Frequently Asked Questions
Please follow the links
- Accommodation
- Applications
- Careers and job prospects
- University Services
- Family members
- Financial discounts on course fees
- Location and getting to Canterbury
- Programmes
- Social Activities
- Transport
- University ethos and status
- Welfare and support issues
Accommodation
Q: How do I find out about the accommodation offered to international students and about how I can book it?
A: Information on accommodation is available from the Accommodation Office. Please visit the Accommodation Office website or contact them by e-mail for information on fees, contracts and room types available.
Q: Do I have to book University accommodation?
A: If you are planning to find your own accommodation or have family or friends you will be living with you do not need to book accommodation through the University. Please note that for visa reasons many students need to have proof of accommodation being booked or ready for them before they arrive in the UK.
Q: Is University accommodation guaranteed?
A: University accommodation is guaranteed for all international students coming on Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses. This is guaranteed for their fist year at the University. University accommodation is also guaranteed for all short stay summer students enrolling on English language programmes. University accommodation may be available throughout the year for short stay students but cannot be guaranteed.
Q: How much does University accommodation cost?
A: The actual cost will vary depending on the residence you are offered. It is more expensive to stay in the most modern accommodation, that provides internet access to rooms, en-suite facilities and access to kitchen (self-catering) facilities. The older accommodation units, that do not offer these facilities are less expensive. The costs for the different accommodation units, with description of the facilities in each are available at the Accommodation office website.
Q: What is included in the accommodation rate?
A: Most charges fro electricity and gas and water are included in the overall weekly fee. However check with the accommodation Office website to be sure. Bedding and cooking utensils need to be purchased and can be ordered from the Accommodation Office.
Q: What does ‘catered’ accommodation mean?
A: ‘Catered’ means that you only have a room and limited kitchen facilities. You are not able to cook meals in this type of accommodation and you need to take your meals in the University Food Court. These meals are at extra cost. You are issued a meal card and must load it with money. This card offers a dscount on the food you purchase in the Food Court. You should expect to spend about £60 - £70 on food per week if you take your meals in the Food Court.
Q: How much does it cost to live in Canterbury as a student?
A: You accommodation cost could be as much as £105 per week if you take the modern University accommodation that is on offer. On top of this you must pay for food. We recommend that students count on a minimum of £75 per week to cover the costs of living. This is for food, going out occasionally, transport, clothing and books. Living costs including paying for accommodation should therefore be about £700 per month. For a 40 week academic year this is £7,000.
TOPApplications
Q: How can I make sure I get a visa to study at Canterbury Christ Church University?
The international Office will issue successful applicants with a visa letter. Students coming for over 6 months for studies in the UK need to obtain a Tier 4 student visa. Students coming for shorter periods of study can apply for a student visitor visa.
Q: How long will I have to wait for a response to my application?
A: Once the International Office receives an application we aim to get a response to you within two weeks. If your application is for a programme that does not need to be sent to a programme director for a decision, but can be determined by the International Office, this could take less time. You must also consider the time that post takes to and from the UK.
Q: How do I apply?
A: Please go to http://www.canterbury.ac.uk/international/admissions-procedures.asp for a full explanation of how to apply.
Q: What are the criteria for being awarded a scholarship?
A: A scholarship is a discretionary offer. The criteria are various and it is not possible to provide a formula for success. Considerations include the academic and other achievements of an applicant to date, their motivations for doing the programme of choice, their personal circumstances and what they have to offer the University. There are few scholarships offered, and they are partial scholarships, so only exceptional applicants are likely to receive an award. Applicants are sent a scholarship application form with the Offer Letter.
Careers and job prospects
Q. How does Christ Church help international students look for part-time jobs and jobs after completing their degrees?
A: Christ Church has a Careers and Student Development Office that you are welcome to visit (9:00am – 5:30pm Monday – Thursday , 9:00am – 5:00pm Friday). You can make an appointment to meet an advisor to discuss your particular needs. To look for individual vacancies in the local job market you can access the job shop webpages or visit the Office. Please note that there is no guarantee that you will find a job in Canterbury and so you should not plan on having a job here to be able to exist financially on your course.
University Services
Q. Can I use the internet from my University accommodation?
A. The most modern accommodation has wireless connection services for laptop use. Please check from the Accommodation Website which halls of residence can offer this. Please go to Computing Services Website for further information
Family members
Q. What help can Christ Church offer mature students applying who want to come with their children?
A. Christ Church International Office is unable to arrange for school places for mature students’ children. This is a responsibility of the individual concerned. If you have children and want to find out about places in local primary or secondary schools you need to contact Kent School Admissions on + 44 (0) 1622 671 411. They also have a website: www.kent.gov.uk which you can visit – the page you need to look at for Primary children is:
http://www.kent.gov.uk/learning/schools/admissions/primary.html
For secondary it is:
http://www.kent.gov.uk/learning/schools/admissions/secondary.html
There is also an e-mail contact address: kentadmission@gov.uk
To begin a search of schools that have places for children you will need to have evidence of your future residence address in the UK. You will then need to approach each school with a letter. Make sure you check the location of the schools to make sure they are near where you will be living.
The Canterbury Christ Church University Accommodation Office can send you a list of private rental property.
Financial discounts on course fees
Q: Do I get a discount if I pay my full fee before the beginning of the programme?
A: Yes you will get a 5% discount on the tuition fee if you make a full payment of the fee before the beginning of your award bearing programme. Undergraduate students or students moving onto an undergraduate programme from the International Foundation programme will also be able to have this discount if they pay each year's tuition fees before the beginning of each year's programme.
Location and getting to Canterbury
Q: Where is Christ Church located?
A: The University campus is located in the city centre some five minutes from the high street and the cathedral. Canterbury is in the South East corner of England some 70 miles from London (1 hour 35 minutes by train) and close to France.
Q: How do I get to Christ Church from London?
A: If you arrive at an international airport (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted) you can get a train (Heathrow Express into Paddington Station, Gatwick Express into Victoria and from Stansted a train into Liverpool Street Station). You then need to get to Victoria Railway Station (use the underground for this). At Victoria you need to get a train to Canterbury East Station. This is about 1 hour 30 minutes of travel time. You can get timetable and prices information simply by going to http://www.nationalrail.co.uk. You can also travel by coach from Victoria railway station and information on timetables and prices is at http://www.nationalexpress.com. The cost of a coach journey between Heathrow and Canterbury is less than the train fare.
Q: Can Christ Church book me a taxi to pick me up at an airport and take me to my accommodation in Canterbury directly?
A: If you book a taxi with with the enrolment administrative assistant, we will arrange for a local taxi company - Chestfield Cars to meet you at the airport. You must pay the taxi driver directly in cash. Make sure you bring enough cash with you to pay this. Depending on the airport you come into the sum will be about £70 for a one way journey. The journey time by taxi depends on traffic. On a good day Heathrow is 2 hours 15 minutes, Stansted is 1 hour 20 minutes and Gatwick is 1 hour 15 minutes from Canterbury by taxi.
Q: What is Canterbury like as a city and what kind of industry is there in the city?
A: Canterbury is a small city in terms of population. It has about 40,000 residents. It is however growing fast and serves the Canterbury region, which has a population of 130,000 people. As well as the resident population there are some 30,000 students in the city attending the universities and private schools there. The infrastructure of the city - especially the retail infrastructure - is like that of a much larger city. There are many top quality shops. Most of the industry of the city is tourism and retail/service related. Canterbury receives over a million visitors a year, as it is one of England’s top tourist destinations because of the cathedral and the cultural associations of the city to Chaucer. Canterbury is surrounded by top quality agricultural land – it is in the centre of ‘The Garden of England’. There is not much heavy or manufacturing industry in the area.
Programmes
Q. What courses / programmes does Canterbury Christ Church offer?
A. Information on the programmes running can be found on the University webpage or in the University prospectuses.
Q: How long are the programmes at Canterbury Christ Church and when do they start?
A: An honours undergraduate degree takes three years. All Undergraduate programmes run from mid-September through to June each year. We also offer some foundation degrees which are only two years long. Masters programmes are one year long – usually this means a 12 month programme, so working through the summer is part of a Masters. All Masters begin in October. English language courses run all year and can be started any Monday and be as long as wanted. There is, however, a minimum stay of one month during the academic year and two weeks in the summer.
Social Activities
Q. What social activities are organised by the University for International students?
A: The main body that organises activities and has clubs for students is the Students' Union. There is an international society in the Union that organises events for International students. A local company 'International Friends' also runs visit to local and further tourist destinations throughout the year and students can enrol for the trips directly with the company.
Transport
Q: What is public transport like in Canterbury?
A: Canterbury is a small city and you do not need transport to get about the city. There is a coach station in the centre of the city with regular buses to local towns and also with regular coaches to London. There are two railway stations – Canterbury East and West. Both have trains to London and also to local towns. Canterbury West has trains to Ashford where you can get the high speed Eurostar train to Paris.
Q: Does Canterbury Christ Church University offer airport pick up?
A: We do offer to book airport pick up for individuals. This needs to be paid for separately.
University ethos and status
Q: Why is the University called Christ Church? Is it only for Christian Students? Is it private?
A: Canterbury Christ Church University is a state funded university open to all students whatever their religion or creed. Its name is 'historic' as it is built on the original site of the Monastery of St. Augustine’s and it was originally a Church of England teacher training college. It still retains links with the Cathedral and the CofE (Church of England) and has a modern chapel at its centre. There are also two University chaplains employed by the University. Christ Church welcomes students from all faiths and creeds.
Q: What position is Canterbury Christ Church University in the league tables?
A: Firstly, you must be aware that league tables are not official government ratings for universities and are not accurate reflections of university status. A better guide to quality is to look at the QAA reports. The recent audit of CCCU is available at: (http://www.qaa.ac.uk/reviews/reports/institutional/canterburyCC05/main.asp) For information on individual departments you can go to: (http://www.qaa.ac.uk/reviews/reports) as these are official government reports. If you wish to locate Canterbury Christ Church University in a league table you can visit www.sunday-times.co.uk/universityguide.
Welfare and support issues
Q: What welfare support is there for international students?
A: The University has a welfare support team available for all students. Visit 'Student Support and Guidance' for more details on all the support the university offers you. There is also an International student support officer in this office who you can make appointments with for further support.
Q: Do I get help with my Visa renewal?
A: The International Office Student Services Officer is fully trained in all aspects of immigration and visa issues and helps students with all the procedures necessary for visa renewal.
Q: How safe is Canterbury for international students?
A: Canterbury is generally considered to be a safe city. It is not too big and local women feel safe walking about by themselves. You should of course always be careful and avoid dark alleyways at night. You can read some basic guidelines to safety in the UK by going to http://www.educationuk.org/downloads/safety_1st.pdf