There are a number of important things you’ll need to do before you arrive and during your first few weeks with us. We’ve rounded up the essential steps below, so read through them carefully and keep track of your progress!
What to do before you arrive
Starting from the 20 August onwards, you will receive an email inviting you to enrol.
Enrolment is the first step in your student journey, and you need to ensure you're fully enrolled before you can start your course. Do not panic if you do not receive this email immediately, however if you haven’t received your email by Monday 9 September 2024, please contact your Admissions Officer.
To find out how to begin the process and the deadline for completing enrolment, take a look at our Enrolment for new students page which includes a list of frequently asked questions.
International students
If you’re an international student, you can find additional information about visas and documents on our Enrolment for new international students page.
To complete enrolment and access all of our online resources, you'll need a username and password.
You can find your username on any University correspondence – it will be the letter "w" followed by the first seven digits of your student ID number (for example w1234567). Your student ID number is the same as your applicant number.
You'll set up your password as part of your application or when you start your enrolment. You can do this by following the instructions on our password self-service.
If you need help with your username or password, you can email the IT team at [email protected] or phone (+44) 020 7915 5488.
Before you can access your University email account, you must first start the enrolment process in the Applicant Portal. Once your enrolment details have been confirmed by the University, you’ll receive a message to your personal email address to inform you of this. It then takes up to 24 hours for the system to create your University email account, which you can then access.
Visit Outlook and log in with the following details:
- [username]@westminster.ac.uk (for example [email protected])
- the password you set for your online account (in step two above)
We will always contact you at your University email address, so you'll need to check it regularly! Prior to enrolling you may receive emails from the University of Westminster Students’ Union to your personal email address so do keep a look out for these.
If you need help with accessing your email account, you can email the IT team at [email protected] or phone (+44) 020 7915 5488.
Make sure you know when to pay your student fees, as this will vary depending on what funding method you're using and whether you're a UK or international student. You can see full guidance on our Paying your fees page.
International students
If you're an international student, you'll need to pay a tuition fee deposit before your CAS number can be issued. To find out how to do this, see our International Student Deposits page.
Study abroad and exchange students
If you're a study abroad student and you're paying your own tuition fees, you'll find helpful information on our Fees and funding pageGo to study abroad fees and funding page . If your study abroad provider or your home university partner with us and are paying your tuition fees, we will invoice them.
If you're an exchange student, you won't need to pay tuition fees due to our partnership agreement with your home university.
Full-time students
Our availability for the 2024–25 academic year is now extremely limited. If you apply through our Housing Portal, our Student Accommodation team will advise you on your options and you can be added to our waiting list.
To find out how to apply and what your options are, see our Applying for halls page.
Part-time students
Halls are not available to part-time students, but our Student Accommodation Team can offer advice on finding private accommodation.
Study abroad and exchange students
If you're a study abroad or exchange student, you'll be able to apply for student accommodation as part of your programme application.
Blackboard will be a key resource during your studies – you'll use it to access teaching materials for your course, participate in online learning activities and more.
Before you arrive, you'll be given access to our Blackboard pre-arrival experience. As part of this, you can work through a short online course and discover tips on making the most of your studies. This is a great way to familiarise yourself with the platform before you begin your course.
To get started, sign in to Blackboard now.
If you need help with using Blackboard, have a look at our Blackboard FAQs.
London is an expensive city, so we recommend planning a budget and exploring the funding opportunities and student discounts available to you. Below are some useful links to help you get started:
- To get an idea of what you'll need to spend each week, check our Affordable London page
- To see what discounts you can access, and handy tips on budgeting, visit our Managing your money page
- To find out what funding is available, and scholarships you can apply for, see our Fees and funding page
If you'd like further advice about funding or budgeting, you can contact our Student Advice Team.
International students
If you're an international student, you can find additional information about funding and living costs on our International student funding page.
We recommend opening a bank account when you arrive in the UK, as this is the safest and most effective way to manage your finances. For guidance on this, see our Banking page.
Before you join us, make sure you’ve read through the following important information.
Undergraduate, postgraduate and Graduate School students
Study abroad and exchange students
What to do when you arrive
Once you have a status of "Fully Enrolled" or "Temporarily Enrolled", you can collect your student ID card and a lanyard. You'll collect this on campus as part of your course induction. To find your course induction schedule, take a look at step two below.
You'll use your student ID card to access University buildings, borrow library books, use printing facilities, swipe into classes and more – so keep it safe! As part of the University of Westminster community, please wear your student ID card and lanyard at all times on campus.
When you arrive, it’s important you attend your course induction. There will be a variety of events to introduce you to your course, meet the course team and get to know your fellow students. You'll also be allocated a time slot to complete your enrolment and collect your student ID card on campus which forms part of your Course Induction.
Find your induction schedule via the relevant page below:
- Undergraduate course inductions
- Postgraduate course inductions
- Graduate School enrolment and induction
Study abroad and exchange students
If you're a study abroad or exchange student, the Education Abroad Team will email information about your welcome presentation and other events (if you are studying abroad with us via a study abroad provider, the email will reach you via the provider). If you haven't received an email by Monday 9 September 2024, please contact [email protected] for details.
During your first few weeks at Westminster, we'll be running a series of events and activities to help you settle into University life, meet other students and learn new skills.
If you're an international student, you can also join one of our dedicated events for students who are new to the UK.
Find out about upcoming Welcome Events on our Welcome to Westminster page.
Students’ Union Welcome Events
The University of Westminster Students' Union (UWSU) will also be running a variety of student-led events to welcome you to the University. These include Welcome Fairs where you can join sports clubs and societies, learn about your Students' Union and discover opportunities on offer.
To see the full event schedule, visit the UWSU website.
Study abroad and exchange students
If you're a study abroad or exchange student, the Education Abroad Team will email information about your welcome presentation and other events (if you are studying abroad with us via a study abroad provider, the email will reach you via the provider). If you haven't received an email by Monday 9 September 2024, please contact [email protected] for details.
If you’re moving into University halls of residence, you’ll need to arrive within one week of your tenancy start date. If you need help with finding out where to go, or if you'll be arriving late, you can contact the Student Accommodation Team.
If you're renting privately, you can find information on deposits, council tax exemptions and more on our Private rented accommodation page.
One of the first things to do when you arrive at your campus is to access our WiFi network. Find out how to do this on our Access our WiFi network page.
Check your course timetable to see what lectures, seminars and tutorials you have coming up during your first term. To save time in the future, you can also add your timetable to your phone's calendar app! We have introduced Multi-factor authentication for gaining access to the timetable. You can find out more about this on our Multi-factor authentication page.
Course timetables for students starting in September 2024 will be available on our Timetables page.
Please note that your timetable will be available 48 hours after you have been enrolled and this could be longer if you enrol just before a weekend. Please visit our module registration web page for further details about your modules and teaching timetable.
Visit the library
Take time to look around our libraries and explore the extensive collections of books, journals and other resources available to you.
Learn more about our library and study spaces.
Discover our facilities
You can access a range of facilities at Westminster, from our historic Regent Street Cinema to our gyms, coffee shops and more. See what's available at your campus on the pages below:
The Student Hub homepage has quick links to all the essential resources you'll use throughout your studies, including Blackboard, My Student Record, Outlook and course timetables. You'll also find the latest student news, alerts and events.
Personal tutor
If you're studying on a course lasting longer than a year, you'll be allocated a personal tutor. You can speak with them about choosing course modules, gaining further study skills or any matters affecting your studies.
Learn more about personal tutors.
Student Centre
Our Student Centre service provides all of the support and information you need in one place. The team can answer any questions you have and direct you to a range of services to support you with your studies and wellbeing.
The easiest way to contact the service is via the live chat on the Student Hub homepage. You'll also find service points at our Harrow, Cavendish and Marylebone Campuses.
Find out more about the service on our Support and services page.
Disability Learning Support
If you have a long-term condition or disability and haven't yet been in touch with us, see what additional support you could get by registering with our Disability Learning Support (DLS) Team.
The term 'disability' covers a range of conditions, including dyslexia, mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, visual impairments, autism spectrum conditions, or long-term medical conditions such as epilepsy or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
We offer a huge range of opportunities to broaden your career prospects and enhance your employability, including:
- One-to-one career advice
- Study and work abroad opportunities
- Polylang – learn a new language
- Westminster Employability Award
Bookmark Engage
The Engage platform offers job opportunities, events and resources to help with your employability. You can also book a variety of appointments to get tailored careers support and advice.
Use your University email and password to log in to Engage.
The University of Westminster Students' Union (UWSU) provides support, representation and social opportunities during your time at Westminster. They offer:
- free sports clubs and societies
- advice and wellbeing services
- academic communities
- on-site events and activities
Learn more about who they are and what they do on the UWSU website.
If you're new to London, it's vital that you register with a local doctor so that you can easily access healthcare when you need it. We have guidance on how to do this and a list of recommended GP practices on our Registering with a doctor page.
Travelling around London can be expensive, so make sure you apply for a Student Oyster photocard. This will save you 30% on an adult-rate Travelcard or a Bus & Tram Pass season ticket.
If you're unfamiliar with London or new to the UK in general, find out how to get around the city by tube, bus or bike on the Transport for London (TFL) website.
Contact us
If you need help with enrolment or preparing to study with us, email our Student Centre Team at [email protected] or contact us via the live chat on this page.