University of Portsmouth

The University of Portsmouth is a public university on the south coast of England. It traces its origins to the Portsmouth and Gosport School of Science and Art, established in 1870, which developed into Portsmouth Polytechnic and was granted university status in 1992. It is one of the larger universities in the UK, with close to 30,000 students.

The main campus is in the centre of Portsmouth, an island city with a strong maritime heritage, and most academic buildings, halls and the students' union are within walking distance of one another and the seafront. The university also operates a purpose-built London campus in Walthamstow, Waltham Forest, which opened in 2023 and uses a block-teaching model.

Portsmouth offers a broad range of undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees across its faculties. Its research is particularly recognised in cosmology and astrophysics, cyber security, forensics and sport science, and it performed strongly among modern universities in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework. The university holds a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework (2023).

Information for International Students

The University of Portsmouth welcomes students from more than 150 countries. The university provides dedicated visa advice for international applicants and students, and new arrivals can take part in an international orientation week before teaching begins.

The typical English language requirement is IELTS 6.0 overall, with no component below 5.5, for most bachelor's degrees. Most master's degrees typically require IELTS 6.5 to 7.0, with no component below 6.0, and some courses set higher levels. Applicants who do not meet the required level can join one of the university's pre-sessional English programmes before their degree.

International College Portsmouth (ICP), part of the Navitas group, is based on the city centre campus and offers foundation, first year and pre-master's pathways leading to degrees across all University of Portsmouth faculties, with several intakes each year. ICP students have access to all university facilities, clubs and societies.

First-year students starting in September who hold a firm offer and submit a hall application by the published deadline are guaranteed a room in halls. January starters are allocated rooms subject to availability. Eligible graduates can apply for the Graduate Route visa.