The University of Portsmouth

Summary

University Environment

The facilities of the University of Portsmouth are predominantly located in “the University Quarter” in the heart of the city. This area contains almost all of the teaching facilities and accommodation. The campus is made up of over 40 buildings, interspersed with green spaces and communal areas such as cafés and coffee shops. There is a far smaller campus located in Milton on the eastern edge of Portsea Island. The Langstone campus is predominantly made up of University accommodation but it also houses the University’s outdoor sports facilities. It take around 30 minutes by bus to travel between the two campuses. 

The university has invested in excess of £100 million into buildings and resources over the last 10 years. Notable projects have included an extension to the University Library, the renovation of the St Michael’s Building and the creation of the Creative and Cultural Industries Faculty. 

History

The University of Portsmouth can trace its history all the way back to the mid-nineteenth century, to the Portsmouth and Gosport School of Sciences and the Arts. In 1908, this became the Municipal College Portsmouth, an institution which focused on chemistry and engineering. Following the Second World War, the college diversified its syllabus offering courses in humanities and the arts and in 1960, it became Portsmouth Polytechnic. By the late 1980s Portsmouth Poly had become one of the largest and best performing polytechnics in the UK and in 1992, it was granted university status, becoming the University of Portsmouth. 

Since then the University has continued to expand. In the last fifteen years, they have added 2 new sports centres, 2 new halls of residence, a new students union and a number of new teaching buildings to their considerable facilities. In 2012 writer and comedian Sandi Toksvig became the University’s new chancellor and a year later they gained a new vice-chancellor, Professor Graham Galbraith.

Academics

Departments, Faculties & Schools

Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries

• Portsmouth School of Architecture
• School of Art and Design
• School of Creative Technologies
• School of Media and Performing Arts

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

• Institute of Criminal Justice Studies
• School of Education and Continuing Studies
• School of Languages and Area Studies
• School of Social, Historical and Literary Studies

Portsmouth Business School

• School of Accounting and Financial Management
• School of Economics and Finance
• School of Marketing and Sales
• School of Organisation Studies and Resource Management
• School of Operations and Systems Management
• School of Law

Faculty of Science

• School of Biological Sciences
• School of Earth and Environmental Sciences
• Department of Geography
• School of Health Sciences and Social Work
• School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences
• Dental Academy 
• Department of Psychology
• Department of Sport and Exercise and Sciences

Faculty of Technology

• School of Civil Engineering and Surveying 
• School of Computing
• School of Engineering
• Learning at Work
• Department of Mathematics

Research

Over 60% of research submitted by the University of Portsmouth to REF 2014 was rated as world-leading or internationally excellent. 

In a few subject areas this figure was even higher. In Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy, and Physics over 89% of all research submitted was rated as world leading or internationally excellent.

International & Industrial Opportunities 

There are many opportunities for students at the University of Portsmouth to study or work abroad. Under the Erasmus+ programme, funded by the European Commission, students can chose to work, for 2 to 12 months, or study, for 3 to 12 months, in any of the 33 participating countries. Students can also study in non-European destinations, where their degree programme allows for this. The countries they can choose from will depend on their course and the links that their department has oversees. If a student wishes to carry out a work-placement abroad they will be able to do so in almost every country. 

Many of the University of Portsmouth’s courses offer students the chance to spend a year working in an industry related to their course. See the university’s website and individual course descriptors for more information. 

Fees & Finance

Scholarships

The University of Portsmouth offers a number of student scholarships. 

The Unite Scholarship offers five scholarships every year to undergraduate students with a household income of less than £25,000 who are care leavers, estranged from their parents or living in sheltered accommodation. The Scholarship provides recipients with a free Halls place for the duration of their course as well as a cash bursary of £3,000 for living costs. 

There are other scholarships available for a handful of exceptional students, see the University’s website for more details.

Students competing at a regional or international level in their sport may be eligible for support and funding through one of the University’s Sports Scholarship schemes. They provide scholarships worth around £1,000 to up to 20 talented student athletes every year. Scholarships can include: finance of up to £400 to help with equipment, competition and training; a personal mentor; free sports membership to all the University sports facilities; specialist strength and conditioning facilities; and free physiotherapy.

Bursaries

The University of Portsmouth offers bursaries to all full-time undergrad students from England whose household income is less than £32,000 a year. Students with an annual household income of between £25,000 and £32,000 will receive a £500 cash bursary every year. Students with an annual household income of under £25,000 will receive £1,500 in their first year and £1,000 every following year. The University will automatically consider students for these awards; there is no need to apply. 

Facilities

Learning Facilities

In 2006 Portmouth’s University Library underwent an £11 million extension. Now, the library gives students access to over 400,000 books, DVDs, maps and microfilms, courses to help them with study and research skills, a number of laptops for loan and thousands of ebooks, ejournals, and online newspapers. The library has free wifi throughout and is open 24 hours a day during exam time.  All books can be found through the library’s online catalogue and any books not held in the library can be borrowed from other libraries around the country. There is also a café on site. 

Students at the University have free access to Wi-Fi anywhere on campus as well as various computer suites. Many of these are fitted with specialist software and equipment. Portsmouth offers a student IT support centre, providing hands-on assistance with any problems, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 

All students benefit from the University’s dedicated student website, where they can find news updates, links to student services and details of timetables, exam grades, library loans and more. They will also have access to a virtual learning environment, which provides activities and resources for individual courses.

The University’s Academic Skills Unit (ASK) provides advice and guidance on specific academic and study skills to assist students in their studies. This includes tutorials on essay writing, presentations and more.

The University of Portsmouth also offers its students a range of additional facilities including a model pharmacy, a courtroom, a forensics house, creative studios, tv studios and cutting-edge laboratories for science and engineering.

Sporting Facilities

The University of Portsmouth has two indoor sports centres, located in the University Quarter. They offer students a range of facilities including two multi-purpose sports halls, two squash courts, extensive fitness/gym facilities and specialist strength and conditioning facilities. 

The University’s outdoor facilities are located within the Langstone complex and include a synthetic sand-filled artificial turf pitch as well as 150 acres of grass pitches.

The University is also close to other world class sporting facilities including the South Coast National Performance Centre for Hockey, Hayling Island and Stokes Bay sailing clubs , The Rose Bowl Cricket Ground, Portsmouth North Sea Swimming Club and the regional TASS Hub within the university. 

The Athletics Union, part of the Students' Union, offers over 35 sports clubs many of which take part in competitions and leagues against other universities. There are also over 50 different fitness classes to choose for students less interested in competitive sport. 

Students' Union

Students’ Union

The University of Portsmouth’s Students Union is run for students, by students. It is managed by 5 elected sabbatical officers, the president and four vice presidents of education and democracy, activities, welfare and community and sports. Every part of the union is democratic, even down to small standing committees. 

The Union’s team of trained advisors offer help to students all year round, whenever it is needed. Their Advice Service offers confidential, impartial, non-judgemental support on academic and non-academic issues. It is an independent body but works closely with the University to resolve any issues. 

Through the Union students can try out a try a range of new experiences and activities. Students can join one of the University’s many clubs and societies, or set up one of their own. There are also many opportunities to volunteer and raise money for charity through one of the union-led programmes. The biggest fundraising event of the year is RAG week in which last year, the university raised £200,000 for local and national charities. 

The union also runs a number of student media outlets including a Radio and TV station and the University’s student newspaper, The Galleon.

Student Support

Religion & Spirituality

The University’s Chaplaincy offers students a space to relax and meet friends as well as an area for quite prayer and reflection. Facilities also include a number of Muslim prayer rooms around the University and a small library of books and magazines. There are four Chaplains working within the University have been who are there to help and listen to students confidentially and non-judgementally and encourage students’ development and nurture their growth. 

Health & Wellbeing

The University of Portsmouth offers a range of facilities and services to support students throughout their time at university. 

The Student Wellbeing Service offers confidential help with a wide range of personal, emotional and academic concerns, including stress, anxiety, homesickness or concerns about academic work. The Wellbeing Service offers courses, workshops, self-help resources, face-to-face counselling and email counselling to help students with any difficulties. 

In addition, there are Mental Health Practitioners working within the Wellbeing Service to support to help lessen the impact of mental health difficulties. They help students by assessing and talking through their needs, helping them to identify ways to address their problems, discussing treatment options, offering short-term support and liaising with specialist services when required. 

The University’s Additional Support and Disability Advice Centre (ASDAC) provides support and advice for students with chronic illnesses, disabilities and specific learning difficulties that may impact upon their ability to study at the University. They offer confidential advice from disability professionals including advice on funding to cover disability-related support costs (including disabled students' allowances), advice on note-taking, mentoring and other academic support services and specialist study skills tuition and assistive technology training. They can also screen for suspected Specific Learning Difficulties.

Career Facilities

The University’s careers and recruitment centre, Purple Door, offers support to students and graduates. It can help them find part-time jobs, work experience, volunteering and placement opportunities; plan their careers and get into graduate work, further study or start up a business. 

The centre runs courses and workshops on everything from writing a CV to starting up a business as well as offering one-to-one advice. They also run a number of careers fairs and employer presentations to put students in tough with future employers. The university’s Start Up Hub provides free office space for students wanting to establish and develop their business ideas. 

The Purple Door Recruitment Consultancy is exclusively for University of Portsmouth students and graduates and offers a vast range of roles from over 6000 employers in South East England. Furthermore, the University’s Jobs Board provides information on part-time jobs available all over the city. 

There are a number of awards given out to students who have started up a business or who have shown “entrepreneurial sprit” in some part of their university career. The University can also help students to make the most of their extra-curricular activities. Any volunteering done whilst at university can be recorded with the university and used to boost future CVs. 

Accommodation

The University of Portsmouth has a range of university-run accommodation. They are able to offer a place in Halls of Residence to approximately 70 per cent of new students. Other students can shoes to live in private rented accommodation or in lodgings. The University provides help to students looking to live outside of university accommodation. 

University accommodation is split over three sites. The Guildhall Halls are located in the heart of the city, close to University facilities. They offer self-catered accommodation ranging in price from £86 a week for a small room with a shared bathroom to £134 a week for a studio room. Rees Hall and Burrell hall are located in the Southsea area of the city, close to Southsea Common and the beach. They are still only a short walk from the University and they offer catered accommodation (two meals a day) at a cost of between £106 and £135, depending on whether bathrooms are shared or en suite. The Langstone Student Village is situated two and a half miles from the city campus and is connected by a free bus service. The halls overlook the harbour and benefit from a large social space, computer suite and restaurant. The Langstone Flats provide self-catered accommodation with en suite bathrooms for a cost of £104 a week, Trust hall’s self-catered rooms with shared bathrooms cost £85-86 a week and QEQM hall has rooms for £103 a week with en-suite bath rooms part-catering (8 meals a week).

International

English Language Requirements

As a general guide, the University of Portsmouth requires that all international students have at least IELTS 5.5 for foundation study and IELTS 6.0 for undergraduate study. Specific scores required depend individual courses. See the University’s English Language Requirements page for more information. 

International Support

The University of Portsmouth have almost 4,000 international and EU students from over 140 different countries. 

In order to help new international students settle in, the University puts on special international events during orientation week. The aim of this is to help students find their way around the university and the city, introduce them to support services and staff, give them the opportunity to help other students and respond to any queries they might have. 

The University’s International Student Advisers are a dedicated team within the International Office that can help and support international students throughout their time at the university. They can advise students on a number of issues including Visas, banking and money, working in the UK and living in the UK. 

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