Reviewed on Sep 5, 2025(Enrolled 2019)
What Students Say
Likes
- I love the library because it was 24/7, variety of books, comfortable.
- My Digital forensic lab, I had accessed to all the tools and software that could required in my study.
- Campus, it good to have variety of events, I joined many from student union events.
Dislikes
- Study experience, was too complicated for me to adapt new education system, I study extra long time to learn.
- Isolation, in classroom I felt isolated, local student don't interact much and I was introvert as well, so it was very hard to cope with that hideous feeling.
- Student support, once I failed the subject and wasn't give another chance, so I had to come to my home country, apply for new visa, went back for study, I was in so much depression, wasted so much time and money, even my study was interrupted.
Course Curriculum
8
- I would argue that my course was difficult for non-tech students who have different educational backgrounds, as it specialised in digital forensics and cyber investigation. I have done my bachelor's in forensic science. but I had keen knowledge in this field so it was not so difficult for me. my course mostly relied on the practical and in-lab.
- I had two modules which were theory only. the positive part of the course was that I had access to all the software and material for the study but the negative part was that the pacing of the course was a little fast for me. The professor used to cover a lot in one class. my lab class used to last 2 or sometimes 3 hours.
- My course had 3 to 4 classes per week. The timing for the classes was usually between 11 am and 4 pm, except for the exception that some of them were late evening or early morning but those were theory classes. my course was new and very specific so there were only 15 to 20 students in the class. and only, I think, 4 to 5 students were Indian. 1 or 2 Indian students switch the course because of the difficulty.
Admission Experience
- Main reason was the course that I want to do, which is a Master in Digital Forensics.
- The admission process was straighforward, i had the agent who made it very easy. I applied to only one university — Teesside University — as it offered the exact
- The course I wanted was a Master’s in Digital Forensics. I was accepted on my first attempt, so I didn’t apply anywhere else. Since this was my only choice, and I met all the requirements, I didn’t face any rejections or waitlists.
- The main reason I chose this university was the specific course I wanted to study — a Master’s in Digital Forensics and Cyber Investigation. Not many universities offered it in the way I wanted, so it was an easy choice for me.
- The admission process was quite straightforward. I worked with an education agent, which made everything much simpler. The eligibility requirement was an overall IELTS score of 6, which I had, along with good marks in my 10th standard. I also received a scholarship based on my academic performance.
- Before applying, I had done my research and found out about all the services the university provided, like free airport pickup and drop-off to a location near the campus. They also helped with things like collecting my BRP card, opening a bank account, document verification, and showing new students around the campus. These services were definitely helpful, but I do feel the process could have been explained in a clearer and more organised way.
- It's been 5 years; I don't remember the exact timeline but there are two intakes for my course. September and February. the course starts in September and students who join in February start the second semester first and finish the first semester in September.
- I prepared for the IELTS exam and targeted to get the admission in sep 2019 which was successful. there was some courses that did not require any English test; just previous education had to be in the English medium.
- For the documents, it was hard to get them all together: 10th and 12th marksheets, college certificates, LOR, and statement of purpose. guardian support document. there was an on-call interview as well for me but it was simple, just to confirm my identity, not the actual interview like other students had.
- The eligible criteria was an overall IELTS score of 6. and i have good marks in 10th and get a scholarship as well. I was smart enough to search for all the available servicesprovided by the university for example, pickup from the airport and drop-off to the desired location around the uni free of cost. all the processes required to get started in uni, for example collecting brp card, opening a bank account, doc verification, and getting around the campus. these were some help but a clearer approach would be better.
Faculty
10
- as my class size was small so that the faculty-to-student ratio was great. this is particular for the practical lab
- class only. often, we get personal help in person from the teaching professor. If any student has a doubt, we can book a 15- to 20 minutes meeting with the professor. or we can discuss after the call what doubt we had. some of the modules were common between some courses, so there were common classes for those students.
- I remember that there were students from four different courses in one classroom for the same module. there were another faculty just for student help, which was the student union. they used to help with all sorts of things, including finding jobs, but personally, I did not get any help regarding part-time jobs. Most helpful was the friend I made there.
Campus Life
10
- there one two campus one in Middlesbrough and one in Darlington. The main campus is in Middlesbrough, but the student who had the class in Darlington had to manage the travel by themself, as there was no transportation from the university.
- I only know that Darlington has the library and lab for the bio students. I don't know any other things for my campus, which is in Middlesbrough; it had everything: a sports building, which included a gym, a football ground, a climbing wall, and a badminton place.
- There was a swimming pool as well but it was off-campus and a little far from the campus. there is a club as well on my main campus which serves the discounted drinks to uni students who provide the student ID.
- There was a whole month dedicated to the event before we started the course which is in September intact, which included nightclubs, question games, disco nights and many others.
Part Time Jobs
- My course included an Advanced Practice option, which involved either an internship or a project under a professor. Students could arrange internships themselves with some university guidance. The maximum allowed work hours during term time were 20 per week, with wages typically ranging from £8 to £11 per hour depending on the job.
- On-campus jobs were available, such as library assistants, administrative roles, or student ambassadors, but I was not aware of them at the time and didn’t secure one. Finding part-time work in my area was challenging because it was a small town with limited public transport to nearby areas. I eventually got a job through a friend’s recommendation.
- Many Indian students in my university preferred off-campus jobs in retail stores, restaurants, or warehouses. Pay was usually between £8 and £11 per hour. Securing a job wasn’t easy due to high competition and limited openings, especially in smaller towns.
- To work, students needed a UK bank account, a National Insurance Number, proof of address, and a university letter confirming the 20-hour work limit during term time (and full-time during vacations). The usual process was to search online or in person, submit a CV, and attend a short interview. Networking with friends or community groups often made the process faster.
Placement
2
- my course included advanced practice, which is an internship. Either student can find themselves with some help or they do a project under the professor. Maximum hours were 20 per week. and wages were around 8 to 11 based on the job.
- There were some on-campus jobs as well that were provided by the university. But I did not know that and did not get it either. It was difficult to get the part-time job because it was a small town and there was very limited public transport to travel to nearby towns. I did manage to secure the job with the help of my friend.
- To get the job, students usually need one bank account for the salary, a national insurance number, proof of address, and 20 hours and full-time work time hours provided by the university. That is a letter that states that during the term time students are allowed to do 20 hours part time and during vacation students can do full-time jobs.
- My experience was very bad because I could not secure the job after my course completion because my result did not arrive on time and my visa expired so I had a very difficult time.
Accommodation
Off Campus
8
- I opt for the off-campus accommodation because, as I said earlier, the on-campus accommodations were good and provided more facilities, but they were much more expensive. I find my fellow roommate with the agent who did my admission and visa process. We manage to get the house in sharing, which was much cheaper than on-campus. However, one has to be cautious of the fraud. the person who helped us was good; he helped us to settle in our new accommodation.
- My suggestion for the future student is to check for the off-campus first and make sure you check with multiple sources that the info you have is correct. There are many Indian communities that can help with these. my accoumodation was 5 to 10 minutes walking distance.
Exams
- For my course, the main requirement was an IELTS score, though some programmes waived it if previous education was in English. In my case, I submitted my 10th and 12th marksheets, college certificates, Statement of Purpose, Letter of Recommendation, and guardian support documents. Gathering all these took some effort.
- I also had a short on-call interview, but it was just to confirm my identity, unlike some other students who had formal academic interviews. The process was quite straightforward once all documents were ready.
Fees
- During my admission, the total course fee was £14,000. I was supposed to pay half upfront (£7,000), but after getting a £1,500 scholarship and an additional £500 discount for paying the rest in full, I paid £5,000 in my first year. Fees could be paid yearly or broken into monthly instalments. I chose private housing with a friend, which was far cheaper than the university accommodation.
- My monthly expenses were lower due to shared rent, and I managed transport and living costs within a reasonable budget. The total fee during my addition was 14000 pounds; I meant to pay half, which is 7000 but I got a 1500 scholarship and 500 off if I pay the whole remaining amount.
- So I paid 5000 in the first year. there is an option to break it down to monthly if the student prefers. I took the private renting option to share with my friend, which was way cheaper than the accommodation offered by the university. scholarship eligibility was to have good goodmarks in 10th standard in English, I think. I don't know any other scholarships provided by the university. there is a price hike in courses as well since my admission.
Scholarship
- I received a £1,500 scholarship based on good marks in my 10th standard, particularly in English. There was also a £500 discount for paying the remaining fee in one go.
- I’m not aware of other scholarships the university offered for my course. The eligibility seemed to focus on academic performance, but the criteria were not explained in great detail. I don’t know how many students got similar scholarships, but it definitely helped reduce my upfront fee.
