University of Winchester
The University of Winchester traces its foundation to 1840, when Bishop Sumner set up the Winchester Diocesan Training School. This Church of England college prepared teachers for schools serving poor communities. Renamed King Alfred's College in 1928, it obtained degree-awarding powers in 2004 and was granted university status by the Privy Council in 2005, with powers to award research degrees following in 2008. It retains its Church of England foundation and is a member of the Cathedrals Group.
The compact campus, an easy walk from Winchester city centre, has 7,000 to 8,000 students and is organised around two areas: the West Downs Quarter, base of the University of Winchester Business School, and the King Alfred Quarter, with the King Alfred Centre and the Martial Rose Library. Four faculties cover business, the creative arts, health and wellbeing, and the social sciences. Besides its long-established tradition in teacher education, the university teaches subjects including sport, nursing and digital media. Undergraduates can take a three-year degree, a four-year sandwich degree incorporating a placement year, or part-time study. In the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework, Winchester achieved a Silver rating.
Information for International Students
Advice on academic skills and on non-academic matters is available to international students from Winchester's International Student Support Services team. Free help with preparing a Student visa application is also offered, including a document check. The typical requirement for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes is IELTS Academic 6.0 overall, with 5.5 or above in every component, although undergraduate nursing calls for 6.5 overall and a minimum of 6.0 in writing. LanguageCert, Oxford ELLT, TOEFL iBT and PTE Academic are among the other tests accepted.
The university's English language programmes help students reach the level their course requires. Undergraduate entry is also possible through the Academic Pathways Programme or roughly fifteen degrees incorporating a foundation year, and many bachelor's degrees accept a recognised one-year UK foundation programme. All full-time first-year undergraduates are guaranteed a room in university accommodation, as long as Winchester is their firm choice and their application is received by the deadline. Every hall has security and warden support around the clock. International arrival and welcome arrangements help students settle, international applicants can apply for scholarships and bursaries, and the Graduate Route may be open to eligible graduates.