cumbria.ac.uk

The University of Cumbria runs a dedicated international students section on its website, aimed at students who want to study in the UK. From that page you can find out about its programmes, the support available to international students, and the application process. The university describes itself as offering a "dynamic, supportive community" for international students, and its main site points to five campuses — Ambleside, Carlisle (Brampton Road and Fusehill Street), Lancaster, London, and Barrow-in-Furness — so your experience will depend heavily on which campus and course you choose.

Where to start on the website

The homepage surfaces an international students entry point alongside other key links such as Open Days, Apprenticeships, and the course search. That international page is the intended first stop for:

• Programme information for international applicants
• Student support details
• The application process

Because the site separates "international students" from the general "How to apply" and "Open Days" areas, treat the international page as your primary source rather than the general admissions pages.

Programmes and study options

The homepage's course search ("FIND YOUR COURSE") is the main tool for browsing what's on offer, and it sits alongside the international students section rather than being filtered by it. Practical implications:

• Course level: The site references undergraduate and postgraduate courses, plus apprenticeships and graduate entry medicine (through the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine). Apprenticeships are generally tied to UK employment arrangements, so check eligibility carefully if you're an international applicant.
• Entry points: The site advertises 2027 entry with Open Days for January 2027 and September 2027, so intake timing is worth confirming early.
• Subject strengths by campus: Ambleside (the only UK university campus in a UNESCO World Heritage site) is described as the home of science, environment, and adventure courses; Brampton Road in Carlisle is presented as the home of creativity. This matters for international students because your campus choice shapes both your course and your day-to-day environment.

Support and community

The university frames its offer around being "changemakers," "believers," and "innovators," and states that it supports local communities while training "life savers, innovators, adventurers, creatives and educators." For international students specifically, the site highlights:

• A supportive community for international students
• Student support as a named topic on the international page
• National and global partnerships and research groups that influence its teaching

It also cites being No.1 university in the Northwest and Top 5 in the UK for graduates into employment or further study within 15 months (97.5% of graduates — Graduate Outcomes Survey, HESA 2026). That figure covers graduates generally, not international students specifically, so use it as context rather than a guarantee for your own outcomes.

Application process and what to verify

The site lists "How to apply" as a distinct section, and the international students page covers the application process. To move from browsing to applying:

1. Use the course search to identify a programme and note its campus.
2. Go to the international students page for the application process and support information.
3. Check the Open Days listings — the site shows both on-campus events (for example, an Ambleside Open Day on 3 October 2026) and virtual events (for example, PGCE Secondary and MSc Medical Imaging online sessions) if you can't visit in person.
4. Download the prospectus for a consolidated view of courses and entry requirements.

What the source material does not cover: specific tuition fees, scholarships, English language requirements, visa guidance, or application deadlines. The website's pricing signals are empty, so no fee or funding detail can be stated here. Confirm all of these directly on the international students page or with the university's admissions team before relying on them.

Choosing between campuses as an international student

If your priority is a specific subject, match the course to the campus first, then check the international page for support and application details. If your priority is location or a particular community, the London and Lancaster campuses are options but the source doesn't describe their specialisms, so verify directly.

The University of Cumbria lists six campus locations: Ambleside, Carlisle (Brampton Road), Carlisle (Fusehill Street), Lancaster, London, and Barrow-in-Furness. The right one for you depends mainly on your subject area and whether you want a rural, city, or new-campus setting. Ambleside is the standout for science and environment students because it sits inside the Lake District; Brampton Road is the base for creative courses; Barrow-in-Furness is a new addition to the estate.

The six campuses at a glance

Ambleside: science and environment in a World Heritage site

Ambleside is described as the home of adventure. It is the only UK university campus located within a UNESCO World Heritage site, and students studying science and the environment get direct access to the lakeland landscape, its habitats, and its culture. If your course is field-based or environmental, this is the campus to check first.

Carlisle: two campuses, two characters

Carlisle appears twice in the university's location list:

• Brampton Road is presented as the home of creativity, so it is the one to look at for creative courses.
• Fusehill Street is the other Carlisle campus, giving the city a second site.

If you are set on Carlisle, confirm which campus your specific course is taught at before you commit, since the two serve different subject areas.

Lancaster and London: city-based study

Lancaster and London are listed among the university's locations, with London positioned as a base for students who want to study in the capital. The university also promotes itself to international students as a place to start an academic journey in the UK, so London may suit those who want a major-city setting rather than the North West.

Barrow-in-Furness: the newest campus

Barrow-in-Furness is described as a new state-of-the-art university campus serving the Cumbria region. Because it is new, course availability there may be more limited than at established sites, so check the course search before choosing it as your first preference.

How to choose

1. Start with your subject. Science and environment point to Ambleside; creative subjects point to Brampton Road.
2. Decide on setting. Rural and landscape (Ambleside), city in the North West (Carlisle, Lancaster), or capital city (London).
3. Check the course, then the campus. Use the university's course search to confirm where your programme is actually taught.
4. Visit if you can. The university runs open days, including campus open days and virtual events, which are the most reliable way to compare sites before applying.

The university also states that 97.5% of its graduates are in employment or further study within 15 months (Graduate Outcomes Survey, HESA 2026), and describes itself as the No.1 university in the North West on that measure — useful context, though it does not tell you which campus fits your subject.

The University of Cumbria offers apprenticeship pathways for two distinct audiences: employers who want to recruit or develop an apprentice, and individuals who want to become one. The university's website presents apprenticeships as a way to "develop your business and career," and points visitors to an Apprentice Portal alongside its 2027 entry information. If you are weighing whether to hire an apprentice or train as one, the site's apprenticeship section is the starting point — but you will need to follow the portal and enquiry routes to see which specific programmes are open.

Who the apprenticeship offering is for

The university frames its apprenticeship provision around two questions:

• Employers — "Looking to recruit an apprentice?" The pitch is that apprenticeships can develop your business as well as the individual's career.
• Individuals — "or become an apprentice?" The same provision is presented as a route into a career for the apprentice themselves.

This dual framing matters: apprenticeship funding, eligibility and paperwork usually sit with the employer, so the university positions itself as a partner to both sides rather than only as a course provider.

What the website gives you

The homepage does not list individual apprenticeship standards or programme titles. To find out which apprenticeships are actually running, you need to go through the Apprenticeships section and the Apprentice Portal rather than relying on the homepage summary.

How to move from interest to a concrete opportunity

1. Start at the Apprenticeships section on cumbria.ac.uk. Read the employer-facing and apprentice-facing descriptions to confirm which side of the arrangement you are on.
2. Use the Apprentice Portal to access apprenticeship information and next steps. This is the university's named route for apprenticeship access.
3. Check 2027 entry pages if your timing aligns with January 2027 or September 2027 entry — the university groups Open Days, campuses and courses under that entry banner.
4. Book an Open Day if you want to explore a campus, speak to students and lecturers, and judge whether Cumbria fits before committing.
5. Make contact through the university's enquiry routes to confirm which apprenticeship programmes are available for your subject area, since the homepage does not enumerate them.

Expected result at each stage: step 1 tells you whether the apprenticeship model fits your situation; steps 2–3 tell you what is open and when; steps 4–5 convert that into a specific conversation about a specific programme.

Practical points to check before you commit

• Programme availability is not listed on the homepage. Treat the Apprenticeships section and Apprentice Portal as the authoritative source, and confirm directly before planning around a particular apprenticeship.
• Entry timing is tied to 2027 entry in the material shown (January 2027 and September 2027). If you need to start sooner, ask about current intakes rather than assuming the 2027 dates are the only option.
• Employer involvement is usually required for apprenticeship routes. If you are an individual, you will generally need an employer willing to take you on; if you are an employer, you will need to understand your role in the arrangement.
• The university also runs related professional routes such as the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine (Graduate Entry Medicine) and PGCE Secondary virtual events — these are separate from apprenticeships, so do not confuse them when searching.

Where apprenticeships sit within the wider university

The University of Cumbria describes itself as training "the life savers, innovators, adventurers, creatives and educators of tomorrow," and cites being the No.1 university in the Northwest and Top 5 in the UK for graduates into employment or further study within 15 months (97.5% of graduates — Graduate Outcomes Survey, HESA 2026). Apprenticeships fit that employment-focused positioning: they are a work-based route rather than a purely campus-based one.

Its campuses — Ambleside in the Lake District (the only UK university campus in a UNESCO World Heritage site), Carlisle (Brampton Road and Fusehill Street), Lancaster, London and Barrow-in-Furness — mean an apprenticeship's location and delivery will depend on the programme and employer, not on a single site.

The short answer

The University of Cumbria advertises apprenticeships for both employers and individuals, directs you to an Apprentice Portal, and groups apprenticeship information alongside 2027 entry and Open Days. It does not publish a full list of apprenticeship programmes on its homepage, so the practical next step is to open the Apprenticeships section, use the Apprentice Portal, and confirm specific programme availability and entry timing directly with the university.

cumbria.ac.uk is the official website of the University of Cumbria, a UK university with campuses in the North West of England and London. You would use it to find courses, book open days, check how to apply, and get information for international students or apprentices. It is the university's own site, so it is the place to go for official programme and admissions information rather than a third-party listing.

What the site is for

The homepage is built around a few clear tasks:

• Finding a course — a prominent "Find your course" search sits near the top of the page.
• Booking an open day — events are listed directly, such as "Ambleside Open Day 3 October 2026" and subject-specific virtual events like "MSc Medical Imaging (Ultrasound) Online Events (Lunch Time)" and "PGCE Secondary Virtual Event".
• Applying and entry information — there are links for "How to apply" and "2027 Entry", covering January 2027 and September 2027 intakes.
• Downloading a prospectus — available from the main navigation area.

Where the university is

The site lists five campuses, described as "Five campuses. Endless possibilities.":

Note that the site presents Barrow as a campus development, so it is worth checking current status if you are considering it.

Other things it covers

• Apprenticeships — for both employers looking to recruit an apprentice and people wanting to become one, with an apprentice portal.
• Pears Cumbria School of Medicine — information on Graduate Entry Medicine.
• International students — programmes, student support, and the application process for studying in the UK.
• Open days — described as a chance to explore campuses and talk to students and lecturers.

A claim worth noting

The site states that it is ranked number one university in the North West and in the top five in the UK for graduates going into employment or further study within 15 months, citing 97.5% of graduates (Graduate Outcomes Survey, HESA 2026). This is the university's own presentation of that data, so treat it as their claim and check the underlying survey if the figure matters to your decision.

When this site is the right starting point

Use cumbria.ac.uk if you want official course details, open day dates, application routes, or apprenticeship and international student information for this university. If you are comparing several universities, the course search and open day pages here give you the specifics for Cumbria, but you would need each other institution's own site for equivalent detail.

The University of Cumbria's website (cumbria.ac.uk) is the starting point for everything: course search, open day bookings, prospectus downloads and application guidance. The homepage surfaces four main entry points — FIND YOUR COURSE, Open Days, How to apply and Download our prospectus — and the site currently promotes 2027 entry for both January and September starts. Use this guide if you are researching undergraduate, postgraduate, apprenticeship or international study options and want to move from browsing to applying.

Step 1: Search for your course

The homepage has a FIND YOUR COURSE section with a search box and a "Courses Everything Search" option. This is the fastest route to course pages.

• Enter a subject, course name or keyword and review the results.
• Check the level (undergraduate, postgraduate, apprenticeship) and the campus listed for each course.
• Note the entry point: the site advertises 2027 Entry with January 2027 and September 2027 intakes, so confirm which start date applies to your chosen course.

If you are still deciding, browse by subject area rather than searching a specific title — the site is organised around course discovery as well as direct search.

Step 2: Book an open day or online event

Open days let you see campuses, talk to students and lecturers, and test whether Cumbria fits. The site lists both in-person and virtual events, for example:

To book, go to the Open Days section and select "Book an Open Day". Online events suit applicants who cannot travel to the North West or London campuses; in-person days are better if campus location and facilities matter to your decision.

Step 3: Download the prospectus and check how to apply

Two homepage links cover the practical side:

• Download our prospectus — gives you the full course listing, entry requirements and campus details in one document.
• How to apply — outlines the application route for your level of study. Use this rather than guessing, because undergraduate, postgraduate, apprenticeship and international applications follow different processes.

For international students, the site has a dedicated section covering programmes, student support and the application process.

Step 4: Consider your campus before you commit

Cumbria has five campuses, and the one you choose shapes your experience:

• Ambleside — in the Lake District, the only UK university campus in a UNESCO World Heritage site; home to science and environment courses.
• Carlisle (Brampton Road) — described as the home of creativity.
• Carlisle (Fusehill Street) — the other Carlisle site.
• Lancaster
• London
• Barrow-in-Furness — a new campus serving the Cumbria region.

The site also highlights the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine for Graduate Entry Medicine, and Apprenticeships for those looking to earn while they learn or for employers wanting to recruit an apprentice.

Common sticking points

• Wrong intake year. The site is currently promoting 2027 entry. If you need a 2026 start, check the specific course page rather than relying on the homepage banner.
• Assuming all courses run at all campuses. They do not — always confirm the campus on the individual course page.
• Skipping the open day. Course pages tell you what a programme contains; open days tell you what it feels like. For courses with placements or specialist facilities, the visit is worth the trip.
• Applying before checking requirements. Download the prospectus or open the course page first so you know the entry criteria and any additional steps.

What to do next

1. Go to cumbria.ac.uk and use FIND YOUR COURSE to shortlist two or three programmes.
2. Book an Open Day — in person at Ambleside, Carlisle, Lancaster, London or Barrow, or online if travel is difficult.
3. Download the prospectus and read the How to apply page for your level of study.
4. If you are an international applicant, work through the dedicated international section before starting your application.