Your open day guide
You've made a great choice to visit the University of the Year - as chosen by students at the Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2024! You can use this guide to plan your visit with us. We’re regularly updating it with key information, so don’t forget to check back here for the latest details.
Welcome to our open day
The open day is as flexible as you want it to be. You don’t need to register on arrival, as attendance will be recorded at your pre-booked subject talks, and the rest of the day’s activities can be done in any order.
When you arrive on campus, head to one of our information hubs to pick up your event wristband for access on the day.
Our information hubs are at the following locations:
- Durham Road
- Medical School
- Information Commons
- The Wave
- The Diamond
You’ll also be able to pick up your wristband at our general information stand in the Arts Tower car park.
Open day frequently asked questions
General information stand
9am to 4pm, Arts Tower car park
Head here to ask our event staff and student ambassadors your questions and to get some tips on what to do next.
Central exhibition
9.30am to 4pm, Firth Court, Goodwin Sport, and outside Jessop West and the Information Commons (IC)
Showcasing everything you need to know about Sheffield. Talk to the experts and start thinking about your future at Sheffield.
In Firth Court Quad:
- Access Sheffield
- Admissions - application advice
- Careers and Employability Service
- Degrees with a foundation year for mature students
- Disability and Dyslexia Support Service
- Global Opportunities (spend time abroad)
- IT Services
- Learn a language
- The University Library
- Safety on campus
- Guidance for parents & supporters
- Student Support Services
- Student Fees and Funding
- 301 Academic Skills Centre
In Goodwin Sports:
- Sport and Physical Activity
- Students’ Union:
- Clubs and Societies
- Entertainment and Events
Outside the Information Commons*:
- Accommodation
Outside Jessop West:
- Sheffield - Your University City
*Outdoor stands may be moved indoors in the event of adverse weather
Talks
These 20-minute presentations run throughout the day, to ensure that you can attend one that fits in with your schedule.
Welcome to our University
Firth Hall (access via Firth Court main entrance)
10am, 12.15pm, 1.45pm
Learn what our University stands for and how our values guide everything we do.
Student life
Firth Hall (access via Firth Court main entrance)
10.45am, 12.45pm, 2.15pm
Students talk about why the Sheffield experience is consistently voted as one of the best in the UK.
University accommodation
Firth Hall (access via Firth Court main entrance)
11.30am, 1.15pm, 2.45pm
Find out about all the different locations, rooms and prices. You’ll also hear about Residence Life and the events and support available for residents.
Sport and Physical Activity at Sheffield
Lecture Theatre 4, The Wave (access via The Wave main entrance)
10am, 11.30am
Everything you need to know about sports, fitness & physical activity at the University.
Funding your studies
Lecture Theatre 4, The Wave (access via The Wave main entrance)
10.30am, 1pm
All the information you need about fees and finance for university.
Global opportunities and exchanges
Lecture Theatre 4, The Wave (access via The Wave main entrance)
11am, 1.30pm
Find out more about opportunities to spend a period abroad studying, working or teaching.
Applying to University
Lecture Theatre 4, The Wave (access via The Wave main entrance)
12.30pm
Learn all about how to navigate the UCAS application process and all of the key dates.
All about starting university: A guide for parents and supporters
Lecture Theatre 4, The Wave (access via The Wave main entrance)
12pm, 2pm
Get practical information about guiding your child through the process of starting university.
Advice for local and commuter students
Firth Court Quad
1pm-2pm
Find out what it's like to live at home whilst being at university by coming to our drop-in session with current local students who commute to University. Find them at the Parents and Supporters stand in the Quad.
Tours
The best way to find out about our world-class facilities is to see them for yourself.
- Our accommodation tours start at 9.30am.
- All other tours start at 10am.
- All tours finish at 4pm, and the last accommodation bus leaves Favell Road at 4pm.
Accommodation tours
9:30am - 4pm
Visit our award-winning Ranmoor/Endcliffe accommodation site. View our en-suite and shared-bathroom accommodation, the outstanding facilities and beautiful green spaces, and get your questions answered by our accommodation experts at The Edge Hub.
Take our free accommodation shuttle bus from beside the Information Commons on Favell Road, or from outside the Wave on Whitham Road. The last bus departs Favell Road at 4pm, and returns to campus at 5pm. We advise allowing one hour from stepping on the bus shuttle to stepping back off at campus.
Alternatively, scan a walking map from our accommodation information points outside the Information Commons, Wave and Medical School.
Please note: our accommodation tours tend to be busiest between 12-2pm, where visitors may encounter a short wait for buses and/or small queues at Ranmoor/Endcliffe. We would encourage visitors to take an accommodation tour outside of these times, where possible.
Campus tours
Duration: 45 mins
10am - 4pm
Collect a wristband from the campus tours stand in the Arts Tower car park for one of our walking campus tours, departing every 30 minutes. Our students will show you some of our iconic buildings and excellent teaching spaces. Alternatively, explore campus at your own pace with a self-guided tour leaflet and online audio guide.
City tours
Duration: 45 mins
10am - 4pm
Walking tours of our vibrant, green, modern city depart every 30 minutes from the city stand outside Jessop West. Alternatively, collect a self-guided tour leaflet from here to explore the city at your own pace.
Library tours
Duration: 15 mins
10am - 4pm
Meet our student ambassador tour guides at the reception of the Information Commons and Western Bank Library.
The Information Commons offers a comfy, inclusive study environment with bookable spaces, core reading books, and a Garden Room for relaxation. Western Bank Library, a Grade II listed building, has 1.2 million texts, 730 study spaces, and serene views of Weston Park for a tranquil study experience.
Sport and physical activity tours
Duration: 10 mins
10am - 4pm
Meet at the Sports Hall Foyer at Goodwin Sports Centre for a tour of the site’s impressive facilities, including synthetic 3G pitches, sports hall, studio spaces, squash courts and brand new Fitness Suite.
Food and drink
There are loads of places to eat on campus, whether you want to grab a quick sandwich on the move or a chance to sit down and reflect over lunch. You can take food away from any of our venues. Please note that all campus outlets are now cashless.
Quiet spaces and prayer rooms
Dedicated quiet spaces and prayer room facilities are available in several key buildings on the day of the event. If you need help finding your way around, please feel free to ask our staff at the Information Hubs.
Subject exhibitions
Which course is for you?
It's not unusual if you haven't decided exactly which course you want to do. You will have the opportunity to chat to staff and current students about the different subjects and specialisms you can study.
Arts and Humanities Faculty Exhibition
10am - 3.30pm, Jessop West
In the Faculty of Arts and Humanities we believe that an understanding of people's lives, experiences, beliefs and values - both past and present - is vital in tackling the greatest issues facing humanity today. Our flexible and wide-ranging degrees, taught by world-leading researchers, allow you to shape your course around what interests and inspires you.
- East Asian Studies
- English
- History
- Languages and Cultures
- Law and Criminology
- Music
- Philosophy
Engineering and Computer Science Exhibition
10am - 3.30pm, The Diamond and Heartspace
Head first to the Diamond building, home to specialist labs, flight simulators and the UK’s first student-led 'makerspace', providing you with the experience to become a world-class engineer or computer scientist. Next, visit the nearby Heartspace for a showcase of our student-led engineering projects and societies. Also located in the Heartspace, is the Digital Innovation Zone (DIZ), acting as a living lab to assist students to gain the digital skills they will need in an ever changing engineering landscape.
- Aerospace Engineering
- Mechatronic and Robotic Engineering
- Computer Systems Engineering
- Bioengineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Civil and Structural Engineering
- Computer Science
- Electronic and Electrical Engineering
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- General Engineering
- AMRC Degree Apprenticeships
Faculty of Health Drop-ins
10am - 3.30pm, The Medical School and School of Clinical Dentistry
The Faculty of Health provides excellent student support, practical experience and high-quality learning facilities, in a range of undergraduate courses across medicine, dentistry and allied health professions, including nursing, orthoptics and speech therapy. Courses are delivered by a mixture of academic staff and clinical staff, all of whom bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to their world-class teaching, guided by the latest research in the field.
- Dental School - Dental School main entrance
- Speech and Language Therapy - Medical School Foyer
- Adult Nursing - Medical School Foyer
- Orthoptics - Medical School Foyer
- Medicine - Medical School main entrance
Science Subject Drop-ins
10am - 3.30pm, Various venues
Science at Sheffield spans biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and psychology. Discover how you can explore the ideas and develop the practical skills that will help us solve challenges such as antibiotic resistance, plastic waste and how to build a quantum computer. Find out how we've designed our degrees to help you get the experience employers are looking for.
- Biosciences - Alfred Denny Conference Room
- Chemistry - Dainton Building Foyer
- Mathematics and Statistics - Hicks Building
- Physics and Astronomy - Hicks Building
- Psychology - ICOSS Building
Social Sciences Faculty Exhibition
10am - 3.30pm, The Wave
The Faculty of Social Sciences has a long-established reputation for producing world-leading research (REF2021). This means that you'll be taught and supervised by researchers, writers and thinkers who are leaders in their fields. Many of our teaching staff are also professional practitioners, bringing their rich experience into the classroom.
- Applied Social Sciences
- Architecture
- Business and Management
- Data Science
- Digital Media and Society
- Economics
- Education
- Environmental Science
- Geography
- Global Sustainable Development
- Journalism
- Landscape Architecture
- Politics
- Politics, Philosophy and Economics
- Sociology
- Urban Studies and Planning
Subject talks
These are the only fixed part of the day, which you choose when making your open day booking. You can book places for yourself and up to one additional guest. You are welcome to bring further guests to accompany you on the day and take part in central tours, talks and exhibitions, but in order to maintain safe room capacities, we cannot guarantee spaces for them in the subject talk(s).
You will receive a reminder email before the event with details of your pre-booked subject talks, and your QR code for entry.
If you have changed your mind about which subject talk you want to attend, details are available in the subject talk schedules. However, please be advised that booked visitors (prospective students and up to one additional guest) will be seated first, and only then will any remaining seats will be offered to unbooked students, then unbooked guests.
Some subject talks do become fully booked, but our faculty exhibitions and subject drop-ins offer a great opportunity to meet representatives from the department and find out more about the courses on offer.
View 6 July subject talk schedule
Getting here
We recommend travelling to the University via public transport. Sheffield has great transport links, with several park and ride sites, and is easily accessible by train. We are unable to offer visitor parking on campus and the public 'pay and display' parking close by is very limited.
Find more travel advice and plan your journey to our campus.
If you or your guests have a disability read our access information.
Access+ Travel Bursary
If you meet our Access+ criteria we might be able to refund your travel to our open day. You can ask about this at the Access Sheffield stand in our central exhibition.
Talented Athletes: Unleash Your Potential
Are you a talented athlete, competing at a national or international level, and aiming to excel in both your sport and academics? Our Elite Sport Performance Scheme (ESPS) provides a unique support system to help you flourish on the field and in the classroom. You can get mentoring and coaching, discounts on physiotherapy and potentially a financial award - and more. We’d love to tell you more in person as part of your open day visit.
Drop us an email performance-sport@sheffield.ac.uk or give us a call 0114 222 8735 to arrange your session.