History, Affiliations and Rankings
The University of Hertfordshire was established in 1952 as Hatfield College of Technology and then was subsequently granted the university title in 1992. Hatfield College of Technology, its forerunner, was established in 1948 and was named one of the top 25 colleges of technology in the United Kingdom in 1959. Hatfield Polytechnic was given university status by the British government in 1992 and was renamed the University of Hertfordshire in 1993. It is also one of the UK's post-1992 universities. It is a contemporary university located mostly in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, approximately 35 kilometres north of London. The university prides itself on being ‘business-facing’ and aims at a more innovative approach towards teaching and learning along with availing a wide variety of placement prospects as well as study abroad opportunities.
The university is affiliated with the Association of Commonwealth Universities, which represents 535 universities from 37 Commonwealth countries. It was founded in 1913 and is the world's oldest and first international university network. It is also a member of the University Alliance, a British university network that was founded in 2006 and took on the name in 2007. The Association of MBAs, the only global MBA-specific Accreditation and Membership Organization, is affiliated with the school's MBA programme. The university has an overall ranking of #801-1000 and #601-800 given by QS World University Rankings 2022 and THE World University Rankings 2022 respectively. According to the Complete University Guide, the Guardian University League Table, and The Sunday Times Good University Guide for 2022, the university is ranked at joint #80, #90 and #88 in the UK, respectively.
Infrastructure, Campuses and Courses
The University of Hertfordshire has two campuses based in College Lane and De Havilland. The University of Hertfordshire, which has over 25,000 students from 90 countries, provides a genuinely varied learning environment and has spent considerably in providing state-of-the-art campus amenities to its students. It is a public university and offers different degree programs in a plethora of fields including Creative Arts, Law, Humanities, Life and Medical Sciences, Engineering Technology, Computer Science, Social Work Education, Physics, Astronomy, Business and Mathematics. The university also owns a BioPark facility and provides 6,000 square metres of laboratory and office space to life science and health technology businesses. Furthermore, the university is located in Hatfield, which is only a 25-minute train journey from Central London, the world's most popular study and tourism destination (QS University Rankings).
This means that students have easy access to the city's top restaurants, bars, theatres, retail stores, parks, museums, and other tourist attractions. The institution has a lot to offer in terms of outdoor space and sports facilities. The institution has a strong ecological focus and is committed to environmental protection, as evidenced by first-place honours in the People & Planet Green League every year since its start in 2007.
Accomplishments and Alumni
The University of Hertfordshire is a TEF gold-rated university, which is the highest certification for quality teaching and quality education awarded to a university in the United Kingdom. To provide the finest learning experience for its students, the University mixes conventional instruction by highly skilled academic staff with digital resources. Hertfordshire has a high rate of employment. Within six months after graduation, 97% of Hertfordshire graduates are working or pursuing further education. 78% of these graduates who are working are in professional or management positions.
Aside from that, according to the current Research Excellence Framework, 90% of the research submitted by the University of Hertfordshire is of worldwide quality (REF 2014). In terms of effect, history research was ranked top in the United Kingdom. The university boasts of a list of impressive alumni including jewellery designer Alyssa Smith and comedian/writer Helen Lederer. Harry Potter fanatics go to the institution because it offers tours to ‘Muggles’ of the Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden where filming took place. Students from Hertfordshire University's film and media programmes also contributed to the special effects for Harry Potter, as well as Clash of the Titans 2, X Men, and Captain America.
Student Diversity and Visiting Companies
The University of Hertfordshire is proud of its diverse student body, and Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) is a key component of its overall strategy. Hertfordshire celebrates diversity and promotes equality of opportunity, enriching the academic experience for all students while also maintaining a positive, inclusive, and supportive working environment for all employees. The university prides itself on being a diverse institution, with 60% of students and 19% of employees (above average for the sector) coming from ethnically diverse backgrounds. The institution believes that diversity of views and ideas is what helps their community thrive since it improves research, enriches teaching, and promotes its capacity to give an excellent education to all.
