ENGLAND - ISEP Nottingham Trent University

To be eligible to participate in this program, students must meet the following requirements:

• Good academic and judicial standing during time of application AND time of participation in program
• Undergraduates must have completed at least two semesters of study at Lake Forest College AND have junior status or higher before participation. 
• At least 18 years of age by the program’s departure date. 
• Be able to stay at the host program for the duration of the semester, including through the exam and travel periods
• Minimum GPA of 2.75.  

Students applying to ISEP must apply for an Exchange option (in any country) as a first choice but may apply to a Direct option as a back-up. Direct options may have an additional cost (see a financial section for more information).

Nottingham Trent University is based in the popular student city of Nottingham, which hosts around 60,000 students from across the globe, over 10,000 of whom are international and approximately 8,500 are from the European Union. NTU currently has 28,000 students (latest HESA report 2011/12).

Nottingham is a compact city; students will get to know it quickly. Students enjoy the cultural benefits one would expect from a major city complete with the intimacy and inexpensive lifestyle associated with a small city. In addition, the beautiful Peak District, ideal for walking and relaxing, is only a 50-minute drive away.

Nottingham is ideally situated in the center of the UK, easily accessible by road rail and air. The closest airport is the East Midlands Airport. It only takes two hours by train to/from London.

NTU has three campuses: 

CITY SITE: The City site is located in the center of the city of Nottingham and is home to over 17,000 students studying Business, Law, Social Sciences, Art & Design, Architecture & the Built Environment, and Broadcasting, and Journalism. The City site has the beautiful Arkwright building, a Grade II listed building which is officially recognized as having special historical or architectural interest.

CLIFTON CAMPUS: The Clifton campus is home to over 9,000 students from the School of Arts and Humanities, School of Science and Technology and School of Education. Four miles outside the city center, the Clifton campus is a self-contained, greenfield site. The Clifton campus has benefited from recent investment including the new Lee Westwood Sports Centre and new accommodation. Students at Clifton have use of their own Students’ Union bar, gym, shop, cafés, and library. Clifton campus is linked to the City site by a regular student bus service.

BRACKENHURST CAMPUS: Brackenhurst is home to over 1,000 students from the School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences. About 14 miles from the city center, the campus is a countryside estate with woodland, a lake and landscaped gardens. Brackenhurst campus is linked to the City site by regular bus services.

Take a virtual tour of the campuses here.

Learn More about Nottingham Trent University here! Read the ISEP Country Handbook to learn more about visa requirements, educational system, an

Students will take courses within programs in one of the academic departments above. As most exchange students enter Year 2 of a program at NTU, we require that applicants have some basic coursework in the subject area prior to studying here - this coursework must be indicated on the student’s transcript. Unlike the American university system, at NTU you cannot generally study across programs or departments. For students interested in a broad offering, the department of Arts & Humanities is recommended - ISEP students can mix and match from the modules.

The UK education system generally emphasizes independent, self-directed study over class time, attendance, and participation. Coursework may be less structured than you are used to in your country and students may be assigned significant outside reading that they will not be tested on until their final exam. Required readings and definite assignments given throughout the semester are less common. Students can expect an extensive reading list covering all topics to be discussed to be distributed at the start of the course. This will be used for independent research. British students typically consult a large number of sources from the library rather than intensively studying a few books purchased by everyone taking a course. In addition, students are required to write more essays and take fewer objective tests. Because there are usually fewer assignments counting towards the final grade, a final exam or paper carries much more weight. For these reasons, self-discipline, self-motivation, and good time management are very important in keeping up academically.

Modules (remember that in Britain “course” refers to a degree program) often take the following forms: lectures, which are sometimes completely optional; tutorials, in which a small number of students meet with the lecturer; and seminars, larger discussion classes often based upon seminar essays. Students should be aware that there is often less face time with professors, and that tutors are often your most hands-on academic contact. You will have to be self-motivated and proactive.

British students often sit for final exams in May or June that cover the full year’s work and determine the grades for the class. With the growth of modularization, however, there has been an increase in the number and variety of modules offered on a semester basis.

SPECIAL ACADEMIC CONDITIONS AND COURSEWORK

Students will take courses within programs in one of the academic departments above. As most exchange students enter Year 2 of a program at NTU, we require that applicants have some basic coursework in the subject area prior to studying here - this coursework must be indicated on the student’s transcript. Unlike the American university system, at NTU you cannot generally study across programs or departments. For students interested in a broad offering, the department of Arts & Humanities is recommended - ISEP students can mix and match from the modules.  Students must take 30 ECTS credits, or 60 UK credits, to earn the equivalent of 4 Lake Forest credits.

Courses in the School of Education are not available to ISEP students. Students who request courses in these fields will not be considered for placement at this institution.

Acceptance of ISEP students into the Broadcasting and Journalism would need to be by special agreement as courses are only open for students with appropriate prior learning. In addition, the number of places available on equipment dependent courses in the department can vary.

All Nottingham Business School programs are open to exchange students but please be aware that students cannot mix and match courses across programs.

Students are not able to mix and match courses across programs within the School of Social Sciences. 

A study in the School of Science and Technology is limited to year-long exchange only.

Some of the Equine and science courses will have special equipment requirements that may not be feasible for ISEP, though the subject areas, in general, will be open. 

Students within the School of Art & Design and the School of Architecture & the Built Environment must start in September, and may only take courses within those programs. For courses in these two Schools, we require that a creative portfolio is submitted along with the student’s application. Please contact NTU’s ISEP Coordinator (cheryl.rounsaville@ntu.ac.uk) to discuss portfolio submission requirements. Students may participate in a short course program if they wish to learn other skills. More information on short course programs is available here and here.

HINTS FOR RESEARCHING COURSES

Please review NTU’s online field of study catalog. It is recommended that students also use the links below to find more detailed information on modules within the fields of study in which they are interested.

School of Animal, Rural, and Environmental Sciences
School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
Nottingham Business School
Nottingham Law School
School of Social Sciences
School of Arts and Humanities
School of Science and Technology

Please review the ISEP country handbook for more information on the education system.

A full-time student in the United Kingdom will normally carry 60 credits/semester, which is usually equivalent to 15 US credits/semester or 30 ECTS credits/semester.

To Earn 4 Lake Forest credits, students must take 60 credit points.

To Earn 3 Lake Forest credits, students must take 45 credit points.

 The number of credits listed here is estimated, and GEO will work with you, your advisor, and the registrar to ensure you are earning enough credits to keep you on track for graduation.

Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is one of the largest universities in the UK. 91% of our students say they would recommend NTU. NTU is committed to giving students the best possible student experience so have just put the finishing touches on a number of brand new facilities, including the new Students’ Union building at the City site. As well as being the new home for the Students’ Union, it’s a great place to meet people, get advice, have a workout or just relax. While NTU’s roots go back to 1843 and we cherish our long history, the university also has an eye on the future of their students. The People & Planet Green League rank us in the top 10 of 133 UK universities. NTU’s Students’ Union has also been awarded the Green Impact Students’ Unions’ Gold Standard Excellence Award. The university offers a variety of subjects for study from Art & Design to Business to Equine Sports Science. The International Exchange Office provides excellent support for all exchange and international students, and the new Global Lounges provides students with a social space to make new friends from around the world.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

CITY SITE: Students living and/or studying in Nottingham city center have a wealth of activities available to them. Nottingham has a wide range of night-time venues serving our large student population. Nottingham’s top music haunts include Capital FM Arena Nottingham, Rock City, The Bodega, Stealth and The Rescue Rooms. In June 2013, the city was awarded a Purple Flag again — the national indicator of ‘where to go for a good night out’ due to the number of events and festivals, including art exhibitions and music events at the £20m Nottingham Contemporary Art Centre opened in 2012, Pride held in the picturesque Arboretum Park, Waterfront live music festival in the canal area during the summertime, Splendour Music Festival held at Wollaton Hall and Deer Park.

Nottingham has achieved the Purple Flag due to our huge range of pubs, bars, restaurants, nightclubs, theatres, cinemas and comedy clubs. The Broadway cinema offers independent films, world cinema, documentaries and mainstream films. It’s also a favorite venue of Quentin Tarantino, who chose to host the UK premiere of Reservoir Dogs here. Opposite Broadway, students can find the Screen 22 Cinema, which is officially the smallest cinema in the world with 22 seats.

Nottingham is a cultural city housing one of the UK’s largest contemporary art centers, Nottingham Contemporary. The city is also Britain’s culinary capital with more cafes, restaurants, and bars per square mile than anywhere in the UK. Mansfield Road is a popular student haunt, finding lots of reasonably priced global restaurants. 

ISEP students are automatically a member of NTU’s Students’ Union (NTSU) when they enroll at NTU. NTU’s new Students’ Union building provides 5,500 square meters of social, leisure and well-being facilities, including a sports center. The new sports center facilities include a two-story gym with over 100 stations, 30 foot climbing wall, new dance studio fully equipped to host a variety of fitness classes and club sessions, sports hall with space for badminton, dodgeball, trampolining and more! sports therapy suite offering physiotherapy sports massage and other services.

NTSU offers a wide array of services and activities covering everything from socializing and personal development to representation, support, and advice. At the City site, there are many university clubs students can get involved with, which include sports, philanthropic, faith, artistic and international societies. 

The City site also offers the following services for ISEP students: The International Exchange Office offers advice and assistance to all exchange students, The Global Lounge at City (part of the International Exchange Office) provides a social space for all students interested in being part of an international community and participating in cultural and other global events.

CLIFTON CAMPUS: The Clifton campus has benefited from recent investment including the new Lee Westwood Sports Centre and new accommodation. Students at Clifton have their own Students’ Union bar, gym, shop, cafés, and library. The Lee Westwood Sports Centre houses numerous facilities including: Main Sports Hall - multi-purpose double sports hall with viewing gallery - suitable for a variety of sports including badminton, volleyball and five-a-side football, Gym - 65 station gym with a variety of equipment, Astro-turf Pitch - fully floodlit sand based all-weather pitch, suitable for football and hockey, New 3G Pitch - coming soon, expected to be completed by the end of January 2014, Squash Courts - three brand new glass-backed squash courts suitable for all standards of play from beginner to elite competition, Exercise Studio - exercise studio to cater for all your exercise class needs, Sports Hall Two - enormous open space suitable for a variety of activities including cheerleading, fencing and a variety of martial arts disciplines, Grass Pitches - there is a combination of grass pitches for football, rugby, and cricket (in the summer). Clifton is a self-contained, greenfield site which hosts many of NTU’s sports societies. NTU’s sports clubs cater for everything from mainstream sports such as football, rugby, and hockey to belly dancing, ultimate Frisbee, and surfing. The majority of sports compete on a Wednesday afternoon, which the University keeps free from lectures, but some of our clubs also have teams representing the University in local leagues on Saturdays. As well as the actual sporting side of joining a club, the social activity is also very important. Many students find themselves making lifelong friends by joining a sports team, and there are the legendary Wednesday Sports & Societies nights. Click here for more information on the NTU sports clubs.

The Clifton campus also offers the following services for ISEP students: The Global Education Office offers advice and assistance to all exchange students, The Global Lounge at Clifton (part of the Global Education Office) provides a social space for all students interested in being part of an international community and participating in cultural and other global events.

BRACKENHURST CAMPUS: The Brackenhurst campus (or Brack as we call it) is a unique countryside campus with a tightly knit student community. Our rural setting, specialist courses, and friendly, dedicated staff create an atmosphere in which generations of students have appreciated. Brack is comprised of landscaped gardens, a farm, woodland, and streams. Students at Brack have their own access library, careers service, computing resources, student bar, shop, and café. The Clifton Global Education Office services all exchange students located at Brack. The campus is located near Southwell, a market town just outside Nottingham with good public transport links to Nottingham’s busy and vibrant city center.

Additionally, there are Brack-based sports clubs to get involved with on campus. For those studying at Brack, you are welcome to take out a Sport and Fitness membership and use the facilities at either our City site or Clifton campus. Alternatively, there are great value student membership deals available at the nearby Southwell Leisure Centre. The Brockenhurst Equestrian Centre holds a variety of events throughout the year, including unaffiliated and affiliated dressage competitions, and unaffiliated show jumping. The center can also be hired out and includes an indoor and outdoor school. The campus is also home to a football pitch, a cricket square, and nets. Local teams from the local village of Southwell use both of these.

CITY SITE: Students at the City site have a range of student housing to choose from across the city offered by our University accommodation service and other private providers. NTU will assist you in finding suitable accommodation near to the University. Cooking facilities are usually available in each residence hall. Exchange students will receive a stipend to cover expenses for groceries and/or meals at cafeterias and restaurants. The stipend does not apply to ISEP Direct students. The City site is very well served in the transportation department, with rapid access to the motorway system, a major railway station, an airport and a coach station. Transportation facilities around Nottingham include buses (from £1 for students per one-way trip), taxis, and tram (the tram stops in the middle of our city campus and costs are from £2.00 for anyone trip at any time). There are also convenient transportation facilities within the city and between NTU campuses.

CLIFTON CAMPUS: Clifton campus is a self-contained, modern campus with a tightly knit student community, its own Students’ Union bar, gym, shop, cafes, library and brand new accommodation. NTU will assist you in finding suitable accommodation on or near to the Clifton campus. Many of our students choose to live in the city and commute to Clifton. Cooking facilities are usually available in each residence hall. Exchange students will receive a stipend to cover expenses for groceries and/or meals at cafeterias and restaurants. The stipend does not apply to ISEP Direct students. Students will also find it easy to get out and about from Clifton campus. NTU’s award-winning Go 2 Uni 4 bus service runs every 7 minutes at peak times taking students to and from Clifton campus and the City site. NTU will subsidize bus passes for ISEP students studying at the Clifton site.

BRACKENHURST CAMPUS: Brackenhurst campus is our beautiful, 200-hectare country estate. NTU will assist you in finding suitable accommodation on or near to the Brackenhurst campus. Cooking facilities are usually available in each residence hall. Exchange students will receive a stipend to cover expenses for groceries and/or meals at cafeterias and restaurants. The stipend does not apply to ISEP Direct students. Students can travel to the city center from Brockenhurst by a regular bus, which runs every 15 to 20 minutes. NTU will subsidize bus passes for ISEP students studying at the Brackenhurst campus.

For all approved programs for guaranteed financial aid transferability, students pay their Lake Forest College tuition plus a program fee. The program fee for a semester with the ISEP Exchange to Nottingham Trent includes orientation, on-site director, university fees, housing, and the equivalent of 19/meals per week.  

ISEP costs for Exchange are usually the most cost-effective, as it is intended to promote mobility of students around the world. Direct options are available for those students that prefer to attend a school with limited availability for Exchange, though costs may be different as they are set by the host school. For students that participate in ISEP Direct, the program fee includes all of the above plus insurance. However, the program fee may be different than that of Exchange.

Here is an estimated budget for the Fall 2019/Spring 2020 programs:

Tuition rates and program fees are subject to change each year, but this information was up-to-date as of February 2019. We will notify applicants, and update this page if the program fee or other estimates change.

You can discuss with Financial Aid your specific aid package and your expected family contribution.

Deposits to other programs, if required, are paid by the student to the host program, and will appear as a credit on your study abroad term bill from the College.

Keep in mind that you may spend more or less in certain areas like personal expenses, travel, meals, or airfare, depending on exchange rates and your own spending habits. Classroom or lab fees are not included in this estimate and will depend on your course registration choices.  

Don’t forget to apply for scholarships! A great listing can be found here.