Open Day FAQs

At a university Open Day you get the opportunity to visit a campus in person. You will meet current students and staff. You can get a feel for the place you might be living. You'll get a taste of university life.  

At our Open Days, we have lots of exciting things going on. This includes:

• Welcome talk from our Vice Chancellor
• Subject stands where you can talk to our tutors
• Subject talks, taster sessions, Q&A panels, and facilities tours
• Campus tours from our current students
• Free refreshments throughout the day
• Accommodation tours
• Student advice talks
• Discounts and offers for restaurants, bars and hotels in Preston city centre

If you want to find out more about Preston Open Days, visit our plan your Open Day webpage.

The course provision we offer does differ across our campuses, so it is important you check before booking. To check where your chosen course runs there is a section at the top of each course page titled “campus”. If this course runs at different campuses this section will be a drop-down list to show the different options available.

It’s also important to note we hold different events for both undergraduate and postgraduate study. Please please ensure you pick the right event to ensure you make the most out of your visit.

See our A-Z of courses to discover your perfect course.

Preston Campus

If you’re travelling by car, you can park for free on any of our University Car Parks. The closest to the Student Centre are:

• Fylde Road Car Park (PR1 2XN)
• Roeburn Car Park (PR2 2QQ)
• Leighton Car Park (PR1 7EX)
• Victoria Car Park (PR1 7QS)
• Harrington Car Park (PR1 7BG)

Please note council owned carparks are not free on the day of the event and normal pay and display rules apply.

Burnley Campus

The are car parking spaces available at Victoria Mill (BB11 1RA). 

If these are all full, we would recommend parking in King Street Car Park (BB11 1XD).  This is a pay and display car park but it only a short walk away from Victoria Mill. 

As a university, we aim to provide access to higher education for as many people as possible. We recognise that some of the barriers to higher education are financial.

For our Preston Campus Open Days on Sunday 13 October and Saturday 30 November, we are offering an Open Day Travel Bursary.

This bursary is available for students from outside of the North West.

If you're a fully registered attendee (prospective student) living outside of the North West, and you check-in at the event, you will receive the bursary up to £40 to help offset your travel costs. The bursary will be paid directly into your bank account. After you have attended the open day, we will send you an email with the instructions on how to claim the bursary. It will be sent to the email address you registered to attend the open day.

Those living in the following postcode areas are not eligible for this voucher: PR, BB, FY, BL, WN, M, LA, L, OL, WA, SK, CH and CW.

Preston Campus

Our Preston Campus is in the heart of the city centre, and a 10-minute walk from both Preston Railway and Bus Stations.

If you need directions to Preston Campus, use the postcode PR1 7DP in your map app of choice. This will take you straight to our Student Centre. You can look out for our friendly student ambassadors (in red hoodies) who will help you find where you need to be.

Burnley Campus

Victoria Mill is a short walk from all three of Burnley’s train stations and Burnley Bus Station.

• Burnley Barracks - 5 minutes’ walk
• Manchester Road - 12 minutes’ walk
• Burnley Central - 14 minutes’ walk
• Burnley Bus Station - 15 minutes’ walk

For Burnley Campus, use the postcode BB11 1RA in your map app which will take you to Victoria Mill on Trafalgar Street.

Preston Campus

You can check-in from 9am at the Student Centre. You should arrive as early as you can, as there’s lots to see and do at the Open Day. Drop into the Student Centre to speak to our support teams. Or head along to a subject talk to find out more about studying with us. Check the Open Day programme for times and locations.

You can also explore the campus with a student-led tour, the last tour departs at 2pm. All good things must come to an end, and our Open Day closes at 3pm.

Burnley Campus

You can check-in from 9.30am in Victoria Mill and the event finishes at 2pm.  

Preston Campus

Check-in opens from 9am and we encourage all Open Day attendees to check in at Student Centre. You'll get a copy of the programme if you haven’t already received a copy, and directed to your chosen areas of interest.

We understand some attendees may struggle to arrive for 9am. If you're running late, please don’t worry. If you have received your programme in the post and/or via email, please feel free to head straight to your session. After your session, please do pop into our student centre to complete your check in as it helps us make sure you get the best experience on the day.

Burnley Campus

Check-in opens from 9.30am in Victoria Mill with the event starting by 10am.

All the students talks and stands are in Victoria Mill, and all the tours start from here too. Head there on arrival and we will point you in the right direction after we’ve checked you in.

You’ll get a personal QR code and event details by email a few days before the Open Day. If you haven’t received this, or can’t find it, you can reregister at the check-in desks on arrival.

We will have plenty of copies available on the day. When you're checking-in, please notify a member of staff and they will give you a copy. You can also download a copy of the programme on our plan your Open Day page. This will only be available close to the Open Day date.

Yes, we’d love to see you and your guests. You can register up to four guests on your booking form. Don’t worry if one of your guests can’t make it, or someone extra wants to come along, you can update your information when you check-in at the Open Day.

If any of your guests have any specific requirements (such as mobility issues, visual or hearing impairments) and require additional support on the day please complete the additional requirements form in advance. This will ensure our inclusive support team can put the correct measure in place for your guests.

Yes, we will have academic representatives across all subject areas available on the day. You can either meet them at a subject talk where they’ll be discussing their course(s) in further detail. Or our academics will be at the subject stands to answer any questions you may have. They will be there between 9am – 3pm at Preston and 10am - 2pm at Burnley. Please see your programme for individual timings and locations.

Preston Campus

Guided accommodation tours also run throughout the day, departing from the upper ground floor in the Student Centre. Alternatively, you can drop into our accommodation throughout the day. You can also go on a self-guided tour of our private accommodation providers.

Burnley Campus

At our Burnley Open Day, you can visit Sandygate Hall to get all the information you need.

You will have plenty of time to explore Preston, the place we're proud to call home. A vibrant, bustling and multicultural city in the heart of the North West. It's home to a thriving community of thousands of students, making it the perfect place to live, work and play.

We've teamed up with local restaurants, cafés and hotels to bring you some exclusive Open Day discounts to help you discover Preston.

Burnley was once named the friendliest town in the UK, and we recommend looking around the town when you visit us.  Burnley is a diverse and friendly town with a unique community feel.  There is lots to see and do and we are sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised at what you find. 

Preston Campus

We’d love to still see you on campus. Although we encourage you to arrive as early as possible, we know that not everyone is able to get to Preston at 9am. We’ve planned our Open Day so that there are activities taking place throughout the day. Most subject talks have both a morning and afternoon session. If you miss your subject talk, you can also speak to staff at the subject stands. Unfortunately, we do eventually have to close, so our last tours leave at 2pm and the Open Day will end at 3pm.

If you already have a copy of the programme and you are running late, please feel free to head straight to your chosen session when you arrive. Before you leave, we do ask that all attendees check-in at either the Student Centre or at one of our information points dotted around campus.

If you're running late and haven't received your programme in the post and/or via email, please feel free to head straight to your session. After your session, please do pop into our Student Centre or to one of our information points dotted around campus to complete your check in. This helps us measure the success of the day.

Burnley Campus

Yes, it is still worth coming.  Even if you’ve missed the course talk for your chosen subject. You can still talk to our friendly academic tutors, take a campus tour, or visit our student accommodation.

The last tours start at 1:30pm and the event will finish at 2pm.

A Degree Apprenticeship is a great way to gain an academic qualification whilst you work. At our Preston Campus, you will be able to attend a Degree Apprenticeship talk to find out more about this. You'll also be able to visit our stand in the Student Centre throughout the day.

If you have any specific requirements (such as mobility issues, visual / hearing impairments etc.) and require additional support on the day please complete the additional requirements form in advance. This ensures our inclusive support team can put the correct measure in place before the Open Day. 

On the day we will also have representatives from our Student Support Team on hand to discuss what support can be implemented to support you throughout the duration of your studies.

Don't worry, an Open Day provides the opportunity for prospective students to explore all the subject areas they are interested in. Please feel free to attend as many sessions and speak to as many academics as you wish during the day. On arrival, please make your way to our Student Centre and our friendly check-in staff will be able to help you plan your day.

We’re sorry you can’t make it. Would you like to attend another Open Day or come on a campus tour to have a look around? Please email your details to our Course Enquiries Team and we’ll be happy to amend your booking.

We’re sorry you no longer want to visit us. Simply email your details to the Course Enquiries Team and our team will cancel your booking.