St Mary's University, Twickenham

About St Mary's University, Twickenham

St Mary's traces its origins to 1850, when it was established to prepare teachers for Catholic schools serving disadvantaged communities. That educational mission remains visible in its teacher-training provision, although the modern university teaches across a much broader range of professional and academic subjects. It achieved full university status in 2014 and now awards its own taught and research degrees. The university is regulated by the Office for Students and describes itself legally as an exempt charity in England and Wales. Its published regulatory material includes a 2025/26–2028/29 access and participation plan, 2024/25 annual reporting, and 2026 transparency information, providing evidence that it remains operational as of August 2026. St Mary's has a distinctive Catholic heritage and institutional mission, but its student support and chaplaincy provision is intended for people of all faiths and none. Its principal address is on Waldegrave Road in Strawberry Hill, Twickenham. This setting may appeal to students seeking a campus community within Greater London rather than a central-city university environment. Applicants should nonetheless assess the precise delivery location shown for their chosen course, particularly for specialist, online, or research provision.

Admission is course-specific. Most UK and Irish applicants for full-time undergraduate study apply through UCAS, while St Mary's requires direct applications for part-time study and certain named programmes. International undergraduate applicants may apply directly when St Mary's is their only UK choice or use UCAS when applying to multiple UK universities. The university asks international applicants for academic transcripts and certificates, a passport, relevant English-language evidence, and visa-history information. Taught master's applications use the university's online form. Assessment can consider academic preparation, commitment to the course, and relevant professional interests or experience; a programme director may request an interview. At least one reference and a supporting statement are required on the home master's application route. Research applicants submit an online application including their proposed project. Applicants must consult the current course page for exact qualifications, UCAS points, subject prerequisites, English-language standards, and professional conditions. Teacher-training and other work involving children or vulnerable adults can require an enhanced DBS check. For September 2026, international applicants needing a CAS had course-specific application, deposit, CAS, and arrival dates. These dates were subject to change, and applicants should treat their CAS statement as authoritative. Visa-requiring international students were also subject to deposits, with published amounts differing between undergraduate and master's routes.

St Mary's offers foundation and bachelor's routes, taught postgraduate degrees, teacher training, and research programmes. Its official subject portfolio covers business, management and communications; computer science; creative arts; education and teaching; health sciences; humanities and theology; law and criminology; psychology; sport sciences; and sports coaching and physical education. The live course finder distinguishes undergraduate, foundation-year, placement-year, taught postgraduate, and research options, so applicants can filter by level, start date, delivery type, and location. Academic formats differ substantially by subject. Some undergraduate courses offer foundation or placement-year pathways, while professional programmes can include placements, practical assessment, interviews, health requirements, or Disclosure and Barring Service checks. Applicants should use the individual 2026 course page as the controlling source for modules, accreditation, entry standards, duration, and extra costs because provision can change and advertised modules are not always guaranteed to run. At research level, the university offers PhD and MPhil-to-PhD routes alongside professional doctorates in areas including business administration, education, ministry, and strength and conditioning. Research fields listed by St Mary's span sport and applied sciences, allied health, business and law, politics and social policy, social sciences, education, theology, arts, and humanities. Doctoral applicants submit a proposal, and PhD or MPhil entry is available through October and February intakes.

Key Highlights

• Founded in 1850 and awarded full university status in 2014
• Office for Students-regulated institution and exempt charity
• Own taught and research degree-awarding powers
• Main campus in Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, south-west London

Student Life & Environment

Student life is centred on the Strawberry Hill campus, where teaching spaces, the library, sports facilities, food outlets, accommodation, and student services are within a compact setting. The Students' Union represents students, provides independent advice, coordinates societies and major events, and works with Sport St Mary's on participation opportunities. Students can also propose a new society if their interest is not already represented. Sport is a prominent part of the campus environment, but participation is not limited to competitive athletes. Officially listed facilities include an athletics track, fitness and conditioning space, sports halls, pitches, and specialist performance areas. Wellbeing support and a chaplaincy serving students of all faiths and none complement academic guidance. University-managed housing is available in several formats. Under the 2026/27 allocation policy, eligible new first-year full-time undergraduate and foundation students who made St Mary's their firm choice and applied by the published 5 June 2026 deadline were guaranteed an offer of accommodation. That deadline has passed, so later applicants should ask about waiting-list availability. Longer licence periods are limited for postgraduate and international students, making early confirmation important.

Location & Surroundings

The main campus is in Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, within the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It occupies a greener, more residential part of south-west London beside the Gothic Strawberry Hill House and close to the River Thames. The setting differs from a dense central-London campus: students have campus facilities and local neighbourhoods nearby while retaining access to the wider capital. Twickenham is closely associated with rugby, while nearby Richmond, Teddington, and Kingston provide additional shopping, food, riverside, and leisure options. Local bus services connect the campus area with these surrounding centres. Travel time and cost into central London will depend on destination, service, and accommodation location, so commuters should check current Transport for London and rail information before choosing housing. The university's registered office and principal Twickenham address is Waldegrave Road, Strawberry Hill, Twickenham TW1 4SX. Applicants should verify the location attached to their individual programme because some provision may use another site or online delivery.

Costs & Career Outcomes

St Mary's publishes separate 2026/27 fee schedules for home and international students, divided by undergraduate, foundation, PGCE, taught postgraduate, and postgraduate research study. Because charges vary by programme and status, applicants should use the exact course and fee table rather than assume one institution-wide amount. The university states that fees may increase in later years, subject to its published limits and, for regulated home undergraduate fees, government controls. For 2026/27, the university's budgeting guidance estimated hall accommodation at £196.14–£303.45 per week. It separately suggested weekly budgets for food and toiletries, entertainment, travel, insurance, course costs, laundry, and telephone use. Breakfast and evening meals are included in hall fees, but actual spending depends on room choice and lifestyle. The same guidance estimated shared private rent around Twickenham at roughly £600–£900 per person per month, potentially excluding utilities. These are planning estimates rather than guaranteed prices. Careers support includes individual appointments, CV and application guidance, interview preparation, employer events, and access to CareerConnect for part-time roles, internships, volunteering, and graduate opportunities. Students can also build experience through campus employment, ambassador work, programme representation, clubs, sport, and volunteering. No verified institution-wide salary or employment-rate claim is used here.