How to Attend a UCL Open Day or Virtual Event

UCL lists undergraduate and graduate virtual open events on its "Open days and events" section, which you can browse to learn about specific courses and what studying at UCL is like. Start there to find a session that matches your level of study and subject interest; the site does not state that these events are free or that registration is open to everyone, so check each event's own page for attendance conditions.

What the events cover

According to UCL's homepage, the events list is designed to help you "discover more about your course and what it would be like to study at UCL." That means sessions are organised around courses rather than a single general presentation, and they are split between undergraduate and graduate audiences.

The homepage also points to separate information pages that are useful alongside an event:

• Information for International Students — listed under both undergraduate and graduate study.
• Information for Parents and Guardians — listed under undergraduate study.
• How we support our students — describes wellbeing, disability and mental health support staff who provide a confidential space to discuss issues affecting study.

Step-by-step: finding and joining a session

1. Go to the UCL homepage at ucl.ac.uk and locate the "Open days and events" section.
2. Choose your level — undergraduate or graduate — so you are looking at the right event list.
3. Match the event to your course interest. Undergraduate study covers more than 400 courses and graduate study more than 700, so narrow your subject first, then look for a corresponding session.
4. Open the individual event page to confirm the date, format (the listed events are virtual), and any registration requirement. The homepage does not specify how to register, so treat the event page as the authoritative source.
5. Prepare questions about the course and student experience, since the stated purpose of the events is exactly that.
6. Follow up with the linked information pages — international student information, parent and guardian information, or student support — if your questions fall outside the course itself.

Expected result: you should come away with a clear picture of the course structure and daily study experience, plus a named point of contact or next step for your application.

If you cannot attend a live event

The homepage also links to other ways to study and engage with UCL that do not depend on a scheduled open day:

These are study routes rather than events, but they are the alternatives the site itself presents when you are exploring UCL before applying.

Common sticking points

• Looking in the wrong place. Open day information is not under "Undergraduate study" or "Graduate study" directly; it sits in its own "Open days and events" section.
• Assuming all events are in person. The events described on the homepage are virtual, so plan for an online session rather than a campus visit.
• Skipping the course pages. Events are course-focused, so browsing the relevant course list first (400+ undergraduate, 700+ graduate) makes the session far more useful.
• Missing audience-specific guidance. International applicants and parents or guardians have dedicated information pages; check those before the event so your questions are targeted.

A practical example

Suppose you are considering a taught Master's. You would open the graduate course list, shortlist programmes, then check the "Open days and events" section for a graduate virtual event tied to that subject. Before attending, you would read the international student information page if you are applying from outside the UK, and the student support page if you have a disability or wellbeing concern. After the session, the "Make your Master's matter" and "Meet our Master's students" features on the homepage give you further insight into how current students use their studies.