International students

Preparing to study

English language

Even if you have met the English language requirements to study at NTU, we would recommend that you attend a short Pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes course before starting your studies here because it will teach you the study skills you need to successfully complete your assignments.

We offer In-sessional English for Academic Purposes classes which are free of charge and available to all international students during their studies at NTU which will help you to develop your English skills in your own subject area by choosing the language sessions which suit you best.

Teaching and learning methods

You will find the learning resources for your course in NOW (NTU Online Workspace) a virtual learning environment that contains all kinds of useful information such as timetables, reading lists, highly recommended textbooks, etc. It is a very good idea to log on to this before you arrive and familiarise yourself with the resources for your course.

We use a variety of teaching methods at the University. Each of these is designed to develop your existing subject knowledge and skills. Here are a few examples of the types of activities you can be involved in during your studies:

lectures - a teacher delivers a talk to students on a serious or specialist subject in a formal teaching space
seminars - a teacher or expert meets with a group of students to study and discuss something
workshops - students meet and discuss and/or perform together practical work on a subject or activity
group work - students work together to achieve a common goal
individual projects - work is done alone to achieve a learning objective
day trips - students travel to another location for the day to learn
role play -students pretend to be someone else as part of learning a new skill
case studies - students investigate an individual, group, or event in detail
presentations - students deliver a talk to the group on a given subject for assessment
work placements - students take on a temporary position or job at an organisation for work experience purposes.

Assessment

Most courses are divided into a selection of modules. Some of these are compulsory and form the basis of the degree, others are optional (you can choose) and upon completion these can often lead students to an area of interest for further specialisation. A certain number of these modules need to be successfully completed in order for students to progress to the next year in terms of their degree or to graduate. Assessment methods include examinations, projects, reports, group work, presentations and a dissertation.