UK offers unique courses like Football Journalism and Motorsport Engineering

Kathryn Mitchelltells TOI about the increasing interest of students in unique courses such as Football Journalism and Motorsport Engineering
What are the offbeat courses offered by the University of Derby?
We offer a wide variety of undergraduate, postgraduate, professional, joint honours, foundation, part-time and short courses to study at our campuses, including such diverse subjects as Zoology, Football Journalism, and Motorsport Engineering.All of our programmes are taught by experts from within the field, who provide a strong focus around personal and professional development.
Art and Design courses are becoming increasingly popular among Indian students, and UK institutions have recognised an increase in queries related to these courses at student-facing events. HESA statistics reveal a consistent 5-6% increase in students studying Art and Design programmes at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels in the UK. Business and Management are one of the most popular subjects among students when they look at the UK as a study destination. Hospitality is also a major focus area.

The University of Derby has been the favourite of international students. How can Indian students consider this as one of the top picks?
We are a modern university with three campuses in Derbyshire, central England. We are also a much-loved second home to more than 900 international students from 100 countries.
We are a university of the first choice for students who are looking for a culture of positive support and opportunity. With our reputation for industry-relevant degree programmes, we offer our students unparalleled opportunities to gain professional work experience alongside their studies. That is why we have invested £200 million over the past ten years in some of the best university facilities you will find in the UK, to ensure our students get the hands-on practical skills and experience employers are looking for.

We are part of a thriving multicultural region that is renowned for technology and innovation and is home to a wide range of industries, with many global companies based here, including Rolls-Royce, Toyota and Bombardier. It is an exciting place to learn, and experience university life, providing students with many opportunities to gain real world experience.
At the University of Derby, we have always taken great pride in our approach to teaching and learning and this was recognised by the University being awarded Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). The University has also been included as one of the world's top 250 new universities, in the prestigious Times Higher Education (THE) Young University Rankings 2018, which is a significant achievement and testament to our outstanding progress over 25 years.
Do you think universities in the UK need to convince international students who are anxious over the Brexit upheaval? Is Brexit adversely affecting UK universities?
We do not yet know what the UK's future relationship with Europe will look like after Brexit, but it is vitally important for us to continue to develop our close collaboration on exchange programmes and research projects with our international and EU partners. Now more than ever, the UK needs an internationally competitive offer to continue to attract international students. We need to ensure that they have a positive experience while in the UK - for example, by making the visa process smooth, proportionate and predictable, before, during and after their studies. At Derby, we are investing in creating this positive experience, and are seeing impressive results through the work of our International Student Centre.
The opportunity to study abroad offers significant value to students and, as a sector, we need to ensure that our own students continue to have that opportunity.
What are the scholarships available for Indian students?
We have recently reviewed our scholarship provision for international students. As well as a £2,000 discount for all international students studying on Masters programmes in 2019/20, we have a range of merit-based scholarships, some specifically for students coming from South Asia, ranging from £3,000 to a full fee-waiver. We believe that, among UK institutions, this is a very competitive offer.