Our partnership with Watford FC

The University of Hertfordshire is proud to be the official higher education partner of Watford FC until 2028. The renewed partnership will mean Herts students will continue to gain exclusive access to a range of work and educational opportunities at the Championship club including live projects, industry engagement and behind-the-scenes experiences.

Students have access to exclusive opportunities that bring the partnership to life, with students gaining valuable insight into the inner workings of a professional football club and contributing to real-world projects. From behind-the-scenes industry days at Vicarage Road to collaborative briefs with Watford FC teams, students are developing practical skills, exploring a wide range of career pathways and applying their learning in a professional environment.

Professor Anthony Woodman, University of Hertfordshire’s Vice-Chancellor, said:

“The University of Hertfordshire specialises in providing career-focused education that places high-quality skills and experience at its core, and we are proud to be working alongside such prestigious partners as Watford FC to deliver this.”

Our logo is proudly displayed on the sleeve of all men’s and women’s kit and across Vicarage Road stadium, reinforcing the extensive contributions we make to the world of professional sport.

Discover the positive impact of our unique partnership

Benefits of the partnership

This collaboration is a testament to Herts unwavering commitment to providing exceptional opportunities to our students and making a positive impact on our community. This partnership will benefit our Herts community in many ways:

• the partnership will give students and alumni of the University the opportunity for work experience, placements and employment, as well as industry days and club staff being available for lectures at the University;
• Watford FC is set to work on a number of new degree apprenticeship programmes with the University, adding to our expanding range of vocational courses across a wide variety of different subjects, and strengthening our commitment to providing pathways to higher education outside of traditional degrees;
• industry days at Vicarage Road with insight into what it takes to run a professional football club, including digital strategy, business operations and performance analysis, with input from industry professionals;
• shared state-of-the-art sports facilities;
• shared medical and sports science research projects;
• guest speakers in our lectures;
• season ticket giveaways;
• discounted tickets for selected league and cup games;
• access to the pitch for an exclusive play on the pitch session at the end of the season;
• students save 10% on Watford merchandise in store using their student ID;
• opportunities to work on live industry briefs; for example, students have collaborated with Watford FC’s retail team to develop design concepts for official merchandise, with selected work progressing to production.

Paul O’Brien, Watford’s Commercial Director, said:

“The collaboration represents a significant step forward in our commitment to innovation, education and community involvement. Together, we can achieve great things both on and off the field.”