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 systems and teaching timetables, buildings and your programme site. 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. Please expand the relevant section below for guidance.
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.
Students requiring a Right to Study check (mostly International students) must undertake a two-step enrolment process.
1. Online pre-registration is a preliminary stage to visa documentation being verified once you arrive in the UK and completing your full enrolment. You can complete the pre-registration part of the enrolment process online by logging on to your Student Portal, selecting Enrol from the main menu and following the instructions.
2. To be fully enrolled on your course, you are required to upload your visa documents via the ‘Visa Upload’ task in your Student Portal once you have arrived in the UK. Visa verification is mandatory where Right to Study checks are required – the required documents will have been detailed in your enrolment email. Please allow up to five working days for document checks to be completed - you will receive a notification email once complete which will then confirm your enrolment. Do not travel unless you can enter the UK by the course enrolment deadline.
See Understanding the enrolment process in your Student Portal for full guidance.
If you fail to enrol by your course enrolment deadline, your record will be closed for non-enrolment.
Please expand the relevant section below:.
If you are funded by Student Finance England (or equivalent), 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 one of our online payment platforms.
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 one of our online payment platforms.
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.
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 one of our online payment platforms.
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.
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.
As well as logging in to computers on campus, your IT account will be used 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 below for details.
If you forget your username or password, you can contact IT Support.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) offers an extra layer of protection for your Northumbria account and the files and devices associated with it. With Duo, at the point of logging in to your Northumbria account, a prompt will be sent through to your personal device where you can approve log in. Please see our Guide to enrolling with Duo here and watch our short video here:
As well as the above, we offer a full IT Induction for Students including online sessions for new students (dates coming soon!).
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.
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).
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.
You will take part in a two-day induction programme, details of which you can find here: NU London Welcome Week and Induction Timetables.
It is really important to attend your induction activities - this is where you'll meet your programme team and fellow students, and how you will find your way around campus and all of the fantastic resources available to you.
You can access your timetable once you are fully enrolled (please allow up to 48 hours for this) via:
Please see the Accessing your teaching timetable article on your Student Portal for more information and full guidance.
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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. As well as your student identification, your Smartcard gives you access to University buildings and services, registers your attendance, is you University Library card and much more.
Look out for collection dates for September 2024 coming soon!
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:
Your Welcome Pack also contains details of security and emergency contacts.
Taking care of your health and wellbeing is crucial while at University. One of the first steps to take after arriving is to register with a local doctor's surgery, also know 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.
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.
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.
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 3 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.
We know it can be daunting starting out at University but we are here to help and support you at every step of the way.
Ask4Help is the name of our frontline service and it is available 2on 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:
You can submit any queries you have or access specialist support from staff via the enquiry box at the end of each article.
During induction, you will meet your programme team including your Programme Leader and Personal Tutor, who - along with the information on your programme Blackboard site - will be useful contacts for you for any course-related queries you have.
Your Welcome Guide can also be found below and contains lots more information and practical guidance for getting started at Northumbria.
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.
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