University of Salford

Roughly a mile to the west of central Manchester lies the University of Salford, a public institution within Greater Manchester. Its roots are in the Pendleton Mechanics' Institute, founded in 1850, which took the name Royal Technical Institute in 1896 and subsequently became a College of Advanced Technology; a royal charter then made it a university in 1967. Peel Park, the main campus, covers approximately 160 acres of parkland alongside the River Irwell, and the Adelphi and Frederick Road sites lie nearby. Since 2010 teaching has also taken place at MediaCityUK, Salford Quays, where the university offers a broad selection of media and creative arts courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Salford is a sizeable institution of about 26,000 students, and its teaching is practical and closely connected to industry. Health and social care is a leading strength, with a particularly strong record in prosthetics and orthotics. A purpose-built building for science and engineering, which opened in 2022, supports work in these fields, while the arts are housed in the New Adelphi building, which contains studios and performance spaces. Its acoustics research laboratories have also earned recognition.

Information for International Students

Around 4,000 international students attend Salford. On the Peel Park campus the university teaches its own International Foundation Year, which has 14 subject streams including music, art and design, health, law, business, computer science, and engineering and physics. Entry requires a minimum of UKVI IELTS Academic 4.5, provided every band is 4.0 or higher. Most streams begin in September, and a number also offer a January start. Students with UKVI IELTS 4.0 or above can join a pre-sessional English course accredited by the British Council. Most undergraduate and taught postgraduate courses require IELTS Academic 6.0, including 5.5 or more in every component, but certain courses set a higher bar.

Sponsorship is handled by the CAS Assessment Team, which usually issues a CAS within roughly a week after checking any financial documents that are required. First-year undergraduates are advised to choose Peel Park Quarter, a main-campus development operated in partnership with Campus Living Villages, and anyone unable to obtain a room there is pointed towards alternative private and partner halls across Salford. International scholarships are available, and graduates are able to apply for the Graduate Route.