games training camp for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

At Medway, our students have access to Medway Park, a multi-sport, state-of-the-art facility, located near to the campus. Kent students receive preferential rates to use its sports halls, pools, squash courts, health suites and athletics track.

The Medway area includes a range of other sporting facilities, such as a dry ski slope and toboggan run, an ice rink, a gokarting circuit, and an Olympic standard trampoline centre. The Deangate Ridge Sports Complex has an 18-hole golf course, athletics track and gym, and the Arethusa Venture Centre offers a great climbing wall and sailing activities. There is also a fantastic soccer centre, Kicks, which has third-generation astroturf – the best possible artificial surface.

The arts

On our Canterbury campus, the Gulbenkian Theatre offers a full programme of music, comedy, dance and drama, whilst the Gulbenkian Cinema screens a wide range of films from new releases to classics.

Our Colyer-Fergusson Building is a state-of-the-art centre for music performance able to accommodate everything from chamber recitals to large-scale orchestral concerts.

Passionate about music? We offer a wide range of music-making opportunities and Music Performance Scholarships of up to £2,000 are awarded each year to talented instrumentalists and singers studying for any degree at the University.

Students’ Unions

Kent Union at Canterbury and Greenwich and Kent Students’ Unions Together (GK Unions) at Medway run a wide range of student societies, including numerous international societies, and events which give you a chance to try something different or develop an existing interest. You could even establish your own society. Both unions are run by students for students and can provide advice and support on a range of matters.

Student accommodation 

Our excellent student accommodation allows you to make an easy transition to living away from home – you don’t have to worry about finding somewhere to live and all of your basic bills, except for a TV licence, are included in the rent.

Our Canterbury campus houses over 5,000 students in flats, houses and colleges offered on a self-catered or part-catered basis.

Medway students can stay in the purpose-built Liberty Quays development, a short walk from the campus and right by the River Medway.

Our international students, whether at Canterbury or Medway, are offered a room in University accommodation for their first year of study (providing they meet the application criteria).

Libraries

Our libraries contain over 1.3million books, periodicals and journals, as well as many online resources. Our impressive Templeman Library contains a number of special collections, study areas, and viewing facilities. The £10million Drill Hall Library at Medway, with 2.7 miles of shelving, hosts extensive book and journal collections.

IT services

We provide full IT services to assist your studies, including training, support and high-speed wireless access from study bedrooms and other locations across campus.

Our International Recruitment team can give you dedicated support from the beginning of your application – they will even meet you at the airport when you first arrive in the UK during Arrivals Weekend. Examples of support available throughout your studies include the Student Learning Advisory Service, our Centre for English and World Languages, which provides free on-going support and teaching for non-native speakers of English, and our Student Support team. We also have a dedicated student Careers and Employability Service.

Scholarships and Applying to Kent

Scholarships

We offer a generous range of undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships to international students, including awards for academic, sporting and creative excellence. See our Scholarships and Loans pages for details.

Applying to Kent

We welcome students from around the world and our International Recruitment team is always available to answer your questions.

English Language Entry Requirements

If you are a non-native speaker of English, we will need to see evidence of your English language ability. The level required will depend on your chosen programme of study. If you don’t currently have the necessary level of English, we offer an International Foundation Programme (IFP)and a range of pre-sessional courses to help you improve your English and study skills before joining your programme. Free English lessons are also available during your studies.

Undergraduate, Foundation and Pre-sessional Programmes

For details of how to apply to our undergraduate degrees, please see our Undergraduate applications page.

You can apply online for our International Foundation Programme (IFP) and pre-sessional courses via our International Pathways site. It is also possible to apply via one of our authorised representatives in your own country.

Postgraduate Programmes

Applications for postgraduate taught programmes are made online via our Graduate website.

Research Degree Programmes

We recommended you contact the Director of Graduate Studies in the school where you wish to study. If you have a supervisor in mind, you should also contact him or her directly to discuss your research proposal.

This is an important part of the application process as we must be confident that we can provide you with suitable supervision, support, training and facilities. The University must also be satisfied that you have the necessary qualifications and experience.

This early discussion also allows you and the Director of Graduate Studies/your potential supervisor to explore funding opportunities.

School or staff contact details can be found on the school's website or you can use our 'Find a supervisor' search tool to look for a suitable academic.

Fees

Our standard tuition fees for international students (from outside the EU) 2017/18 are:

• International Foundation Programme (IFP): £13,810

Undergraduate degrees

• Undergraduate standard non-laboratory programmes: £13,810
• Undergraduate standard lab-based or practical programmes: £16,480

Postgraduate degrees

• Postgraduate (Taught) standard non-laboratory programmes: £14,670
• Postgraduate (Taught) lab-based or practical programmes: £16,720
• Postgraduate (Research) standard non-laboratory programmes: £13,810
• Postgraduate (Research) standard lab-based or practical programmes: £16,480

You can also follow our step-by-step guide to work out your likely living expenses whilst studying at Kent.

Happy to help

As a Kent student, you will be joining a truly international community – 27% of our students come from outside the UK, representing 150 nationalities, and 37% of our academics are from overseas. This international mix creates a dynamic and stimulating environment, giving you the opportunity to discover how different cultures address global issues and enabling you to make new friends from around the world.

Our student societies celebrate a range of festivals including Chinese New Year, Holi, Thanksgiving and Diwali, and our Multicultural Events Fund offers awards of up to £350 to help you run your own multicultural event.

Here is a testimonial from a Norwegian student:

Name: Tharald Bull Stromnes

Where are you from?
Norway, raised in the municipality of Baerum outside Oslo.

Why did you decide to come to the University of Kent rather than go to university in your own country?
I did a year of exchange in Kent as part of my bachelor degree at the University of Trondheim. I chose Kent after searching for the perfect university for a long time, and one which matched my preferences. Kent is close to London, so is central without having to live in the hubbub of England’s magnificent capital. What you get instead is a green and welcoming campus with the view of the beautiful English countryside and the charming town of Canterbury with just the right mix of modernity, historical interest and old village aesthetics. Kent met my needs and surpassed my expectations; it offered subjects which were not available in Norway, it offered a more open academic atmosphere, and not to be overlooked, it is affordable for non EU international students. 

What support is given to international students?
As “UK’s European University”, and 25% international students, Kent has good experience at dealing with international and exchange students, and it shows. Kent were, especially compared with other UK universities that I communicated with, very clear, quick and helpful in their responses to my many questions before arriving. The help I received with choosing subjects and accommodation was extremely valuable, so much so that after arrival there were few times I needed more assistance. And the few times that the need arose, whether for me or any of my friends among the international community, the International Development office were helpful and effective, granting requests of the sorts I know have been difficult for friends studying at other universities. 

Have you got involved with many societies?
I got involved in the Classics & Archaeology (KCAS) society and the Socialist Worker Student Society (SWSS) (unfortunately disappearing the year I was at Kent), as well as Kent Kickboxing at the Sports Centre.

What do you think of the facilities on campus?
Summarizing the facilities on campus might be easier by summarizing the only two things I ever needed to leave the campus for, beyond travelling. Borrowing music sheets at the city library and shopping for a wider selection of alcohol. The Campus have bars for every occasion, sports centre, club, bank, library, shops (both food and clothes), cafeterias and restaurants, cinema, music hall and theatre, as well as large green areas for outdoor activities. Also, in this connected age, an internet service and support which works superbly, especially considering it’s shared by so many students. 

What do you like most about the city of Canterbury/Medway area?
Considering myself a minor Anglophile I have travelled extensively through the UK. With this in mind Canterbury possesses much of the attributes I consider essential to a peaceful and beautiful English town. An old and fascinating Cathedral, among other historical buildings, narrow cosy streets full of old houses and taverns, and a small river passing under charming bridges crossing between lively and lovely pubs and cafés. And as a contrast the wider high street has all you need for modern shops and services. I would say the symbioses of studying at a competent modern university while living in this old country charm is what I like best about the Canterbury area. 

What do you plan to do after you finish your course?
After finishing my time at Kent I shall return to Norway to continue my education with a Master’s degree, for which I am more than prepared after my exchange year at Kent. (Also, I shall spend much time with a very special girl, whom I would not have meet without the close community of international students at Kent).

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