Academic Sessions for Schools and Colleges

Humanities, International Relations and Politics Taster Day

Date and time

1st May | 10:00 - 14:30

Description

Our Humanities, International Relations & Politics Taster Day is returning on 1st May 2026 for prospective students interested in studying these subjects at university. Throughout the day, students will experience what it would be like to study these courses in an interactive seminar, and can ask questions to Academics about the subjects. Students are able to choose three from the following sessions:

• ‘Have you Heard?’ Gossip and Literature

• Civilians under Fire

• Survive or Die: International Relations Theories Game  

• Dangerous Women and Domestic Crimes: A Victorian Literary Revolution

• Animals in History

• Taking Back Control? Brexit, Security, and the Cost of Going it Alone 

• Feminist Magazines, Media and The Handmaid’s Tale 

• Building Democracy and Defending the Republic in Weimar Germany

• Saving Democracy: Participation Beyond the Ballot Box?

If you're a teacher and would like to sign your students up for this event, please follow this link.

Sociology, Criminology and Professional Policing Taster Day

Date and time

29th April | 10:00 - 14:30

Description

Northumbria's Sociology, Criminology & Professional Policing Taster Day is for those interested in studying these courses at university. Student will get involved in an interactive seminar for these three courses, to experience what they would be like to study, as well as meeting Academic staff who will be able to answer any questions. The three sessions are titled:

• Two Sides of Crime: What Criminologists and Police Can Teach Each Other

• Your Life: Sociologically

• Justifying Punishment: A Criminological Look at Courts and Sentencing

If you're a teacher and would like to sign up your students for this event, please follow this link.

Stand Up Comedy & Mental Health

Description

Are you interested in stand-up comedy and how it might connect with ideas of political or cultural representation?  This talk addresses the subject of stand-up comedy and mental health, focussing on British and Australian comedians whose material addresses conditions such as bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety. Based on the analysis of live events and one-on-one interviews, the talk looks at the relationship between comedians and their material, arguing that comedy can help us both reconsider what we mean by mental illness and help understand mental health recovery.

This event is aimed towards students interested in studying Theatre and Performance at university.

If you are interested in booking in a session, please contact Dr Matt Hargrave: matt.hargrave@northumbria.ac.uk

Music / History / Wellbeing Workshops for Years 7-13

Workshops inspired by Tudor rounds and catches, tailored for different year groups, abilities, and aims:

• Singing in Harmony
• Singing History: Renaissance / Tudors / Reformation
• Singing for Wellbeing / Belonging
• Singing and Creating (new words for old tunes)
• Composing Rounds and Canons (some musical literacy required)

For more information please contact Katherine Butler: katherine.butler@northumbria.ac.uk and to see more please click here.

Description

We hosted our annual NUSTEM Experience Week where around 50, Year 12 students from local schools/colleges visited Northumbria for a week to experience what it would be like to study here. Each students' Week was focused towards Physics, Maths, Chemistry or Space Physiology. This was a unique opportunity for students which is a stand-out on UCAS applications when applying for STEM subjects.

Throughout their week, the students took part in the following activities:

• Interviewed an Academic about their own research area
• Found out how to source information at university
• Took part in a first-year lecture
• Created their own research poster
• Experienced a lab-based practical activity
• A tour of our campus
• Careers in STEM talk
• Spoke to colleagues and Academics at a poster conference

Throughout autumn 2025 almost 300 students visited us to find out what it would be like to study at Northumbria across a variety of popular subjects. This included:

• Midwifery
• Nursing
• Law
• Psychology
• Geography

We are planning on running more subject taster days across spring and summer this year. If your school is interested in signing up for one of these, please fill in this form and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Throughout the 2024/25 academic year, Northumbria University hosted 15+ subject taster days for Year 12 and 13 students. These events allowed students to understand what it would be like to study these courses at Northumbria, participating in student life and exploring our world-class campus.

Approximately 550 students visited us for these days, and they got to experience the following subjects:

2024/25 Taster Days

Law x2

Psychology x2

Applied Sciences

Business x2

Midwifery, Nursing & Health courses (Health Alive)

Geography and Environmental Science x2

Maths, Physics & Chemistry Week (NUSTEM Experience Week)

Architecture

Description

Our NUSTEM team delivered six engaging lectures aimed at Y11 to Y13 students and their teachers. Each lecture wa focused on a different topic, and aimed to show how Physical Sciences and Mathematics matter and where they can lead. The lectures were mainly presented by staff at Northumbria University with some external guest speakers from industry.

For any questions, please contact Antonio Portas via email:antonio.portas@northumbria.ac.uk 

Date and time

The lecture takes place from 18:30-19:30 on 3rd October.

Description

Babel Lecture 2024: 'Original Pronunciation - The sound of Shakespeare' 

What did Shakespeare's accent - and that of his actors and audience - sound like? What can we learn from hearing and speaking his works in that accent? And with no recordings or transcriptions available to us, how do we know?