We use cookies for three reasons: to give you the best experience on Whatuni, to make sure the Whatuni ads you see on other sites are relevant, and to measure website usage. Some of these cookies are necessary to help the site work properly and can't be switched off. Cookies also support us to provide our services for free, and by clicking "Accept" below, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. You can manage your preferences now or at any time.
We use cookies, which are small text files placed on your computer, to allow the site to work for you, improve your user experience, to provide us with information about how our site is used, and to deliver personalised ads which help fund our work and deliver our service to you for free.
The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalised web experience.
You can accept all, or else manage cookies individually. However, blocking some types of cookies may affect your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer.
You can change your cookies preference at any time by visiting our Cookies Notice page. Please remember to clear your browsing data and cookies when you change your cookies preferences. This will remove all cookies previously placed on your browser.
For more detailed information about the cookies we use, or how to clear your browser cookies data see our Cookies Notice
Strictly necessary cookies
ONThese cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems.
They are essential for you to browse the website and use its features and for us to measure website traffic.
You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. We can't identify you from these cookies.
Functional cookies
These help us personalise our sites for you by remembering your preferences and settings. They may be set by us or by third party providers, whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies, then these services may not function properly.
Performance cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and see where our traffic comes from, so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are popular and see how visitors move around the site. The cookies cannot directly identify any individual users.
If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site and will not be able to improve its performance for you.
Marketing cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by social media services or our advertising partners. Social media cookies enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They can track your browser across other sites and build up a profile of your interests. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to see or use the content sharing tools.
Advertising cookies may be used to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but work by uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will still see ads, but they won't be tailored to your interests.
You have successfully registered
The annual Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs) highlight the incredible work carried out by institutions for their students. This year’s awards were based on reviews from over 30,000 students across the UK.
2022 WUSCA winners
UHI is a great university as it is located in a beautiful part of the highlands, the campus is also modern and resourceful. The classes are always recorded so you can go back at any time and further your learning. The course content is very challenging and varied so there are always aspects that different people may feel more confident in. For example, we have a range of assessments that make up our final grade, including an essay, multiple choice quiz, physical performance exams and discussion sessions. This is to ensure that everyone plays up to their strengths, and are not stressing about a singular essay that makes up the whole grade, if essays are not your strong point. UHI could improve on their student support, as there have been times were I have felt my health isn’t great and have raised this as a concern. I have not received much input or help at times when I needed it most. However, overall I think that the university is a good institution with lots to offer education wise.
I like how my course is mainly online, with some physical classes and seminars mixed in to consolidate our learning. Online work prompts you to be independent and you have the freedom to work anywhere, especially in environments that you enjoy. However, physically going in for classes is also good as you can occasionally have input from your peers on the course and socialise with others. The physical classes help put you back on track if you perhaps feel sometimes like you are wandering a bit with the content online.
The highlands have beautiful scenery, low crime rates, and plenty of part time work opportunities to slot in with your university timetable. Where I go to university in Inverness, there are good eateries available, and entertainment, as well as places to socialise with others who are also studying etc. The cost of living is not too bad as we have a range of supermarkets which are cost efficient and accessible to the university.
Thank you for your feedback
I studied at the centre for history with uhi and if you have any other choice in university take it. I would consider taking an access course in a more reputable college before accepting a place at uhi. The classes on history modules are glorified Skype calls (even before the pandemic) where the "lecturer" will spend 20 minutes lecturing before asking open questions for the students to fumble their way through to fill time. If you are expecting a traditional university experience uhi is not where you want to go. It doesn't help that the assigned readings range from the overly simplistic to incomprehensible babble which leave you understanding less about the modules themes than if you just skip them. The staff are difficult to get hold of and often do the bare minimum amount of feedback which is a slight problem when you write a dissertation. During my last year at uhi, I was only able to have 3 half an hour meetings with my dissertation "supervisor" and the feedback was so unhelpful that I might as well have asked a bowl of spaghetti as it would have been just as useful. My experience with this programme was not good and I would implore anyone wanting to study History to avoid UHI. The programme is very good at promoting itself as a forward thinking academic department in touch with modern issues. It is nothing more than meaningless virtue signalling. The lecturers don't care about its students unless they share the same academic interests and approaches of the lecturing staff. This means that if you have academic interests outside of a narrow field of historiography you will recieve no support from the department and will be treated as nothing more than a vessel for them to plant their backwards ideas into. The modules themselves although interesting at times were not well taught and it was very hard to gauge what the lecturers wanted in terms of assessments which basically meant you went in blind to every assignment hoping you wrote the magic combination of words to get a good grade. It also doesn't help that the marking scheme was so vague that a lot of the grades I got felt subjective and more determined by a lecturers personal preferences rather than a standardised criteria. Complaints or concerns are treated as personal attacks on the department which makes change impossible. It also means that toxic students are allowed to get away with nasty behaviour as the department will protect their favourites from any sort of discipline.
The universities facilities were decent for a small university but services were not easy to access unless you knew the right people. It also didn't help that to access services like counselling or additional support you would have to enter a glass transparent room in the middle of the main foyer. I found this very uncomfortable as I find it difficult enough asking for help without having to do it in a room that felt like a fish tank.
I was able to access counselling and other student services in the university but unless you booked early enough spaces for things like counselling and additional support were limited which made it impossible to get help in the middle of a semester unless something major happened.
The course comprised entirely of 2 to 3, 2 hour long online classes in an average week which meant that students only got six hours max of class time. The classes themselves consisted of 30 mins to 1 hour of time dedicated to lecturing with the rest of it filled by lecturer led class discussions. On top of this out of class hours with tutors was very difficult to come by and the only students who were able to get additional help were the lecturers personal favourites. Lecturers were very difficult to get hold of as teaching the under grad modules was not their priority.
5
Career services are limited.
No
Thank you for your feedback
I have enjoyed my time at university so far even if nearly all of it has been online, we are give lots of notes to help us understand all the different subjects.
5
Yes
Thank you for your feedback
Been very good so far highly enjoyable . Met good friends. College staff are excellent and very clear and helpful. Course itseld is well laid out and easy to follow. Loving it
Excellent
Very good always helpful
N/A
Yes very good
Football on a monday night Plenty of time to play golf
Very relaxed atmosphere
40
Compulsory placements over summer for opportunities
Thank you for your feedback
It has been great, the modules link and expand with what you have already learned and they work together. Sustainability, as a concept and what we can do for the future is carefully examined. There is a very wide remit and the module choices offer a focus that is wide enough to understand and develop the practical application. I've enjoyed the course and the interaction.
Yep, good.
They are responsive, and help if you ask. there is a counselling service.
They are great. Always friendly and helpful, and they know what they are talking about, or know someone who knows. Active in the college, and connected across the university so have a louder voice than just one campus. There are activities appropriate to the college.
There are things to do, and people to meet, pubs and clubs, to suit most. Music and sport is available regularly with new folks welcomed. There are also Arts Venues, cafes, community events, all the usual things. The Surroundings are very beautiful, with places to surf, hill walk, loads of beaches that are good for barbecues, and you can chill out at Calanais Stones, and find old Celtic places.
not sure.
The course has options, and covers a wide range of communication and feedback techniques. You get to practice Asymmetrical student blackboard, and use lots of online services both individually and in teams. I like the wide variety of resources used for accessing materials, although these sometimes take a while to work out how to get to. On the other hand, this means you get very good at research skills in finding information, and is great for accurate referencing. The course is taught across all the different parts of the university, so other Students and your tutor can be in a different parts of Scotland. This works well for getting diverse inputs. The Lectures by Video Conferencing are an interesting format, and excellent for communicating between the Scottish Cities, and it is great to get practice at this prior to use for workplace activities. This is sustainable practice in operation and shows a way forward for global solutions, in terms of how to do business without travelling.
4
UHI has a really good Careers department, which is clearly highlighted on the Student pages. It connects to all the usual options for how to get work, starting at the beginning with developing commercial awareness and gaining useful experiences while studying, all the way to support for CV/Cover letters, interview techniques etc. They have very nice staff, friendly and helpful.
Thank you for your feedback
Overall, my personal experience was so far (I am in 3rd year now) excellent. The only downside, for which the university is definitely not responsible, is the attitude of some individual students who are not willing to engage which sometimes can make group work a tricky task. But this is just a feature of life, common evyerwhere including workplaces. Due to the positive experience I am considering to continue with a postgrad course once graduated.
Happy with the facilities I am having (online) access to. The library could be a little bit more comprehensive, I sometimes find that there is no institutional subscription to some publications I'd be interested in. It took me a while to find alternative platforms where students can subscribe at no cost to widen the access to publications.
So far I had only very positive experiences. My PAT is always supportive, whether it was dealing with administrative issues or providing other assistance. Tutors are approachable and always willing to provide advice.
Not involved in Union due to time constraints (work and volunteering in charity).
No city life on a remote island. Luckily!
n/a
I personally like the flexibility of studying an online course. It is up to the student to make best use of all what is on offer, learning materials, video conferences and tutorials. Most lecturers are very approachable and advice is always available if needed. I went into my course with the expectation to conduct a lot of self-directed study which provided me with the freedom to give my education a 'personal touch' and focus on the areas I am most interested in. This was definitely the right choice for me, but might be difficult for students who do not take a proactive approach and expect knowledge to be served on a silver plate. The online delivery of the course has very practical benefits too: no costly accommodation at campus is required and I can fit my coursework between work and other activities. For someone based on a remote small island, studying wouldn't be possible at all if it were not for the opportunity to study online.
5
Uni offers many options from career advice to internships and exchange opportunities.
Thank you for your feedback
This has been a fantastic degree to study. The content is interesting and highly relevant, and the support from staff has been excellent. I'm proud to say that I'm a student at the University of the Highlands and Islands.
As an online-only course, my engagement with the UHI facilities is through their IT systems. I'm now in my third year of the degree and the systems are more than fit for purpose, delivering course content and access to library resources painlessly. They're also always evolving with new features, versions and products being introduced when they're available, always as an improvement to what was available before.
The support from the university has been superb. During my studies I've experienced a few personal setbacks, including treatment for cancer. Nobody from the university has ever been anything but fully supportive and they have gone out of their way to accommodate changes that have allowed me to stay on the course.
My main involvement with the Students' Union has been through the Sustainable Development Student Society. The opportunity this gives online students to meet one another face-to-face is great, and the extra insight into the subject through field trips has been invaluable.
The Sustainable Development Student Society has been great throughout my studies. Field trips have taken me throughout Scotland, including Orkney and Skye, as well as to an industry conference in London.
Because this is an online degree course I am able to study from home, with the flexibility to fit it around work and other responsibilities. The option to study part-time makes this even easier. It does take self-discipline, but the clear and engaging content helps to keep you on track. There are also regular tutorials (either via collaborative chat sessions or video conference) and I've found my tutors to be very helpful when I've had questions, either about the content or about the course itself.
2
There are frequently opportunities for students to apply for work placements, and the field trips with the Student Society have been a great opportunity to meet with people who are currently working in the field
Thank you for your feedback
If you would like to study geography you must do it at UHI, which is situated in the geographic and geologic wonderland that is the Highlands. Field trips to the Cairngorms and NW Highlands, as well as further afield to the Swiss Alps all serve to reinforce the classroom learning, while the friendly and professional staff demonstrate all the modern technological methods you can use to present what you have learned.
The university facilities which I used were ideal for modern tertiary education. Clearly a lot of thought had gone in to the building's design and the classrooms, lecture theatre, library and catering facilities were all great.
As a mature student, I feel I received all the support I required returning to academia, and was inpressed by the personal support extended to everyone. The university has a number of support groups out-with the support offered by the academic staff and they take their responsibilties to students very seriously.
UHI had just moved into a new complex just outside the city and there was no student union building. However the student union, as a body, were very active and resourceful and created a wonderful environment for students. They have many groups, teams and societies and are very keen to develop links with city enterprises to the student's benefit.
Inverness has everything a small city requires and is a great place to study. It's situation is ideal in that within a couple of hours you can be exploring the spleandour of the Highlands, travel to the central belt by road or rail, or London or Manchester by air.
Although I was involved with the student union as a rep, I was bot a member of any clubs or societies. However, I am aware that there is a tremendous amount and variety available for all.
As a member of the student representative I was involved in course development meetings with the programme leaders and lecturers. Throughout these meetings there was a strong ethos on the student experience and the leaders successfully worked to ensure that course delivery was varied, made use of all current technologies and prepared students for work in many different sectors. Coursework was delivered using a range of methods including online lectures, discussions, tutorials, and practical sessions with lecturers either in attendance or available through digital technology or video conferencing.
12
The course was designed with a large focus on group work. Every module has some aspect of marked groupwork encouraging collaboration, teamwork and effective communication. The course designers also ensured there was variety in their assessment types. To ensure personal development we were marked on essay and report writing, field skills, personal and online presentations and GIS projects. Graduating from this course, I felt that the development of my theoretical geographic knowledge was surpassed by the employability skills that were enhance throughout the course. Part of the course had modules devoted to developing enployability skills for geographers including field skills, employability and work pacement modules which prepared us for the transition to professional life.
Thank you for your feedback
I graduated nearly 6 years ago and although it wasn't a typical student experience and could be lonely at times I am so glad I did it. I love my job! I do and will continue to recommend UHI to anyone thinking of a career in Dental Therapy.
The facilities in the dental centre are undoubtedly the best in Scotland. Having visited other campuses or postgraduate course days since qualifying I feel grateful that we always had the best equipment and that it was all new. The 3D imaging suite in Stornoway was one of only 3 in Scotland at the time, the only one to be used for Dental Therapy students. We also had no issue getting patients in the door which I am aware is a massive issue at other universities.
Very good. We had 1 tutor to every 2 students, no where else in the UK or probably the world can say that. We didn't need any proper counselling but there was a UHI tutor from outwith our course who was out designated counselor. The course is tough but we were always encouraged that hard work would pay off.
It was such a small college in Stornoway that we didn't go to much and didn't feel like we'd have much in common with other students being older and not from the island.
I am so glad I did my degree in Stornoway as it gave me so much more experience than anywhere else but let's not pretend, it's not a typical student place. Plenty of pubs but no regular student nights to blow your student loan. Probably a plus as flights off the island are very expensive. The gym and pool in town were very good though and it was great visiting big deserted sandy beaches on nice days.
We were made aware that there was money available from the uni to set up clubs or societies but we were too busy to give it much thought.
To be honest, I have a short attention span so sometimes would zone out during lectures delivered over video conference but I can zone out even with someone in the room talking to me. It's a full on course with full time hours but it needs to be so there's no getting around that.
24
The placement in South Uist was a very valuable experience for me as it showed me how a normal dental practice works. We were also encouraged to apply for Vocational Training and given help with our CVs. I was fortunate to gain a VT place after qualifying which made the process of going into the real working world much easier.
Thank you for your feedback
Absolutely hate it!!! Cannot day enough negative things regarding my experience, the people who run UHI should seriously take a look at themselves because I get the impression they are not concerned with the responsibilities of the role they have committed to and do as little as possible to make things more convenient for themselves.
Exceedingly poor! The building is in disrepair and it’s still more visually appealing than the staff.
They claim one thing and act in complete contradiction. Numerous times waiting for months, despite chasing up feedback. Countless times member of staff would say “we’ll just cut corners” and as previously said lack the ability to accept responsibility for their actions, their values and standards are completely false and misguided. Honestly attending UHI ruined my life and cannot emphasise strongly enough how much I would not advise people to enroll with them. I actually have correspondence from the deputy head admitting their would be more benefit to enrolling with open university.
Never given any information about it.
Depends what you make of it?! UHI done absolutely nothing to get involved with the community, that would mean effort on their part.
There weren’t any.
It’s ran and organised by people who cannot stand by their own word. They are compulsive liars who do the bare minimum required to earn their pay check and are quick to have their excuses in place. Horrendous experience and stuck up expletives whom place absolutely no value on themselves as individuals so not too sure what they’re expecting their students to learn other than their bad habits.
12
None whatsoever! They made the student experience so woeful that they have deterred me from my original goal. There is not an honest voice amongst them. They expect students to inform their “course directors” regarding what is required for their course despite the course director advising completely differently. Despite being open and honest with them, they used my personal situation to excuse their lack of knowledge and competence! Thanks to putting my faith in the disgusting “human beings” that run this establishment I have lost every of any materialistic value!! Do not attend here!!! And yes I have physical proof of not only their negligence but their audacity to put the blame on me.
1 people found this helpful
Thank you for your feedback