Overview

About this University

Located on England’s south coast, Portsmouth is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city with some of the UK’s best weather. Most university buildings are in the heart of this compact city. Everything students need is close by, including: four miles of beautiful beach; excellent nightlife and entertainment; and accommodation. Portsmouth welcomes 5,200 international and EU students from around 150 countries and has around 31,000 students total.

The Students’ Union offers 150 sports clubs and societies for all interests, so there’s always a lot of fun to be had on campus. Portsmouth is one of the UK’s most affordable cities for students (NatWest Student Living Index 2020). London is just 90 minutes away, and ferries cross regularly to Europe.

The university has a five-star rating for teaching, employability, internationalisation, facilities, arts and culture, and inclusiveness (QS Top University Guide 2021).

With courses designed to meet the challenges of the competitive global jobs market, students will be well prepared for a successful career. 94 per cent of Portsmouth students are working or in further study after finishing their course (HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey 2017/18).

Students can choose from hundreds of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees spanning business; creativity and culture; humanities; science; and technology. Portsmouth focuses on making students more employable, with paid work placements, or opportunities to practice their skills in simulated environments like the mock courtroom. Recent research breakthroughs at the university include developing a plastic-eating enzyme to tackle pollution.

Students can enrich their experience by learning a language for free, volunteering, or exchanging with another global university. The Careers and Employability Service can connect students to opportunities including part-time work while they study and their first job after graduation.

University Ranking

QS World University Rankings

202370150

202265150

2021601

Times Higher Education World University Rankings

2022501

2021501100

2020401

Graduate outcomes

At the University of Portsmouth, focus is on career-enhancing activities, excellent teaching and exceptional support that help students find a job when they graduate. 94 per cent of the university’s students are in work or further study after finishing their course (HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey conducted in 2019).

Students at the University of Portsmouth, get access to the Careers and Employability Service from the moment you register until five years after graduation. The service can help students find part-time jobs, volunteering opportunities, work experience and graduate roles.

Most courses also include work-related learning, visits from employers to help students gain practical skills and placement years. A placement year degree, also known as a sandwich degree, is a great way to apply skills learnt on courses and increase employment opportunities for when students graduate. Each faculty has its own dedicated placement office who will advertise relevant vacancies and support you through applications.

Many courses offer students the opportunity to use real-life facilities to gain a better understanding of the workplace including:

• Industry specification television studios and motion capture suite
• Access to financial market data in the Bloomberg Suite
• Modern healthcare environments and clinical equipment for health and care students
• Specialised laboratory and testing facilities

What's new

The University is building an outstanding new £57 million public sports centre opening in 2021 for you to play, train and compete. The superb facilities set in historic parkland include a 25m 8 lane swimming pool, 175 station fitness suite, climbing wall, ski simulator, café and community orchard. A range of classes and courses, personal training and very affordable membership with great benefits will be available.

Ravelin Sports Centre will be one of the UK’s greenest sports centres aiming to be net zero carbon ready through creating renewable energy, maximising natural drainage and developing biodiversity.

Finances

How much will it cost?Average tuition fees per year

16,03,682Undergraduate

16,03,682Postgraduate

Living costs

9,14,729Living costs

5,62,016To live on campus

Scholarships & funding

International students are expected to be fully self-supporting whilst studying at Portsmouth. Before being granted a visa to come and study in the UK, the student must submit proof of adequate financial provision. The university does however, offer a small number of scholarships exclusively for International students:

• The Vice Chancellor's Global Development Scholarship takes the form of a GBP 1,600 fee reduction that will apply to the first year of study. Eligible students from selected countries will be automatically awarded this scholarship.
• The Chancellor’s Global Academic Merit Scholarship takes the form of a GBP 5,000 fee reduction that will apply to the first year of study. There are limited numbers available to eligible students from selected countries. This scholarship is merit based.

Eligibility varies depending on course of study and nationality. Students can find out more about the scholarships offered on the university website. Some external scholarships are available to help with the financial costs of going to university. These include the following:

• Santander Scholarships: The scholarships, which take the form of a fee waiver are awarded on academic merit. Eligible candidates, in receipt of an unconditional offer, are invited to apply for the scholarship.
• Chevening Scholarships: The highly sought-after scholarships are awarded to outstanding scholars with leadership potential. Awards are typically for a one-year master’s degree in any subject.
• Commonwealth Scholarships: Commonwealth Scholarship Commission supports scholarships and fellowships for postgraduate study and professional development.
• GREAT Scholarships: GREAT Scholarships are available to students from India and China and are offered in partnership with the British Council.

Discover scholarships

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

Eligibility

Entry requirements

The University of Portsmouth has course specific entry requirements, however students need to meet basic conditions for both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Specific entry requirements are detailed on each course page. As a guide, for degree level study, applicants need to have the equivalent of:

• 2 or 3 good 'A' Levels (GCE Advanced Level)
• Or a recognised Access/Foundation course
• Or an International Baccalaureate (minimum score 24)
• Or an EDEXCEL (BTEC) National Certificate or Diploma (Merit profile)
• Or High School Leaving Certificate, if it is deemed equivalent to 'A' Level Standard
• Some courses have higher entry requirements, especially where they are recognised by professional bodies.

As a guide, for master’s degree level applications, applicants will need to have:

• A good degree pass in a relevant discipline or equivalent, or
• Relevant work experience in the appropriate field

Every application is considered individually and many factors such as maturity, motivation and work experience are considered in support of the application. Applications are welcome from students with advanced standing for direct entry to Portsmouth programmes. Students should forward copies of their transcripts (in English) with their application forms, so that an assessment can be made with regard to recognition of previous study.

Students must demonstrate the necessary proficiency in English. As a general guide, the following English language requirements must be fulfilled:

• IELTS 5.5 for foundation
• IELTS 6.0 for undergraduate
• IELTS 6.0 to 7.0 for postgraduate entry

Specific scores might be required depending on the course. Students who do not meet the required English language requirements may be able to gain access to the university via an International College Portsmouth (ICP) pathway programme, or by completing our pre-sessional English programme. Students can find out more about country specific requirements on the university website.

Department and Faculty

Teaching quality

Portsmouth’s expert lecturers have years of experience, in teaching and industry, and frequently in both. Many remain active in their professions, and because they're continuously developing their knowledge, they teach students all the relevant, most-recent things they need to know, so they can hit the ground running upon graduation.

The majority of Portsmouth’s research is rated as 'world leading' and 'internationally excellent' by the Research Excellence Framework (REF), which independently assesses the quality of research in UK universities.

Much of the research is carried out by the same people who teach students, and thus the breakthroughs and discoveries made feed directly into their courses. Students will be exploring the latest theories and developing original ideas as part of their studies. It's not all classrooms and textbooks, at Portsmouth, students can also apply what they learn in outstanding simulated work environments and learning spaces.

Law students practice their skills in a replica court, while students from disciplines such as criminology and social work can experience being an expert witness in a simulated legal case.

Students can apply their skills in the local community too, for example dental students, who treat NHS patients in the Dental Academy; and sport and exercise science students, who run coaching courses at local schools.

Department structure

The University of Portsmouth is divided into five faculties:

Faculty of Business and Law

Home to teaching and research in all major areas of law, business and management – including accounting; economics; logistics; and human resource management; and law. The faculty includes Portsmouth Business School and Portsmouth Law School.

Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries

The faculty includes the School of Architecture, the School of Art, Design and Performance, the School of Creative Technologies and the School of Film, Media and Communication. Subjects within the faculty include fashion design; illustration; creative writing; media studies; architecture; animation; film; and computer games technology.

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Home to subjects, such as criminology, sociology, linguistics, history, politics and international relations, and education. The faculty includes the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, the School of Area Studies, History, Politics and Literature, the School of Education and Sociology and the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics.

Faculty of Science and Health

Home to courses in subjects such as earth and environmental sciences; physical and human geography; psychology; dental and oral health; and sport and exercise science. The schools and departments within the faculty include the School of Biological Sciences; the Dental Academy; the School of the Environment, Geography and Geosciences; the School of Health and Care Professions; the School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences; the Department of Psychology; and the School of Sport, Health and Exercise Science.

Faculty of Technology

The faculty includes the School of Civil Engineering and Surveying; the School of Computing; the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation; the School of Energy and Electronic Engineering; the School of Mathematics and Physics; the School of Mechanical and Design Engineering; and the Department of Learning at Work. Subjects within the faculty include engineering; cosmology and astrophysics; computing; health informatics; mathematics; and physics.