Overview

About this University

The University of Plymouth is a top ten UK Young university, according to the Times Higher Education Young University Rankings 2021. The institution has secured the fourth place in the international category in the 2018 Whatuni Student Choice Awards.

Every year, nearly 4,500 students benefit from Plymouth’s work-based learning and placement opportunities. Plymouth’s growing global presence places it amongst the top universities for Transnational Education. It has won the prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher Education three times.

The university’s high-quality interdisciplinary research caters to national, international and regional needs. It has received the European Commission HR Excellence in Research Award, for its commitment to the career development of its researchers. The university first received the award in 2011 and has retained it for a third time in 2017.

The teaching and learning support team at Plymouth supports every teaching member of staff to gain a recognised higher education teaching qualification. All degree programmes have incorporated internships, work-based learning or work experience. With this unique combination of teaching excellence and real-life job skills, Plymouth graduates gain more than just a degree.

University Ranking

QS World University Rankings

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Times Higher Education World University Rankings

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Graduate outcomes

The University of Plymouth’s dedicated Careers & Employability Service is open to all students at any stage of their studies, as well as to graduates for three years after leaving the institution. The Careers Hub is based on campus and offers support and guidance to help students achieve their aspirations. Services include career planning advice, postgraduate study options, job searching, placement and work-based learning opportunities, job application support, interview practice and assessment.

The university is a key partner in the South West Peninsula City Deal, which has the potential to create over 10,000 jobs.

Plymouth Compass helps students navigate their way through their whole university experience, in both their taught curriculum and extra-curricular activities. What students learn at university prepares them for more than a career, so the Compass helps students develop key skills in academic, civic, professional, and personal areas.

The university encourages all students to complete the Plymouth Award which recognises student achievement outside the curriculum such as volunteering. This subsequently feeds into their Higher Education Achievement Report. 87 per cent of Plymouth’s postgraduate students are found to be employed within six months of completing their studies.

What’s new

The University of Plymouth is a modern, dynamic university with an educational history dating back to 1862. The institution is renowned for high-quality, internationally leading education, research and innovation. With a mission to advance knowledge and transform lives, Plymouth is a top ten UK young university (Times Higher Education Young University Rankings 2021). The university has clusters of world-class research across a wide range of disciplines, including marine science and engineering, medicine, cybersecurity and psychology.

Award-winning

A three-time winner of the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education, most recently in 2019. In respect of its pioneering research on microplastics pollution in the oceans, its impact on the environment and changing behaviour, the university continues to grow in stature and reputation.

This confirms that the university delivers high-quality teaching, learning and outcomes for its students and consistently exceeds rigorous national quality requirements for UK higher education.

The student body represents over 100 nations and there are over 139,000 alumni in 135 countries worldwide. The university also has numerous and varied academic partnerships and research links globally, meaning a University of Plymouth degree is a truly international one.

Finances

How much will it cost?Average tuition fees per year

13,37,209Undergraduate

14,34,109Postgraduate

Living costs

9,24,419Living costs

4,86,047To live on campus

Scholarships & funding

Plymouth has several scholarships on offer for international students. The following is important to note:

• Students must check the eligibility requirements for each scholarship.
• Most awards are for first year only. Further discounts may be received if the student maintains a high level of academic achievement.
• Students who are eligible for multiple scholarships, awards or discounts by the University of Plymouth will only qualify for the highest amount awarded. Where a student may qualify for the alumni discount and a scholarship then the highest award only will be applied.

Undergraduate International Student Scholarship

Eligible students can receive a first-year tuition fee discount of GBP 2,000. They must achieve a grade above their academic offer and meet the English language requirements.

UKESC Caribbean Undergraduate Academic Excellence Scholarship

Students must show academic excellence, meet the English language requirements, hold an offer from the university, accept the university as a firm choice and complete a scholarship application form via UKESC by 31 May 2022.

International Academic Excellence Scholarship

Eligible undergraduate and postgraduate students can receive a first-year tuition fee discount of 50 per cent.

International Undergraduate & Postgraduate Gold Scholarships – School of Psychology

Eligible undergraduate and postgraduate students studying certain programmes from the School of Psychology can receive a first-year tuition fee discount of GBP 4,000.

Postgraduate Taught International Student Scholarship

Eligible students can receive a tuition fee discount of GBP 2,000. They must achieve the equivalent of a good UK 2:1 degree classification and meet the English language requirements. No application is needed.

Alumnus loyalty reward for postgraduate students

Eligible alumni studying certain postgraduate courses can receive a first-year tuition fee discount of 20 per cent for home/EU tuition students, or GBP 2,000 for international students.

Discover scholarships

University of Plymouth provides scholarship for students enrolling for the courses offered by them
View all scholarships available

Eligibility

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for international students hoping to study at the University of Plymouth can be determined based on a student’s home country. The university has a detailed route to check entry requirements, split into Europe, The Americas, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia. Within each of these continents is individual guidance on what is expected of a student from specific countries.

International candidates (students with a non-EU nationality) applying for a degree course with Plymouth must also have an appropriate English language qualification. Acceptable qualifications include:

• AS or A-level in English Language awarded by Edexcel
• GCSE English language
• Canada High/Secondary School Diploma/Certificate
• Hong Kong Diploma in Secondary Education and Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination
• Malaysia SPM
• Zimbabwe GCE O Level and more

If applicants do not meet the English language requirements, they may be eligible to attend pre-sessional courses, organized by the university’s English Language Centre. EU students will be informed of any English language requirements for their course as part of the admission process.

Department and Faculty

Teaching quality

Teaching Methods

Plymouth offers the fourth best contact hours of all UK universities, with 34 per cent of time spent in lectures or seminars on the average course. Over 4,500 students benefit from placements and work-based learning each year, as well as research-led teaching. The university also offers 'Plymouth Plus' modules in the first year which allow students to work across subjects, broadening their skills-base and enabling them to work collaboratively with students from other subjects.

Research-Informed Teaching

The University of Plymouth is committed to enhancing the link between research in its disciplines, professions and teaching. All academic staff undertake a teaching qualification ensuring that superb teaching quality is maintained.

Rankings and Ratings

• In the 2020 Complete University Guide League Table Rankings, Plymouth placed 77th among universities in the UK.
• The university is 25th in the country for the quality of its teaching in the National Student Survey 2020.
• Ranked as the number one university globally for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal number 14: life below water (Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2021).
• 9th in the world for efforts in support of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal number 17: partnerships for the goals (Times Higher Impact Rankings 2021).

Department structure

Faculty of Arts and Humanities

Bringing together a community comprised of the School of Art, Design and Architecture; the School of Humanities and Performing Arts; and the Plymouth Institute of Education, the faculty is committed to teaching excellence whether in the studio, a seminar room, or in extra-curricular activities.

Faculty of Business

The faculty is comprised of the Plymouth Business School, the Plymouth Graduate School of Management; the School of Law, Criminology and Government; and the School of Tourism and Hospitality. The teaching is research-led and designed to equip students with discipline-specific and transferable skills.

Faculty of Health and Human Sciences

The faculty consists of three schools, namely Health Professions; Nursing and Midwifery; and Psychology. The schools combine world-leading research and practical expertise across a wide range of scientific and practical disciplines. Graduates progress to a huge variety of professions, and Plymouth is one of the UK’s largest providers of graduates for the health and social care sector, which has over 350 different career paths.

Faculty of Science and Engineering

Various study options are offered across the faculty’s School of Biological and Marine Sciences; School of Computing, Electronics and Mathematics; School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences; and the School of Engineering. With excellent laboratories, exciting field trips and internships, students will develop their practical skills alongside their academic knowledge.

Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry

The School of Biomedical and Healthcare Sciences; School of Dentistry; and School of Medicine offer students exceptional clinical learning opportunities, strong social engagement, and world-class research.