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Welcome to NU London

Getting started at our London Campus

We give a warm welcome to all new students joining us at Northumbria's London Campus!

To help you get started, please expand the sections below for essential steps you need to take, beginning with Enrol Now.

On this page, you’ll also find your Welcome Guide, a comprehensive resource packed with information and tips to ensure a smooth and successful start to your journey with us. If you’re an international student, be sure to access your International Welcome Guide, designed to provide extra support as you settle into life in the UK.

We look forward to seeing you!

There are a number of tasks and actions you can take before you arrive to help get your journey with us off to the best start, starting with Enrol Now.

All students must be enrolled in order to study at the University. 

Full enrolment provides access to your Programme site and personal timetable as well as University IT systems and buildings. You are advised to complete enrolment as soon as possible and arrive by your course start date so that you can attend programme induction activities.

Online enrolment is accessed through Northumbria's Student Portal - before you can log in you need to set up DUO Multi-Factor Authorisation - please expand the section below for details.

DUO Multi-Factor Authentication

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) offers an extra layer of protection for your Northumbria account and the files and devices associated with it. At the point of logging in to your Northumbria account, a DUO prompt will be sent through to your personal device requesting that you approve the login attempt. Please see our Guide to enrolling with Duo and watch our short video below for an overview:

  

Enrolment Guidance

Once you can access the Portal, it's time to enrol - please expand the relevant section below for guidance.

Home (UK) Students

You can complete the full enrolment process online by logging on to your Student Portal, selecting 'Enrol' from the main menu and following the instructions.

You will need your username and password, which you should have already received by email, and have a digital passport-style photograph ready to upload for your University Smartcard. When you have completed this process successfully you will receive a confirmation email to your University email account. See Understanding the enrolment process in your Student Portal for full guidance.

Overseas (International) Students

If you require visa or immigration permissions to study in the UK, you must complete our two-step enrolment process before beginning your studies at Northumbria.

To begin your enrolment you will need your username and password, which you should have already received by email, and have a digital passport-style photograph ready to upload for your University Smartcard.

Then follow these steps to complete your enrolment: 

Step 1. Online Pre-Registration - Before you arrive in the UK

To pre-register, log in to your Student Portal, select 'Enrol' from the main menu, and follow the instructions provided.

Step 2. Visa Verification - After you arrive in the UK

  • After arriving in the UK, you must upload your visa documents to be checked and confirmed.
  • You can do this via the 'Visa Upload' task in your Student Portal.
  • The documents required will be listed in your enrolment email and in our useful online guide.
  • Once your documents have been verified, you will receive an email confirming this. Only then will your enrolment be complete. Please note that document checks can take up to five working days. 

See Understanding the enrolment process in your Student Portal for full guidance.

Important:

Your enrolment will only be complete after you have pre-registered, and your visa documents have been verified. If you fail to enrol by your course enrolment deadline, your record will be closed. Please do not travel unless you can enter the UK by your course enrolment deadline.

Home Students

Please expand the relevant section below:.

Undergraduate students

If you are funded by Student Finance, please ensure you complete an application for the start of each academic year.

If you are a self-funding student please ensure you pay the first instalment of your fees on or before you complete the enrolment task. You can do this via our online payment platform. Please ensure you select 'Northumbria University - London Campus'.

Postgraduate Taught students

If you are a self-funding student, please ensure you have paid the first instalment of your fees on or before you complete the enrolment task. You can do this via our online payment platform.

If you are a sponsored student, you are required to submit a sponsorship letter at the start of each academic year. Please see the Payment of fees by a sponsor article on your Student Portal for full information. If you cannot access your Student Portal at this time, please submit an enquiry to us via this contact form.

International Students

If you are a self-funding student, please ensure you have paid the first instalment of your fees on or before you complete the enrolment task. You can do this via our online payment platform.

If you are a sponsored student, you are required to submit a sponsorship letter at the start of each academic year. Please see the Payment of fees by a sponsor article on your Student Portal for full information. If you cannot access your Student Portal at this time, please submit an enquiry to us via this contact form.

Support

If you are unable to pay the first instalment of your fees at enrolment or if you have concerns about your ability to pay future instalment(s) please contact the Finance department via your Student Portal, where you can arrange to visit the Finance drop-in session and discuss your financial position. 

If you cannot access your Student Portal at this time, please submit an enquiry to us via this contact form.

Every student at Northumbria University has their own IT account. You will be allocated an IT account when you enrol on your programme.  

As well as logging in to computers on campus, you will use your IT account to login to systems including your Student Portal, Blackboard - Northumbria's online learning platform - and Microsoft 365 to access your emails and files. 

Your Northumbria username and password can be found in your welcome email from Northumbria University Enrolment. Watch our short video for more information:

To access your account safely, you will also need to enrol with DUO, the multi-factor authentication software we use here at Northumbria - see Enrol Now above for details.

  • If you forget your username, please contact IT Support
  • If you forget your password, you can reset it using DUO (UK numbers only) or via IT Chat (available 24/7).

Accessibility Support

Our aim is to ensure students are supported to reach their full potential and have the best possible experience here at Northumbria. If you have an accessibility need - including Specific Learning Differences and neurodiversity - we offer support throughout your journey with us, even before you arrive.

Visit Preparing to Join Us for more information and to register with the Student Accessibility Team, who can ensure any relevant support is in place before you get here.

Campus Accessibility

We are also committed to ensuring our campuses are accessible, and have partnered with AccessAble to create detailed guides to the physical access features of all our buildings and services. This include information on colour contrast and lighting, signage, background noise, and much more. See AccessAble - Campus Access Guides for more information.

Your programme start date can be found in your offer and enrolment letter. It is vital to arrive on campus in time to take part in your induction week activities so plan your travel arrangements carefully and don't forget to confirm your accommodation. Remember, it can take up to five days to have your visa information verified once you have uploaded it, so it is a good idea to arrive ahead of your start date. 

Wherever you are travelling from, your Welcome Pack below contains lots of useful information about travelling to campus, what to bring with you and how to ensure a smooth arrival.

You may find the following articles on your Student Portal useful:

 

Using your Student Portal to Navigate Northumbria from Northumbria University on Vimeo.

We know that there is a lot of information to take in during your time at university – so to help you navigate your Northumbria journey, your Student Portal brings all of the knowledge, advice and support you need together in one place. 

As well as links to essential Northumbria information such as your timetable, your virtual learning environment (Blackboard) and Library Online, you can also use the Portal to read the latest Northumbria news stories, keep your personal details updated and check your finance and accommodation status.  

If you have any questions during your time at Northumbria, you can search Ask4Help Online in your Student Portal for the answer, or submit an enquiry via the text box at the end of each article and a member of our team will get back to you.

Having trouble accessing your Student Portal?


 

Your Welcome Guide can also be found below and contains lots more information and practical guidance for getting started at Northumbria. 

 

During induction week, you will have the opportunity to settle into your new surroundings, meet teaching staff and make friends. You will also be required to consider practical information and complete key tasks.

Once you have arrived in the UK, you should complete your enrolment by uploading your visa documentation to your Student Portal. This includes collecting and uploading your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) and/or your e-visa share code.

Only when these documents have been verified will you be full enrolled. See the Enrolment article on your Student Portal for full information and guidance.

Induction and Welcome Week Timetable

It is vital that you attend both days of your induction sessions during week commencing 27th January 2025 - this is when you will meet your programme team, fellow students and be introduced to campus. Simply select your programme from NU London Welcome Week and Induction Timetables for full information.

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About your Smartcard

Your Student Smartcard is an essential part of getting started at Northumbria. You should arrange to collect your Smartcard during your Induction Week and keep it with you at all times. Your Smartcard is your student identification, but you will also use it to access University buildings and services and to register your attendance. 

Look out for collection details for January 2025 coming soon!

Attendance and Absence

One of the key tasks you will use your Smartcard for is to register your attendance at taught sessions - this is a vital activity that all students need to do. Attendance and being engaged with your studies are both key to succeeding at University. Please read our article on the Student Portal about Registering your attendance and notifying us of absence for more information.

Your safety is our priority. Please follow the steps below to keep yourself and your fellow students safe:

  • We have a dedicated 24-hour security team and recommend that all students download the free SafeZone App which connects you directly to Security should you need it.
  • It is essential that you carry your University Smartcard with you at all times while on campus. This is for attendance, identification and security purposes. Your Smartcard is for your use only, you must not lend it to anyone else. If you lose your Smartcard, please report this to Ask4Help.
  • You must report any incidents to Security immediately. Security work closely with the City of London Police to keep the area safe.

Your Welcome Pack also contains details of security and emergency contacts. 

Registering with a doctor/GP

Taking care of your health and wellbeing is crucial while at University. One of the first steps to take after arriving in London is to register with a local doctor's surgery, also known as a General Practitioner or GP. This ensures you can access medical care when needed. Please register as soon as possible - do not wait until you are unwell.

For more information and advice on how to do this, see the Registering with a doctor/GP article in your Student Portal.

Opening a Bank Account

It is also important to take care of your money and finances while at University. We recommend that all students open a student bank account - if you are joining us from overseas it's particularly important to think about a UK account. See the Opening a bank account article on your Student Portal for more information.


 

Your Welcome Guide can also be found below and contains lots more information and practical guidance for getting started at Northumbria. 

 

Once you have arrived and completed your enrolment and induction, it's time to start your academic studies and get to know all that Northumbria has to offer to make your student experience the very best it can be.  

Hopefully by now you have accessed your programme Blackboard site, attended your induction sessions and explored our Preparing to Study guide to gain a good understanding of the academic skills you will need to succeed.

During your first weeks of teaching, you will meet your named Personal Tutor, who will be a point of contact and support throughout your programme. Your Personal Tutor will provide academic advice and guidance on performance, study options and good academic practice among other things. You can read more about Personal Tutors on your Student Portal.

You can access a wide range of information, guidance and support from your University Library throughout the year, including online content, workshops and one-to-one sessions. See Developing your learning skills for more information on topics including:

  • Academic writing
  • Note taking
  • Research skills
  • Critical reading
  • Time management
  • Academic referencing

You may also find the following articles on your Student Portal useful:

Northumbria Students' Union (NSU) is here to make your student experience the best it can be! NSU offers advice, support, representation, events and lots more.

NSU is run by the SABB Team, consisting of six student-elected officers. Gopal (VP Postgraduate) and Kishore Reddy (VP Activities) visit our London Campus each term to gather feedback and organise social events to help students make friends all year long. There are already three societies established at NU London, but you could start your own!

You can also access independent advice about your course, housing and your wellbeing through the NSU Advice Centre.

Ask4Help-logo

We know it can be daunting starting out at University but we are here to help and support you every step of the way.

Ask4Help is the name of our frontline service and it is available 24/7 during term-time on campus, online and via telephone.

Ask4Help can answer any questions you have or signpost you to more specialist support should you need it. Ask4Help Online in your Student Portal contains a range of useful articles providing self-help information on topics including:

  • Accommodation
  • Careers and Employment
  • International issues
  • IT
  • Money and Finance
  • My Programme
  • Student Life
  • Support and Wellbeing

You can submit any queries you have or access specialist support from staff via the enquiry box at the end of each article. 

Your Blackboard site is an invaluable source of information about your programme. Your Programme Leader and Personal Tutor (who you will have met during induction), will also be essential contacts if you have any programme-related questions throughout your studies.


 

Your Welcome Guide can also be found below and contains lots more information and practical guidance for getting started at Northumbria. 

 

 

 

Your Welcome Guide

To help you navigate Northumbria, we have brought together a range of information about our campus, services and support available to you in a handy Welcome Guide.

cover of NUL Welcome Guide

International Students' Welcome Guide

We welcome all new students joining us from overseas! This guide is full of useful information and advice - from before you arrive to getting here and settling in. You can access a pdf version of the guide here.


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