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• Location: Manchester, England,
• Year of foundation: 1824,
• Number of students: about 40,000,
• Language of instruction: English,
• Type of study: mixed.

Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) is one of the leading research universities in England, with a long history, traditions and modern approaches to education. Bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs are taught here, and there are UK preparatory courses for international students.

The history of MMU dates back to 1824, when the Manchester Institute of Mechanics was officially established, whose main purpose was to prepare artisans and workers. After many years, innovations in connection with military operations, in 1992 the institution received the title of university and the current name. Today, about 40,000 students study at MMU, about 5,000 of whom come from 120 countries. A multinational student community, qualified teachers and a large administrative support staff, modern knowledge, and the opportunity of international study are what annually attract foreign students to the campus.

MMU conducts not only educational, but also research activities, attracting scientific specialists from all over the world and its students. This is a great chance for students, which guarantees the acquisition of applied skills in their chosen field of sciences, multifaceted teamwork experience, and leadership skills. Extracurricular opportunities also contribute to the development of students: from sports clubs to volunteering. The comprehensive support of teachers and staff helps students find their hidden talents and realize their potential in any of the areas offered.

Kevin McDonnell

Specialist in International Students of the University of Sussex

What challenges might international students face at UK universities?

The usual challenges of adapting to a new country, culture, and teaching style are common. Homesickness and language barriers can also be issues.

However, UK universities strive to support international students. 

Some programs are available online, which simplifies access to education for foreign students. Numerous electronic resources, a convenient platform for studying specialized subjects, and a Personal Account for tracking individual academic achievements — online students receive the same high-quality services, curricula, and comprehensive support as full-time students.

The university includes specialized faculties:

• Arts and Humanities,
• Business and Law,
• Healthcare and Education,
• Natural Sciences and Engineering.

Each faculty manages subject departments and research institutes.

An important part of MMU is the International College, which hosts preparatory courses for foreign students.

All MMU research is focused on five world-transforming missions, each aimed at deepening understanding of the pressing issues facing our planet and global society. The five research missions contribute to a better understanding of the world around us, expand knowledge and provide new insights by working with policymakers, industry, business and society as a whole:

• Combating inequality,
• Championing creative excellence,
• Sustainable development,
• Transforming health,
• Driving economic growth.

The impact of the university's scientific specialists’ discoveries is invaluable — some of the projects to date have a fundamental impact on the field:

• Research in swimming biomechanics contributes to increasing the success of British swimmers, helps transform the World Para Swimming classification system,
• Working collaboratively with sports organizations, identifying safety issues in sport, MMU researchers improve protective equipment through the study of materials, designs, testing procedures,
• The research team is looking for new approaches to nature conservation, focusing on human actions leading to environmental change and the use of new technologies,
• With 20 years of accumulated experience, specialists in bone and muscle science develop policies, treatments, approaches to help people stay healthy in old age,
• Research in cybersecurity helps protect network computer systems, programs, devices around the world from cyberattacks.

MMU and its partners offer students 17 residences with varying levels of comfort, located near the university campus and equipped with everything necessary: high-speed Wi-Fi, utilities included in the accommodation cost, property insurance, common areas and much more. The comfort of the rooms varies in bedroom size and the availability of a private bathroom, while each bedroom is furnished with a large bed, wardrobe for storage, and a study area. Most residences have shared areas: kitchens and dining halls, living rooms with board games and TVs, gyms, laundry facilities, and self-study classrooms. Employees live in the residential buildings along with students, providing 24/7 assistance when needed.

Since residents have access to shared kitchens, meals are organized on a self-service basis. Cafeterias, restaurants and bars offering dishes from different cultures and nationalities can be found on campus, next to the residential buildings.

Student life is always bustling on the MMU campus: students organize various events, participate in thematic communities, musical groups, sports sections and volunteering. The extensive variety of areas provides not only talent development and potential realization but also friendships between like-minded people. More than 137 thematic societies are represented in such fields as:

• Academic,
• Agitation,
• Religion,
• Hobbies, interests,
• Media, performance,
• Nationality, culture,
• Political perspectives.

Some of the popular clubs are:

• Theatre, drama society,
• African-Caribbean society,
• Anime,
• British, Chinese Students Association,
• Astronomy society,
• Book club,
• British Sign Language,
• Christian Union,
• Comics, magazines,
• Creative writing,
• Crochet, knitting,
• Data science, artificial intelligence,
• Debate,
• Darts,
• Esports.

Volunteering is one of the most important areas for personal development in extracurricular life. Students can help the local community by organizing charity events, working in social organizations or at sports events in the city. Volunteering can bring excellent results to a student's resume, which will help them in their future career and admission to university.

Thanks to modern sports infrastructure, students have the opportunity to achieve professional success in one of dozens of sports represented on campus. Sections are led by experienced teachers, almost all of whom have personal achievements. Some of the popular sports directions are:

• Archery,
• Aikido,
• American football,
• Cheerleading,
• Cricket,
• Badminton,
• Basketball,
• Tennis,
• Volleyball,
• Equestrian sport,
• Football,
• Swimming,
• Water polo,
• Table tennis,
• Rugby.

Teams, including the most successful student athletes, regularly participate in interuniversity, city and national competitions, which allows them to win prizes and earn large scholarships.

MMU's creative groups are music, theatre, fine arts, design, radio and much more. Students can realize their potential as a decorator, presenter, journalist, photographer or choir artist by attending specialized classes under the guidance of specialists. Almost all events held on campus cannot do without the help of creative students.

• The Queen's Anniversary Prize in 2019 for contribution to the development of a multitude of languages spoken by international students,
• Research is assessed as world-leading, excellent at an international level by REF 2021,
• Gold status in the TEF scheme, making MMU an outstanding university for student support,
• One of the leading sustainable universities in the UK according to People & Planet ranking,
• More than 200 years of history and tradition,
• Multinational student community — around 5000 international students from 120 countries,
• Cooperation with higher education institutions in Europe, Asia, Africa,
• Comprehensive support: from the application process to job search.

The MMU campus is located near the center of Manchester: thanks to the developed transport infrastructure, students have the opportunity to explore the city's attractions, go on vacation to the countryside or get to the international airport to spend a weekend in another country.

There are more than 10 buildings located on the academic territory of the university, most of which have their own specialization. For example, the library has a building with several floors, on which there are book storages, reading rooms, computer labs and an exhibition gallery. The School of Arts, the Student Union, the Business School, the Institute of Sports and other fields of academic sciences, extracurricular activities have their own buildings, which have everything necessary to achieve success.:

• Lecture halls with interactive equipment,
• Computer classrooms with access to printing equipment, electronic databases,
• Specialized studios, workshops with sets of supplies, resources for studying,
• Scientific laboratories with the necessary equipment for carrying out design, practical, and research work,
• Outdoor recreation areas,
• Cafeterias, dining halls and bars.

The sports infrastructure meets international standards, offering the best conditions for maintaining physical activity and achieving more professional results.:

• Platt Lane complex with multifunctional halls, dance, martial arts, gymnastics studios,
• Sugden Center features outdoor tennis courts, basketball courts, soccer fields, squash courts and a large gym.

There are two semesters in the academic year:

• Autumn: September-January,
• Spring: January-July.

Academic classes are held on weekdays, and rest is provided on weekends, international and national holidays, and during vacations. Some campus facilities are also available on non-working days, allowing students to devote time to self-study and their interests. At the end of each semester and at the end of the year, students take profile tests and pass exams to move to the next course.

Approximate list of additional expenses includes:

• Registration fee, deposits,
• Accommodation, meals,
• Some extracurricular activities,
• Additional academic opportunities not included in the curriculum,
• External exams,
• Individual educational materials,
• Personal expenses.

The admission procedure consists of several stages, some of which can be completed remotely:

• Submission of an application and provision of the required documents,
• Payment of the registration fee for submitting the application,
• Passing an interview and entrance tests,
• Receiving an official acceptance letter,
• Making deposits to reserve a place on the program, in residence, as well as part of the tuition fee,
• Arrival at campus for check-in to residence, attending introductory events, and starting classes.

Every year, MMU completes the education of dozens of specialists in various fields who either continue their academic path or find employment. University graduates achieve incredible success — among the famous personalities:

• John Bishop — comedian, actor,
• Sarah Burton — creative director of Givenchy,
• Steve Coogan — actor, comedian and writer, nominated for the Oscar and BAFTA awards,
• Carl Ennis — CEO of Siemens in Great Britain, Ireland,
• Julie Walters — actress known for her roles in "Harry Potter", "Paddington".

Before applying for an introductory bachelor's degree program, international applicants must complete an International Foundation or International Year One preparatory course.

To enter funds, you will need:

• Personal documents: passport, visa or residence permit, medical insurance,
• Certificate of completion of secondary education with an average score of at least 3.5-4.0 out of 5, assessment reports and final exam results,
• Language test results: PTE Academic (from 59), TOEFL iBT (from 72) or a recognized equivalent.

For admission to the Master's program, the candidate must provide:

• Personal documents: passport, visa or residence permit, medical insurance,
• Bachelor's degree with an average score of at least 3 out of 5, assessment reports,
• Language test results: IELTS (from 7.0) or a recognized equivalent,
• Letters of recommendation or professional experience,
• Resume.

The university offers international scholarships for foreignstudents: they are awarded to students who have achieved particularly high academic results, they cover part of the tuition fee.

Government funding programs are also available to students: grants, loans, and foundation scholarships.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision