University of Winchester

Summary

History

The University of Winchester began in 1840 as the Winchester Diocesan Training School, founded as a Church of England foundation for the training of elementary schoolmasters. By 1928 it had developed into King Alfred's College, which trained thousands of teachers and by 2005 was made into a university.

The University Environment

The University campus is divided into 'Quarters': King Alfred Quarter, West Downs Quarter, Medecroft Quarter and Bar End Quarter.

King Alfred Quarter

- is within walking distance of the historic city of Winchester with facilities including the £6.5 million St Alphege building, which offers state-of-the-art learning and teaching facilities; the award-winning King Alfred Centre, which houses the Student Union, bookshop, Food Hall, Terrace Bar, Gourmet Burger Company, Union Shop and The Vault – the main venue for student social activities; Martial Rose Library; Chapel, sports facilities, IT Centre and a number of faculty buildings. Many undergraduate students live on campus in the halls of residence and the self-catering accommodation at nearby West Downs.

West Downs Quarter

- is a short walk from the centre of the King Alfred Quarter. It is the home of the West Downs Student Village and the University of Winchester Business School. Other key features of the West Downs Quarter include the Link Gallery, which is open to the public and runs an art exhibition programme throughout the year featuring established and emerging artists from the world of visual arts. It is also home to the Research and Knowledge Exchange Centre, which is dedicated to research, enterprise and consultancy.

The University is currently building a new £50m learning and teaching building at the heart of the West Downs Quarter, which will be home to our Digital Futures computer and digital-related degree programmes and business and management courses.

Medecroft Quarter

- situated close to the King Alfred Quarter. The Medecroft building is the home of the Winchester Modern History Research Centre.

Bar End Quarter

- situated about two kilometres from the King Alfred Quarter. Located here is the Winchester Sports Stadium with TigerTurf all-weather pitch that can be used for hockey and football, an eight lane 400m athletics track and a sports pavilion. It is floodlit to allow for evening play and is used throughout the week by a number of hockey teams, five-a-side teams, social groups and private company bookings.

Academics

Faculties, Departments & Schools

• Department of Applied Criminology and Forensic Studies
• Department of Archaeology, Anthropology & Geography
• Department of History
• Department of Theology, Religious Studies & Philosophy
• Department of Politics & Society
• Department of English, Creative Writing & American Studies
• Department of Performing Arts
• School of Media & Film
• Department of Law
• Winchester Business School
• Department of Sport, Exercise & Health
• Department of Education Studies & Liberal Arts
• Department of Interprofessional Studies
• Institute of Education
• Department of Psychology

Research

In the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014) 82 per cent of our submitted research was considered to be recognised internationally, with seven out of eight units of assessment achieving world-leading quality. History performed most highly with 96% for research considered internationally recognised./p>

International & Industrial Opportunities

The University has links with a number of universities in the USA where second year students have the chance to spend a semester. Some programmes also offer the opportunity for students to spend time in a European country via the Erasmus Exchange programme. Furthermore, the University offers the opportunity to study in Japan for a semester to selected students in English and Media Studies.

Alternatively, there is the opportunity for shorter term study trips organised by your course at Winchester. These short term visits or Field Trips, are an intensive overseas experience for students and staff lasting up to two weeks. This could be visiting a partner university or organisation, or a trip that involves travelling around.

Fees & Finance

Scholarships & Bursaries

The University offers a comprehensive range of awards and bursaries to help you pay for your studies, based on your academic achievements, personal circumstances and household income. Students with a household income of under £16,000 are awarded a cash bursary of up to £2,000 while those with a household income of between £16000 and £42,875 are awarded a cash bursary of up to £1000.

The Highflier Academic Achievement Award of £200 per year is also available to students who achieve AAB or higher at A-Level (or equivalent). To continue to receive the £200 award beyond the first year of your course, you will need to attain an average mark of at least 70% at the end of each year of study. There is also potential for entry into the University of Winchester Scholars Scheme, which offers an enhanced and a more intensive educational experience to students of proven academic ability.

Facilities

Learning Facilities

The Martial Rose Library houses a collection of over 300,000 books, including key course textbook, as well as a huge online library of academic journals, e-books, CDs, DVDs, CD-ROMs and databases. The library opens seven days a week and 24 hours a day, and offers facilities for learning and research, with study spaces for more than 450 readers, of which over 220 are equipped with computers. There are also 11 study rooms for individual or group work. The library operates a self-service issue system and you can reserve a PC.

The University boasts over 600 networked PCs located throughout the campus. WiFi is also available in most of the buildings. The Multi Media Centre is open 24 hours a day and hosts a purpose-built TV studio, Newsroom and Radio and Audio studios.

Sports Facilities

The John Shannon sport ground is located in the King Alfred Quarter and is available through all weather conditions. The synthetic surface can accommodate a wide range of sports including Tennis, 5-aside Football, Netball and your general fitness.

The university also boasts a Fitness Studio where the Fitness & Wellbeing activities are held, and is the location for Zumba, Yoga, Circuits, Stretch & Flex. The Sports Hall is the perfect venue for team sports such as badminton, netball, volleyball, 5aside football, cricket and much more.

Students' Union

Students' Union

The Student Union is based in the King Alfred Centre and organises a diverse and exciting range of extracurricular activities, from fancy-dress club nights and comedy to our weekly Big Fat Quiz (with cash prizes) and live music. A variety of clubs and societies such as performing arts, film, radio, LGBT, archaeology, history and role-playing are run in the Student Union, offering the chance to get involved in a wide range of activities.

The Student Union provides a relaxed and secure environment for entertainment. The Vault, an award-winning club venue, can be transformed from dance floor to theatre with a stage and staggered seating for free film showings, concerts and performances. The Union also runs shops and launderettes situated on King Alfred Quarter and at West Downs.

From academic and university matters to mental and financial wellbeing, the Student Union provides support and welfare services, accompanied by awareness campaigns throughout the year, on issues that are important to you.

Student Support

Religion & Spirituality

The University has an Anglican Foundation and a strong commitment to spirituality. They welcome students from all faiths, of no faith and from all cultural backgrounds.

There is a Chapel, a Muslim Prayer Room, a Cosmic Walk, and wonderful green spaces for silence, contemplation and relaxation.

The chaplaincy team is available for confidential one-to-one meetings for pastoral discussions of any sort, by appointment or on a drop-in basis.

Health & Wellbeing

The University Counselling Service is run by a team of professionally trained male and female counsellors, and offers a confidential service to support students. They provide individual sessions on topics such as stress busting, eating disorders, building self-esteem and assertiveness skills.

The Mental Health Advisers are a team of professionals who can provide you with practical advice and support on a range of mental health needs, including diagnosed mental health conditions, or where you might otherwise be experiencing worries or concerns about your mental wellbeing.

The Disabilities and Learning Diversity Team offers a range of confidential services for disabled students and staff. This includes services for those with physical and sensory impairments, medical conditions, mental health difficulties and specific learning differences such as dyslexia.

Career Facilities

The Winchester Career Service offers impartial and up-to-date information, advice and guidance about occupations, graduate employment, further study/training, volunteering, and other opportunities. They do this either through face-to-face appointments or via email/telephone.

The University has professional qualified Faculty Employability Advisers who organise a wide variety of talks and workshops to support your transition into your desired career.

The University Job-site, CareerConnect, advertises part-time job vacancies both on campus and locally, vacation work, and national graduate job vacancies, and a volunteering service promoting local opportunities.

The Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) gives students a single record of their academic and other achievements during their time at University. It includes information about the student’s achievements such as volunteering, Student Union activities, and prizes awarded, as well as information about module marks and their final Degree Classification.

Accommodation

The University offers catered and self-catered accommodation on campus and university-managed housing in the city - all of which are located within walking distance of the university and the city centre. Catered accommodation is on a part-board basis and students use their campus ID cards to purchase meals from the University's catering outlets. All campus accommodation includes 24-hour security, unlimited internet access, CCTV, designated quiet areas, pastoral care and regular cleaning.

In the 2018 Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey, Winchester accommodation was ranked 15th out of 116 universities. In addition, it also ranked 10th in the Student Crowd’s Best UK Universities for Accommodation in 2018.

International

English Language Requirements

The scores below are for most programmes at the University of Winchester at undergraduate level. However, there are some exceptions where courses may request a higher score. If this is the case it will be stated on the course page, please see their course for more information.

International Scholarships

The University offers a small number of scholarships, bursaries and awards each year for non-EU students on full-time undergraduate programmes. These provide students with financial support based on their academic achievements, personal circumstances and household income. The scholarships are normally provided as a reduction in tuition fees.

International Support

Winchester has approximately 700 international students from around the world. International student can access specialist services which include pre-arrival advice and an international induction programme. The International Student Society is run by students through the Student Union to help integrate students into the life at Winchester, providing a social role, day trips and other events.

The University Student Academic Support section of Student Services, in the English Language Teaching and Support Unit (ELTSU), provides high-quality programmes to prepare and equip international students with the necessary skills to enable them to study at higher education. For international students already studying at the University, it also offers additional academic guidance and skills to help every student reach their potential and achieve their academic and language goals.

Media