The University of Hertfordshire is a public research university in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. The university is based largely in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. Its antecedent institution, Hatfield Technical College, was founded in 1948 and was identified as one of 25 Colleges of Technology in the United Kingdom in 1959. In 1992, Hatfield Polytechnic merged with two other colleges to form the non-profit Hertfordshire International Higher Education Corporation. The corporation was renamed the University of Hertfordshire in 2006.
The university has a student body of over 25,000 students from more than 100 countries enrolled at its campuses in Hatfield and de Havilland (near St Albans). The majority of students come from the UK followed by students from China and India. It also has a number of international partnerships which allow for exchange programmes with universities around the world including Australia, Canada, USA and Europe. The university offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees across a wide range of disciplines including: business; computer science; creative arts; engineering and technology; life sciences; medical sciences; nursing and midwifery; social sciences; sport health and exercise science.
The University Of Hertfordshire has an excellent reputation for employability with 96% of graduates being employed or undertaking further study within six months of graduating (DLHE 2016/17). It is ranked 8th out 20 in the Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019 for graduate prospects.. Notable alumni include Duncan Bannatyne ( Dragons’ Den ), Simon Cowell ( American Idol , Britain’s Got Talent ) , Cat Deeley ( So You Think You Can Dance? ) , Mark Foster ( Olympic swimmer ) , Sue Perkins ( comedian & presenter ) , Denise Lewis OBE ( Olympic heptathlete gold medallist 2000 Sydney Olympics) .