London Campus Distance Learning

You must be fully enrolled in order to begin your programme. 

Enrolment gives you access to:

• Blackboard (your virtual learning environment)
• Your University email; and more

How to enrol

Enrol from home using the Student Portal. You do not need to come to campus.

Find step-by-step instructions in Understanding the enrolment process in Ask4Help Online on your Student Portal.

After you enrol

It may take up to 2 working days for your programme content to appear on Blackboard. Some content may not show until your programme starts.

Login problems?

To access the Student Portal, please use the username and password provided in your welcome email. 

• Forgotten username: Contact IT Chat
• Forgotten password: Reset using DUO (UK mobiles only) or IT Chat

Ask4Help

If you need any help or support throughout your studies, Ask4Help answers your questions and connects you to specialists.

Contact Ask4Help:

Online: Access Ask4Help Online on your Student Portal to view over 300 help and support articles - complete the enquiry box at the end of an article and a member of staff will get back to you. If you need further support, Ask4Help will connect you to an expert. 

By phone: Call +44 (0)191 349 5901

In person: Visit an Ask4Help desk at Northumbria University London Campus, 110-114 Middlesex St, London, E1 7HT 

Student Portal

We know that there is a lot of information to take in during your time at university – so to help you navigate your Northumbria journey, your Student Portal brings all of the knowledge, advice and support you need together in one place.

As well as links to essential Northumbria information such as Blackboard (your virtual learning environment) and Library Online, you can also use the Portal to read the latest Northumbria news stories and keep your personal details updated. Watch our short video for more information:

Using your Student Portal to Navigate Northumbria from Northumbria University on Vimeo.

Your IT Account

Your IT account gives you access to various online systems throughout your studies, including:

• Student Portal: your student dashboard - including Ask4Help Online - and where you can access links to other platforms
• Blackboard: your virtual learning environment
• Office.com: email and file storage
• Library Online: University Library website
• MyTimetable: view your weekly optional drop-in session schedule
• NU Connect: mobile app

You will find your username (which starts with 'w' followed by 8 numbers e.g. w12345678) and password in your welcome email. Remember - never share your password.

Your University Email

You must check your University email regularly for important messages. Your email format is your Northumbria username@northumbria.ac.uk and your password is the same as your IT account password.

You can access your email via Office.com / Outlook.com and apps, on University computers and by selecting the email icon at the top of your Student Portal.

See the Accessing your email article in the Student Portal for more information.

Register for DUO Multi-Factor Authentication

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security to your Northumbria account and its connected files and devices. After completing your enrolment, you will receive an email from DUO (no-reply@duosecurity.com) with instructions to register for this service. This email will be sent to your Northumbria email account, which you can access by selecting the email icon at the top of any Student Portal page.

DUO protects your account at login by sending a verification prompt to your mobile phone, which you must approve. For detailed instructions, please see the Logging in to systems using Duo article and watch the short video below:

Blackboard - Northumbria University's Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) - is where you will undertake your studies as a Distance Learner, and interact with academic staff and fellow students. On Blackboard you can:

• Access the resources for your modules, including lecture materials, videos and study notes.
• Join discussion board and blogs.
• Submit assignments.
• View your grades and receive feedback from your tutors.

How to access Blackboard

• Off campus: Open a Google Chrome web browser and go to elp.northumbria.ac.uk . Enter your University username and password (see above section) to log in when prompted. You can also access Blackboard via the link in the menu of your Student Portal.
• On campus: Use the desktop shortcut on University computers to open Blackboard using Google Chrome.

For further guidance, please see the Getting started with Blackboard article in your Student Portal, including the system requirements for optimum Blackboard use. 

Optional study days

There is one optional study day per semester. You can usually choose to attend online or in person. Before each study day, you will receive an email to your University email address with a form to confirm if and how you would like to attend.

If you are a self financing student (paying your own tuition fees), you will receive a tuition fee invoice shortly after your programme begins. Your invoice will be sent to your Northumbria student email account and will include your payment schedule. For more information and ways to pay, please see the following article on your Student Portal: Paying your fees - London Campus.

Tuition fee sponsorship:

If your employer (or another organisation) is paying your tuition fees, you must provide us with a letter from them, confirming the details of your sponsorship. If you  have not yet provided confirmation of your sponsorship, please see the article Payment of fees by a sponsor on your Student Portal for sponsor-letter requirements and how to provide the letter to the University.

Student Finance funding:

Undergraduate tuition fee loans and postgraduate loans from Student Finance Northern Ireland (SFNI) or Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS):

If you are an undergraduate student funded by any Student Finance provider or a postgraduate student funded by SFNI or SAAS, your tuition fee loans will be paid directly to the University by your provider. If your tuition loan does not cover your full programme, you will receive an invoice from the University for the remaining balance.

If you unexpectedly receive an invoice or you believe that your invoice is incorrect, please see the article Questioning a tuition fee invoice.

Postgraduate tuition fee loans from Student Finance England (SFE) and Student Finance Wales (SFW):

Postgraduate loans from SFE and SFW, are paid to directly to the student. If you are in receipt of one of these loans you are a self-financing student and will receive an invoice and payment schedule from the University.

Important - your Student Support number:

Your Student Support Number (SSN) is the reference number allocated to you by your Student Finance funding provider when your Student Finance application has been approved. Your unique SSN is used to identify you during automated communications between your provider and the University. If we do not have your SSN we cannot confirm your registration/attendance with Student Finance and your loans will not be activated.

All students who have successfully applied for a tuition fee loan from a Student Finance funding provider, must provide their SSN to the University during enrolment. If you have not provided us with your SSN during enrolment, please follow the instructions in the article Providing your Student Support Number to the University.

Our aim is to ensure students are supported to reach their full potential and have the best possible experience here at Northumbria. If you have an accessibility need - including Specific Learning Differences and neurodiversity - we offer support throughout your journey with us, even before you arrive.

Visit Your Support at Northumbria for more information and to register with the Student Accessibility Team, who can ensure any relevant support is in place before you get here.

After enrolment, you will receive an email invitation to your University and personal email accounts to attend an online welcome session. This take place on the first Saturday after your programme start date. You will:

• Meet your academic leads and other students.
• Learn about support services.
• Have the opportunity to ask questions.

All students, including distance learning students must complete Consent and Bystander Training. Completing this training helps build a respectful online learning space that reflects our Student Charter and our Values and Behaviours.

There are two modules you must complete. Each takes approximately 45 minutes. You can complete them at your own pace.

Consent Training:

This training will help you:

• Understand the law around consent and your ethical obligations.
• Explore how gender, stereotypes, and culture affect consent.
• Learn how to communicate clearly with partners and respond to sexual harassment or violence.

Bystander Training:

This training will help you:

• Learn to safely intervene using the 5Ds model - Direct, Distract, Delegate, Delay, Disapprove.
• Recognise and challenge harmful behaviours, including those that may seem like 'banter'.
• Understand how harassment intersects with identity.
• Promote empathy, inclusion, and respectful expression.

Once you are fully enrolled onto your programme, we will contact you via email with details of how to complete the training via BlackBoard.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in the training please see the Student Portal article Accessing support and reporting a serious welfare incident for advice and support.

Ask4Help

Ask4Help are here to answer your questions and connect you to specialist support throughout your studies. We can help you with:

• Staying on track with your studies.
• Accessing mental health support.
• Accessibility support.
• Any other questions or concerns.

Contact Ask4Help:

Online: Access Ask4Help Online in your Student Portal to view over 300 help and support articles - complete the enquiry box at the end of any article and a member of staff will get back to you as soon as possible. If you need further support, Ask4Help will connect you to a specialist.

By phone: Call +44 (0)191 349 5901.

In person: Visit the Ask4Help desk Ground Floor, 110 Middlesex Street, London E1 7HT.

Ask4Help Opening Hours: Monday to Friday: 08:30-19:00. Ask4Help is usually closed at weekends but will be available from 09:00-17:30 on weekends when teaching is taking place on Campus and during Welcome and Induction weeks.

Support with your academic work

Your academic team are here to support you on your programme. If you have questions about your academic work, please speak to your programme leader, module leader, or personal tutor.

Weekly drop-in sessions:

As part of your distance learning programme, you will have optional weekly drop-in sessions with the academic team, during which you can raise any questions regarding your course material. You can find the schedule for these sessions on MyTimetable.