International Students Before You Arrive

Welcome and Orientation 2024

A large group of students by the riverside with the castle and cathedral in the background

International Students

There are lots of things you can do to get a head start on student life before you arrive! Here are the key tasks to complete so you're ready to study, live and socialise as an international student at Durham:

Start planning your Welcome Week events

1. Enrol online

This is the first and most important step you should take before you arrive. Enrolment opens six weeks before the start of your programme. Once you have completed your enrolment, then you'll be able to access your university IT account.

How to enrol for undergraduate students

How to enrol for postgraduate taught students

How to enrol for postgraduate research

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A group of students studying together on laptops

2. For undergraduates only: access the Transition to Higher Education online course

To make the transition to university as smooth as possible, we’ve worked with students to create an online pre-arrival course for you to complete. Use our virtual learning environment, Learn Ultra, to try out some valuable academic skills and to become familiar with our commonly-used digital tools.

Complete Transition into HE from late August

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3. Get to know your Department

There are a number of different ways you can get to know more about your department before you arrive, including looking at our Welcome webpages, logging in to Learn Ultra and visiting the Learn Ultra Induction site for your programme.

Visit your Department Welcome page for information

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4. Find out more about your College

Your College is waiting to welcome you, visit their Welcome webpages to find out more. Your College will contact you directly with more information.

Visit your College Welcome webpage for information

5. Selecting optional modules

If your degree programme permits you to select some optional modules, you can begin selecting these after 1st September. Only select your modules after you have read the module selection information from your Department in the Learn Ultra Induction site. Read the guidance from your Department carefully so you can make informed choices about your modules. Please do not select optional modules before 1st September.

Undergraduate: selecting optional modules

Postgraduate taught: selecting optional modules

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6. Get connected with My Digital Durham

Once you are enrolled, you get access to a range of digital services such as your university email account, FREE Microsoft 365 and Office subscription, plus a range of teaching and learning apps to help you with your studies. View the interactive pdf and video

Visit My Digital Durham

Your first week in Durham – University Welcome and Orientation Week Events Timetable

The Timetable has been designed so College events don’t clash with any of your academic departmental events, but offer you lots of opportunities to meet your fellow Freshers, find your way around and settle into student life.

To help you keep track of where you need to be, and what you need to do during your first busy days at university, in your College and your Department, we have created a day-by-day University Induction Planner. This should help you to plan your schedule, so you don't miss anything - from being issued with your Campus Card or meeting the staff in your Department, to trying out for a sports team or joining a student society.

Create your Personal Welcome Week Planner