New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering

• Location: Hereford, England,
• Year founded: 2020,
• Language of instruction: English,
• Type of study: blended.

The New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE) is a university in the UK that offers an innovative model for educating engineers and accepts students from the age of 18. NMITE plans to completely revamp its approach to engineering to address the shortage of specialists nationwide by 2032 by awarding degrees to more than 5,000 professionals.

The Office for Students has granted NMITE degree-granting authority starting September 1, 2023.

The concept for NMITE's educational model emerged in 2009. Its first students began their studies in September 2021. For its first two years, NMITE worked with the Open University as its validating partner.

The curriculum includes events with invited expert employers and representatives of related fields: they, together with students, are engaged in group projects, answer their questions, ask their own, and share work and life experiences.

Each student has classes on their schedule that are used to familiarize themselves with technical tools, improve communication skills, and improve teamwork skills. NMITE teachers and students call them toolboxes – they are included in the curriculum so that theoretical knowledge can be immediately honed in practice.

There are no classical exams at the institute: at the end of the semester, students create and present individual project works as final papers, where they solve problems from real situations of industry specialists.  

The main result of the entire course is a large-scale project from each of the students. The topics of the works are aimed at solving issues of health, education, safety and infrastructure.

Sustainability and ethics are part of every module. Balfour Beatty experts helped shape the curriculum and supported individual teaching modules. At the Skylon campus, parts of the structure and building systems are left exposed so students can study how the building itself works.

The STEPS program supports students before they arrive at NMITE and throughout their studies. Once enrolled, students can access budgeting tools in MyNMITE. Student Support Services helps them manage their personal finances.

NMITE Faculties:

• sustainable built environment,
• Integrated Engineering.

NMITE students' master's projects have included a lightweight robotic system for medical logistics in disaster relief and more affordable adaptive equipment for archers with upper body impairments.

Monitoring data from the Skylon building is shared with industry to advance timber engineering.

• The Blackfriars campus occupies a converted former boys' school that opened in 1912,
• The modular building at Blackfriars previously housed the Olympics Delivery Authority's offices at the Olympic Park for the 2012 Olympics,
• The Design Cohort helped develop and test the campus layout, course content, NMITE's engagement program, and partnerships with businesses.

NMITE has a fully equipped residence in the heart of the city, a few steps from the academic buildings. The rooms are fully furnished and have bathrooms. Students are provided with weekly cleaning from the cleaning staff and unlimited use of the laundry. The accommodation is self-catered.

The residence includes 71 bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, each with its own kitchen. For the convenience of students, there are also large shared kitchens located in each apartment, spacious dining rooms and living rooms. Students have access to Wi-Fi, hot water, electricity and heating; All utility bills and property insurance are included in the rental price. Each bedroom has its own sink, fridge, and integrated microwave.

With NMITE Boost, students can get free breakfasts every day, free monthly lunches on Sundays, free groceries (discount durations vary).

The residence is called Eign Gate and is a five-minute walk from Blackfriars. Accommodation is available to all first-year students, including those starting a Foundation Year. Each apartment has 11 to 13 rooms, including one fully equipped accessible bedroom. Standard bedrooms measure 15–17 m².

Tier 1 rooms have a small double bed. Tier 2 rooms are larger, with the same type of bed and a compromised window. Tier 3 rooms are smaller and have a single bed. Shared kitchens have stoves, refrigerators, and freezers. Students bring their own cutlery, dishes, and cooking utensils.

The residence has secure internal storage for 60 bikes. An NMITE partner manages the tenancy arrangements. Rooms are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. NMITE Student Support helps students find resources for private rental accommodation.

All NMITE students automatically become members of NMITE SU. The community organizes a range of events, from Halloween parties and Christmas markets to social gatherings and sports clubs.

The Outdoor Adventure Society is an outdoor recreation club. Women in STEM is a community for those in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, while the Live Music Fellowship brings together students interested in music. The union also organizes quizzes and end-of-term parties.

Students elect the NMITE SU Executive Committee each year. The union offers gym discounts, including at Snapp Fitness near Eign Gate. Members are eligible for an NUS Totum student discount card.

• NMITE provides students with work experience through internships, helping them find the best places,
• The institute has less stringent admission requirements than most other institutions of higher education,
• Instead of traditional exams, students are assessed based on continuous coursework and portfolios,
• Short study periods: The three-year engineering program is shorter than most other universities,
• A comfortable, inclusive culture that supports student choice, opportunity, and achievement,
• More than 80 industry partners: NMITE collaborates with local, national and global brands in various sectors, including JCB, Balfour Beatty, Schaeffler, Wye Valley NHS Trust and Octopus Energy,
• BEng (Hons) Integrated Engineering is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) on behalf of the UK's Engineering Council. The program partly meets the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer,
• MEng (Hons) Integrated Engineering (Accelerated) is accredited by IET on behalf of the Engineering Council and fully meets the academic requirement for Chartered Engineer professional registration,
• NMITE participates in the ANUK / Unipol National Code of Standards for its student accommodation.

NMITE has two dedicated enclosures equipped with interactive studios, ergonomically designed to support teamwork and improve communication.

• Skylon Building: Cutting-edge technology for on-campus wood production based on biophilic principles,
• Blackfriars Building: A playground for aspiring engineers, including seven standard engineering studios and a fully equipped factory workshop.

There are no traditional lecture theaters on the campuses. The Factory workshop is used for metalworking and woodworking. The 2,500 m² Skylon building houses five studios and additional breakout spaces. Sensors monitor its thermal, acoustic, and structural performance through digital feedback loops.

NMITE does not provide for long vacations and sessions: bachelor's studies take place for two years instead of three, and master's studies take three years instead of four. All sessions are held on a five-day basis from 9:00 to 17:00.

The formats are divided into sprints of three and a half weeks each. One sprint is a task that the student must successfully solve using the knowledge gained in different educational formats.

Approximate semester dates:

• Fall semester: September 2 to December 20,
• Spring semester: January 6 to April 11,
• Summer semester: April 28 to May 23.

Additional expenses for students: accommodation, meals, transportation, medical insurance, study materials, travel.

Students buy their own safety boots or shoes for practical classes, a scientific calculator, and stationery. NMITE recommends budgeting for clothing, toiletries, recreation, mobile phone costs, and travel.

There is no application fee. Self-funding and sponsored students receive an annual invoice after completing registration and enrollment. Payment can be made by bank transfer, either in full or in three equal installments in September, January, and April.

A deposit and the first four weeks' rent must be paid before an Eign Gate tenancy begins.

The NMITE selection process consists of three parts:

1. filling out a questionnaire with a story about yourself and your experience, academic successes,
2. writing a motivation letter, an essay or recording a video with an answer to three questions (to be determined by the commission),
3. participation in a face-to-face round, in which applicants must show their communication and collaboration skills.

The academic team may invite an applicant to a one-to-one interview.

In an article about its second graduating class, NMITE reported a 38% increase in applications compared with the previous year. The number of applicants who made NMITE their firm choice after receiving an offer rose by 54%.

NMITE graduates can get a job in large international companies: Google, Apple, Microsoft, Intel, can work in research institutes and laboratories, they have the opportunity to open their own business in the field of technology and engineering, or continue their education in graduate or doctoral studies.

Employers of NMITE graduates include Airbus, Hitachi Energy, Alto Dynamics, BAE Systems, Balfour Beatty, Mondelez, and Kier. Graduates have secured engineering roles at Taylor Lane, a timber frame construction company in Hereford, and at Ramboll UK, where an alumna works in transport engineering.

By the time of the first graduation, all NMITE graduates who were seeking work had already found employment.

When selecting students for NMITE , the emphasis is on high performance and the ability to think outside the box. However, there are a number of benchmark criteria, which include:

• 112-128 UCAS points or equivalent,
• Maths and English at GCSE must be from Level 5 or above,
• students whose first language is not English are required to have IELTS with a minimum score of 6.5 in each component or an alternative qualification,
• A-levels in math and physics are not required, as the necessary topics are covered in the NMITE curriculum,
• Applicants without formal qualifications may be considered through Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL). At least three years of relevant experience, a portfolio, and supporting evidence are required,
• Direct entry to Level 5 is available with 120 credits from the first year of a similar degree, or an HNC, HND, or CertHE in a closely related subject. Completed module content must align with the NMITE program,
• Applicants transitioning to NMITE must provide an academic transcript and a program specification or module list.

At NMITE, bursaries and scholarships ease the financial burden of higher education for UK-based and international students.

The Motorola Solutions Foundation Scholarship supports women pursuing a degree in Integrated Engineering at NMITE: the aid is open to all women from the UK and internationally. The cash award is paid in four installments.

Four Motorola Solutions Foundation Scholarship awards are available. Eligible applicants are new female students joining an undergraduate degree program who have accepted an offer. Foundation Year students are excluded. The first installment is paid two weeks after the program starts, subject to full attendance at welcome activities. Later payments depend on successful completion of each level of study. Recipients must provide annual updates on their studies and experience for reports to the foundation.

The Rolls-Royce SMR Limited Bursary supports women from the UK and other countries studying engineering or construction management. It provides financial support, with installments at the start of each successive level of study. Five awards are available. Eligible applicants include new female students in Integrated Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Construction Management who have accepted an offer, as well as women already studying on these programs. Foundation Year students are excluded. Applicants must submit a statement of no more than 500 words explaining how the support would help them address an engineering issue that matters to them. The first payment to new students depends on full attendance at welcome activities, and subsequent payments require successful completion of the level. Recipients must provide annual updates on their studies and experience for reports to the company.

The Neuro-diversity Diagnosis Fund supports degree students, including those taking a Foundation Year, who believe a cognitive condition is affecting their learning, have no formal diagnosis, and cannot afford an assessment. An initial screening or self-assessment indicating such a condition is required. The fund pays for a diagnostic assessment directly to the selected independent assessor. This support can be received alongside other scholarships or bursaries.

In the 2025/26 academic year, 47% of NMITE students received a bursary. Financial support was committed to students who enrolled in 2025.

Students may apply for several scholarships or bursaries but can receive only one at a time unless the terms of a particular award allow an exception. Those offered multiple awards can choose which one to accept. Payments are available only to registered NMITE students. Awards cannot be deferred.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision