Your open day guide

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. Once you arrive on campus, simply pick up a welcome pack from our General Information stand outside the Students' Union, or from any of our Information Hub tents spread around campus. Welcome packs contain a tote bag, campus map, and printed event guide.  Printed lists with full details for all of our subject talks will also be available to collect from these locations.

For further information, please see our open day FAQs.

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General Information stand

9am - 4pm, outside the Students’ Union main entrance

Located on the concourse just outside the SU main entrance, head here to pick up more leaflets and guides, and to ask our event staff for tips on what to do next.

Central exhibition

9.30am - 4pm, The Octagon Centre, Students’ Union and concourse  

Showcasing everything you need to know about Sheffield. Pick up guides, talk to the experts and start thinking about your future at Sheffield.  The first hour of the exhibition 9.30am-10.30am will be a dedicated “quiet hour” without music, and before central talks start to run in the back half of the Octagon hall.

In the Octagon Centre:

• 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 the Students’ Union:

• Sport and Physical Activity
• Students’ Union:
  • Clubs and Societies
  • Entertainment and Events

Outside on the SU concourse*:

• Accommodation
• Sheffield - Your University City (part of our Sheffield Experience Hub)

(*Outdoor stands may be moved indoors in the event of adverse weather)

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Talks

Taking place throughout the day 

These 20 minute presentations run throughout the day ensuring that you can attend one that fits in with your schedule.  

Welcome to our University

The Octagon Centre - 10.30m, 12.30pm, 1.30pm 

Learn what the University stands for and how our values guide everything we do.

Student life

The Octagon Centre - 11am, 1pm, 2pm

Students talk about why the Sheffield experience is consistently voted as one of the best in the UK.

University accommodation

The Octagon Centre -  11.30am, 2.30pm

Find out about all the different locations, rooms and prices.  Plus you’ll hear about Residence Life and the events and support available for residents.

Global opportunities and exchanges

The Octagon Centre - 12pm, 3pm

Find out more about opportunities to spend a period abroad studying, working or teaching.

Funding your studies

Students’ Union Auditorium (SU East entrance) - 10am, 12pm

All the information you need about fees and finance for university.

Student Support Services

Students’ Union Auditorium (SU East entrance) - 10.30am, 12.30pm

We have a wide range of health and wellbeing support services available to all students including an NHS GP practice on campus, the Disability and Dyslexia Support Service (DDSS) and mental health support and counselling. Come along and find out more about the support we can offer, with a talk from DDSS.

All about starting university: A guide for parents and supporters

Students’ Union Auditorium (SU East entrance) - 11am, 1pm

Find out about the application process and practical information about guiding your child through the process of starting university.

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Explore your way

The best way to find out about our world-class facilities is to see them for yourself.  Our accommodation tours start at 9.30am, but all other tours start at 10am. All tours finish at 4pm in September and October. In November, tours of accommodation, campus and city will finish at 3pm (all other tours will finish at 4pm).

Accommodation tours

Visit our award-winning Ranmoor/Endcliffe accommodation site. See inside an en-suite room and shared kitchen/living area, view our beautiful green spaces and outstanding facilities, and get your questions answered by accommodation experts at the Edge. 

Take our free accommodation shuttle bus from beside the Information Commons on Favell Road, or from outside the Wave on Whitham Road.  Alternatively, collect a walking map from the accommodation information stand outside the Octagon and Wave buildings. Last bus departs Favell Road at 4pm (3pm in November), and returns to campus at 5pm (4pm in November). We advise allowing one hour from stepping on the bus shuttle to stepping back off at campus.

Please note: our accommodation tours tend to be busiest 12-2pm, where visitors may encounter a short wait for buses and/or small queues at Endcliffe. We would encourage visitors to take an accommodation tour outside of these times where possible.

Campus tours (45 mins)

Collect a wristband from the campus tours stand on the concourse 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 audioguide.

City Tours (45 mins)

Walking tours of our vibrant, green, modern city are departing every 30 minutes from the city stand on the Students’ Union concourse. Alternatively, collect a self-guided tour leaflet from here to explore the city at your own pace.

Library tours (15 mins)

Meet our student ambassador tour guides at reception of the Information Commons (IC) and Western Bank Library. 

The IC provides a comfortable and safe study environment, extensive technology support, a high demand collection of 120,000 books, and a Garden Room dedicated to student wellbeing and relaxation. 

Western Bank Library is a Grade II listed building, containing 1.2 million texts and 730 study spaces. The library offers great views over Weston Park, making it a relaxed and tranquil place to study.

Sport Sheffield tours (10 mins)

Head to the Goodwin Sports Centre Sports Hall Foyer for a tour of the site’s facilities, which include a full size synthetic 3G pitch, sports hall & studio spaces. A brand new Fitness Suite will be opening at the start of the new term - ask a member of staff to see the bespoke plans..

Students' Union tour (15 mins)

Departing from just inside the Students’ Union main entrance, learn why our SU is consistently voted the best in the country and how it makes the student experience at Sheffield exceptional.

Sheffield Experience Hub

Sheffield is a city that leaves a mark. Visit our city hub on the Students' Union concourse to chat with current students about their experiences of our amazing city, get a taste of Sheffield from our local street food vendors, and grab a photo on our iconic yellow sofa!

Quiet spaces and prayer rooms

Dedicated quiet spaces and prayer room facilities are available in several key buildings on the day of the event. Details are listed in the printed event guide, which you will collect in your welcome pack on arrival.

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Find your subject

Which course is for you? 

It's not unusual if you haven't decided exactly which course you want to do. We provide opportunities for you to chat to staff and current students to ask your questions about the different subjects and specialisms you can study.

If you can't make it to a subject talk, or just want to find out more, they'll be able to help - or point you in the direction of someone who can.

Arts and Humanities Faculty Exhibition

10am - 3.30pm, Jessop West

In the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, we explore what makes us human through the study of languages, cultures, histories and ideas. Our degrees are wide-ranging and flexible, meaning you can shape your course around what interests and inspires you. Whichever course you choose, you will be studying in a vibrant intellectual environment, learning from staff who are dedicated teachers and active, world-leading researchers.

• East Asian Studies
• English
• History
• Languages and Cultures
• Music
• Philosophy 

Engineering and Computer Science Exhibition

10am - 3.30pm, The Diamond and Heartspace

Our partnerships with large companies such as Siemens, Boeing, Rolls-Royce and Airbus, as well as with local enterprises, means our degree courses will prepare you for the future.  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.

• 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, Various venues (see below)

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 (September only) - Dental School main entrance
• Speech and Language Therapy - Medical School, Seminar Room 8
• Adult Nursing - Medical School, Seminar Room 9
• Orthoptics - Medical School, Seminar Room 8
• Medicine (September only) - Medical School Foyer/cafe

Science Subject Drop-ins

10am - 3.30pm, Various venues (see below) 

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 - Firth Hall, Firth Court (first floor)
• Chemistry - Dainton building reception
• Mathematics and Statistics - Students' Union, Level 5, Discovery Rooms
• Physics and Astronomy - Hicks Building, room F24
• Psychology - The Diamond, Work room 1 (September), ICOSS Conference Room (October and November)

Social Sciences Faculty Exhibition

10am - 3.30pm, The Wave

The Faculty of Social Sciences has a long-established reputation for producing world-leading research (REF 2021). 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
• Law and Criminology
• Politics
• Politics, Philosophy and Economics
• Sociology
• Urban Studies and Planning

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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 your interests have changed on the day, printed details of all subject talks are available to collect from our General Information stand and Information Hubs. 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.

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. Please see our open day FAQs for further travel advice.

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.