Meet Our Students
Want to know what its really like to be a student at Newcastle College University Centre? Read what our students have to say!
Ranked Student City
Brandon James Edwards-Jary
BSc Professional Policing"I first came to Newcastle College when I was 16. I’d left school with no qualifications at all as I’d been let down by the system. I have autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia and I don’t think they knew what to do with me. My dream from the start was to become a police officer. The tutors here are so supportive. They've been behind me every step of the way, making sure I get through my courses and succeed. If you’d said to me, say five years ago, that I’d be graduating with a degree this year, I’d have laughed at you, but here I am!"
Lee Humphries
BA (Hons) Music Production“Studying the Music Production degree at Newcastle College University Centre has helped me achieve great things in my career, including Number 1 tracks and European headline slots. The knowledge I gained and the insights from tutors and peers will help me to progress into the future. I’d definitely recommend the Music Production degree to future students and I've already recommended studying at the University Centre to others."
Paola Cassarino
FdA Events Management and Hospitality"The beauty of a Hospitality and Tourism degree at Newcastle College University Centre is that, by combining the latest industry knowledge with a focus on practical skills, you're being prepared not to be an average employee, but an industry leader. The high standard of teaching here has helped me to develop confidence in my ability, and a clear sense of direction for the next steps in my career and exactly how to attain them."
Phillip Ho
FdA Culinary Arts"Newcastle College University Centre is the only real option in the local area for an industry-standard culinary degree. The course offers lots of culinary freedom, and every day of my degree is different because my tutors push me beyond my comfort zone through working with larders, cooking pastries, or using new gastronomic techniques. It feels good to be studying a course that feels tailored to me and my preferences."
Laurene Herodin
BA (Hons) Animation"During my studies, I've received so many open-ended assignments that have given me the opportunity to explore my creativity at a professional level and see the paths it might lead me down. I've developed important professional skills, and learnt from tutors whose current industry knowledge means they are never out-of-touch - which has been fantastic in helping me secure employment."
Georgia O'Neill
FdA Business Management"The range of content, experiences and contacts is something I think is unique to my course. I've been able to meet industry experts with impressive careers, and the insights I've gained from their career paths have helped me to develop my own small business. Studying here wasn't just helpful but also inspiring in its own right!"
Gemma Thompson
FdA Children and Young People"My course content is really relevant to a broad range of roles within the childcare industry, but with enough flexibility for me to tailor my studies to my ideal job as a teaching assistant. As a parent, I think I know everything about children until one of the nursery kids I teach does something to take me by surprise - that daily dynamism is something I find really enriching about Childcare, and I'm proud to help them achieve the skills they'll use for the rest of their lives."
Tia Jones
BSc (Hons) Engineering Management (Top-Up)"My current degree course gives me skills and experience far more tailored to a future in Rail Engineering than many other courses in the area offered. Even though it's quite specialised, the content itself is actually very versatile, which appeals because it keeps my professional horizons open moving forwards. The practical slant of the course has also meant I've gained really useful skills and experience in preparation for industry, which is far better than what I would have received elsewhere."
Tara Powell
FdA Advanced Techniques in Media and Semi-Permanent Make-Up"I was like 'I'm fifty can I really do a foundation degree?' And here I am two years later, smashing it and next year I'm doing a bachelors degree. Honestly, it's not just a degree I'm getting. It's the people I've met, it's the guest speakers and it's the workshops. It's been loads of fun. We all love it and the tutors are fab and really supportive."
Niall Kendal
FdEng Subsea and Offshore Engineering"Throughout my apprenticeship and studies, I've developed a great understanding of the industry, a strong knowledge base, and I get to put theory into practice while I'm offshore. I want to challenge myself to enter a management role in the Energy industry eventually, and I know my degree from Newcastle College University Centre will help me achieve that dream."
Xania Prentice
BSc (Hons) Counselling Skills and Therapeutic Communication (Top-Up)"As an older student, learning as a beginner meant I was able to bring all my life experience onto this course. I've studied modules ranging from trauma to gender to bereavement, and all of it fascinated me. But to me, this course wasn't just about qualifying in psychology - I've found my calling here, by discovering how people work and figuring out how I could help them."
Craig Warnes
FdA Advanced Techniques in Media and Semi-Permanent Make-Up"It's rare to find a course as specialised, but also offering such a range of skills and knowledge, as the one provided at Newcastle College University Centre. We have industry-standard hairdressing salons and make-up studios on-site, and it's great to learn from industry-experienced teachers who help me to build the skills I need to succeed in my career."
Kian Marshall
FdA Culinary Arts"Studying at Newcastle College University Centre has made me more confident in my vision as a chef. The course is taught in a more practical, hands-on style and the tutors always asked what we wanted to try to cook, so it was a good chance to express ourselves and develop and skills and interests, sometimes using unusual and exotic ingredients or innovative new techniques!"
Grace Lilley
BSc (Hons) Engineering Management (Top-Up)"I've had access to fantastic staff support throughout my degree, and I've learnt and developed so many transferable skills that I know will make me attractive to employers in the Engineering industry. We've also had quite a few guest speakers in to discuss their experiences, which has been really helpful and quite inspiring, really!"
Ellie Chambers
FdA Fashion Retail and Enterprise"By studying my degree course, I gained more experience, found projects I enjoyed and realised how many opportunities there were to improve my skills, which really helped me figure out my passions within the fashion sector. Thanks to the course practicality, I've already developed my own brand as a stylist - it's really been quite fun!"
Dawda Sarjo
FdSc Healthcare Practice"My base of specialist knowledge and skills have grown significantly while I've studied at Newcastle College University Centre, so I know that when I enter the nursing field, I'll be able to put what I know straight into practice to help people. Thanks to my tutors, my career destination is within reach."
Joshua Barrass
BA (Hons) Music Performance"My degree course is very practical and can be tailored to whatever individual students want to achieve. The units are all quite broad, so you get more opportunities to specialise and create whatever music you want. For me, the chance to explore and express my own musical interests make the degree course far more enjoyable, since all my assignments are much more open to interpretation."
Ellie Sturrock
BA (Hons) Musical Theatre (Top-Up)"The facilities for the Musical Theatre course are top of the range! Compared to a lot of other drama schools or conservatoires, where the theatre halls or dance studios aren't up-to-date at all, the ones at Newcastle College University Centre are all fully modernised and larger than usual. It also helps having teachers who are willing to improvise with you and play around with your individual creative process - it's both inspiring and enjoyable to learn from them!"
Caitlin Orridge
BA (Hons) Photography"The sheer breadth of knowledge and experienced I've gained from studying at Newcastle College University Centre is phenomenal. Our lecturers and guest speakers bring years of distinct experience in the photography industry, ranging from still life to fashion to more commercial photography - I've used all of that transferable knowledge to enrich my work. The creative freedom this course offers has helped me to explore every area of the photography industry and decide where I'd like to develop my own career in the future."
Lewis James
MSc (Hons) Sport and Education"My degree programme is fantastic because it's written with external partners, including the NUFC Foundation, Newcastle Eagles and Newcastle Falcons. These connections mean Sport students at Newcastle College university Centre have access to many more personal and professional development opportunities than other universities, especially in the North East. The best bit is the staff are so flexible and open to student input, even though some of them worked on Team GB!"
Max Elcoat
BSc in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering"Being at the airport, around the planes, and working in the hangar, you’re always focused on the end goal. But, for me, hands down, one of the best things about studying here is hearing from ex-students about where they are now. It’s so motivating see what you could be doing in a few years’ time, and it proves how good of a place it is. For instance, I had no idea that the current Maintenance Manager for Boeing UK studied here just ten years ago, until he came to give us a talk about his experience and career-to-date."
Dominic Taylor
Professional Graduate Certificate in Education (PgCE) for Teaching Special Education Needs in Further Education"My teaching course is amazing to put it bluntly! The teachers were really welcoming, they are really helpful. My assigned mentor is an amazing mentor, I couldn’t have asked for anyone better."
Tegan Walmsley
BA (Hons) Dance"I chose this degree because it offers a much wider variety of styles of dance, compared to other universities. I'd spoken to a few of my friends who have studied here and they said that as part of the course you do a lot of performances, workshops and work with industry, all things I was looking for!".
Ben Landshoff
BA (Hons) Music Production"I've always been interested in DJing, and I've also been interested in learning about the history of the music industry. I studied Music at GCSE, so after Sixth Form I decided to take it further into a degree. I was looking for courses at UCAS when I found the Music Production degree here at the University Centre."
Ethan Connelly
BA (Hons) Music Production"I was studying Games Design when the COVID lockdown hit. I had an interest in music and had music programming software on my computer so I just gave it a go. I discovered I preferred making music to gaming, so I asked about switching courses to Music Production – and that’s what I’m studying now!"