Portsmouth University

• Location: Portsmouth, United Kingdom
• Language of instruction: English
• Founded: in 1869
• Total number of students: 23,500 people, including 12,7% of foreign students
• Educational programs: Foundation, Bachelor's, Master's, Pre-Masters, MBA, International Year One

The prestigious University of Portsmouth was founded in 1869 and was originally intended for the formation of future engineers, dock workers and shipbuilders, specialists of the British Navy (naval). The list of offered disciplines began to expand after the end of the Second World War: the university drew attention to specialties that quickly became more popular, expanded options for studying, updated equipment, re-equipped the campus. The second major modernization was carried out in the 1990-2000s - on the campus appeared:

• Dental Academy (the last year of which students study at the prestigious King's College London)
• Climate laboratories (ideally suited for the study of sports, accredited by the Olympic Medical Center)
• Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation
• Research Center for Brain Tumor
• Prototype laboratory with machines that work directly with computer files
• Pharmaceutical production
• Business

Every year, the University of Portsmouth graduates more than 600 specialists in such popular fields as paramedicine, medical technology and radiography. According to The Times (2013), the university occupies an honourable 29th place in the national ranking.

Each educational program includes a large practical unit, various assignments and studies, as a result of which students can acquire valuable skills in order to be graduated from the university by studied specialists. For practical studying, the necessary equipment, resources and audiences have been prepared: there are special halls for court sessions, equipped rooms, closest to the hospital wards, crime investigation points, radio newscasting points, etc.

Porthmouth University is particularly proud of its famous business school, recognized as the best in the region and included in the TOP-20 in the country: it teaches effective and modern bachelor's and master's programs. The business school is located in a separate high-tech building and is fully equipped with all the necessary innovative equipment and technology. Excellent partnerships have been established with many British and global corporations, private and public, state-owned companies: business school teachers are often invited to consult specialists, to develop various projects and conduct profile research. The companies with which the school and the university cooperate provide excellent opportunities for students for internships and practice: this is a great chance not only to obtain valuable skills, but also to establish useful contacts and connections that significantly help in further employment.

The business school is accredited by the most famous and prestigious agencies:

• Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD)
• Institute for Quality Assessment (IQA)
• Trade unions of logisticians, accountants, marketers and lawyers
• AMBA (The Association of MBA's) - this school has been accredited since 2007, it gives it the right to enter the narrow list of the best business schools in the UK (only 38 out of 100 profile institutions of the country have such a high status).

The MBA program is offered at the business school: its duration is 12 months (full-time education only), the beginning of classes in September. Applicants must provide a diploma of higher education in related specialty (bachelor's, master's), resume and feedback from employers (need at least 3 years of work experience, as well as age from 25 years and older), and demonstrate a high level of English (IELTS from 6.5, that is, from 6.0 points for each section). In addition, the school may offer the applicant to take the GMAT test, but this is not an obligatory condition.

Valentina Nikitina

Senior Marketing and Recruitment Manager at Kaplan Pathways with a focus on students from Russia and the CIS.

When choosing a university, what should be prioritized? Employer satisfaction, employment rates post-graduation, or research opportunities?

There's no straightforward answer as all these factors are important. It's crucial to thoroughly research using various sources, including official websites and government data. Look into regional salaries, fast-growing professional fields, and the cost of living to gain a comprehensive view of not just your education but also potential future life.

Employees and teachers comprehensively support pupils, providing assistance at every stage: from applying for admission to finding a place for employment. In the process of studying, foreign students are offered additional language and subject classes to adapt to the new educational system as soon as possible, electives to deepen existing knowledge, internships to obtain applied skills and other opportunities, contributing to the full disclosure of the abilities of each student.

Portsmouth University has five specialized faculties:

1. Business, law,
2. Creative, cultural industries,
3. Humanities, Social Sciences,
4. Natural Sciences, Healthcare,
5. Technology.

Each faculty has educational and research centers, schools, subject departments.

Research is an important part of Portsmouth University, which affects not only the reputation of the university, but also the quality of life in the UK and the global community. Most of the projects are evaluated by the responsible authorities as leading in the world, confirming the qualifications of teachers and university staff. In recent years, the university has focused on dozens of studies, including:

• Sustainable development
• Autism and Employment,
• Artificial intelligence
• Enzymatic innovations,
• Combating cybercrime, economic crimes,
• Creative, Immersive Augmented Reality,
• Comparative, evolutionary psychology,
• Modeling, Informatics in Healthcare,
• Maritime culture,
• Cognition of dogs.

Portsmouth University has several dozen large research centers, where the teams of experts work on new achievements every day, teach students, and conduct practical events.

Portsmouth University is focused on environmentally friendly activities, so campus life is organized around the competent use of resources, recycling:

• Campus cafeterias minimized food waste, reduced plastic use,
• The water used in the pool is resold in flushing devices,
• More than 60,200 hours of volunteer work were performed by 2,375 student volunteers.

Students can book a place for themselves in one of the student residences in sufficient numbers located in the city: some of them are located directly near Porthmouth University, the part is approximately 15 minutes away by a free student bus. Each room includes amenities (bathroom and toilet), high-speed Internet, cable TV (50+ channels), a cozy small kitchen. Mostly single rooms.

Please note that accommodation is charged separately, in addition to the course. In addition to accommodation and meals, this amount includes teaching aids, books and materials, transportation costs and a certain amount for personal, pocket expenses.

Subject list: Accounting, Architecture, Art, biology, Biomedical Sciences, Business and management, chemical engineering, Civil engineering, criminology, ecology, economics, Filmmaking, geography, Information Technology, journalism, law, maths, media, pedagogy, physics, Psychology, Regional geography, Social work, sports science

The extracurricular life of Portsmouth University students is diverse - students can devote their free time to sports, creativity, charity, scientific research and other areas, in which numerous sections, clubs, and communities are open.

Basketball, netball, and American football are the university's main sports, and a total of 34 sports clubs train on campus during the year. Participants in team sports represent the honor of the university at city and national competitions and often take leading positions. The list of clubs includes:

• American football
• Archery
• Mountaineering
• Cheerleading
• Equestrian
• Gymnastics
• Rugby
• Soccer
• Yachting
• Squash
• Swimming
• Water polo
• Table tennis
• Taekwondo
• Volleyball and others.

The vast campus area, the cutting-edge equipment of studios, centers and venues provide students with the opportunity to develop their creative talents: musical groups, theater groups, solo performances, graphic design and illustration, photography and other areas are available to students throughout the year. Elective courses are taught by industry professionals who are in love with their work, having many years of experience and their own achievements.

Students can learn one of eight languages (these extracurricular activities are usually free):

• Arabic
• British Sign Language,
• French
• German
• Italian
• Japanese
• Mandarin (the most popular dialect of Chinese),
• Spanish.

Electives are taught by native speakers, classes are organized in small groups, helping students to adapt faster, concentrate on studying and achieve success.

Portsmouth offers students a variety of off-campus entertainment: exhibitions, music concerts, sports, colorful shows, cooking classes and much more that will help international students immerse themselves in the study of culture and the peculiarities of life in the UK. There is an excellent place for collective events on the studying grounds: during the year, students take part in theatrical performances, and demonstrations of talents in various fields of activity.

• 5 stars in QS Top Universities 2022,
• No3 in the list of modern universities founded before 1992 in terms of research projects in the REF 2021 ranking,
• YoP is among the 40 universities in England in terms of student satisfaction rate – National Student Survey 2022,
• 94% of graduates are employed or continue their academic path after the first diploma,
• About 5,700 foreign students from 150 countries are studying here,
• World-renowned for consistently outstanding teaching,
• Diverse extracurricular life: themed activities, volunteering, sports, various arts and much more,
• Comprehensive support for teachers, employees at every stage,
• Opportunity to learn one of the eight languages offered for free, including British Sign Language.

The Porthmouth University campus is located in the seaside town of Portmouth near Bournemouth and Brighton (the south coast of England), the journey to London takes about 1.5 hours. Portmouth is an unusually beautiful, cozy and well-groomed city: there is an old harbor, a spacious pier and a promenade for walks, where many restaurants, bars, cafes and hotels are located. There are large shopping centers and malls in the city, cozy antique shops, and the symbol of the city is the Spinnaker Tower, offering observation platforms on 3 levels with a breathtaking panoramic view of the city and the sea. In the southern part of the city you can find many spacious sandy beaches, and in half an hour you can reach the picturesque Isle of Wight. It was in Portsmouth that the famous writer Charles Dickens was born, for some time lived Rudyard Kipling and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The university district itself is located in the central part of the old town, just a few minutes' walk from the bustling shopping and entertainment district of Gunwharf Quays. Not far from the university there are numerous student residences, there are also hostels about 15 minutes away - free student buses run constantly, which are easily distinguished by a special colour scheme.

The cost of the academic year at Porthmouth University depends on the chosen program and specialty.

To enter, future students are required to pass several stages:

• Submission of the application, package of documents,
• Payment of registration fees,
• Passing entrance exams, interviews,
• Obtaining an official invitation to study,
• Payment of part or all of the program cost,
• Arrival at the campus for orientation activities, the beginning of studying.

Today, Portsmouth University has more than 250,000 alumni who have made careers in a variety of industries, cities and countries. About 96% of students who have completed their studies are employed in their specialty within a few months. Among the graduates of Portsmouth University are famous actors, bankers, executives, members of parliament, professors and officers, athletes, leaders of other fields of activity.

Applicants to the University of Portsmouth or business school must submit the following documents:

• Completed registration application form (sample can be found on the official website)
• Copy of the diploma of education + a report card with marks (the translation must be notarized)
• Two letters of recommendation
• Bank statement confirming the availability of sufficient funds
• Certificate of passing the international English language exam (IELTS preferred)
• Motivational letter written by the student himself.

If a student enters the PhD program, then the prospective research topic, as well as the future stages and structure of the work, should be sent to the admission committee.

Please note that the main package of documents can be sent to the university before passing the language testing: the received certificate can be sent already when the offer for admission is received (in this case the selection committee will focus on academic indicators in the first place).

Conveniently, Porthmouth University does not put hard time limits for applications - places are filled in gradually, and if there are vacant seats on the chosen course, you can be enrolled regardless of the deadline for receiving the application.

Usually, upon admission, the following IELTS language exam results are accepted:

• Foundation = not lower than 5.5 (in each section and the total score)
• Undergraduate = from 6.0
• Masters = 6.0-7.0
• Pre -Masters = 6.0
• MBA = 6.5 (not less than 6.0 in each block).

Scholarships for students of master's programs can cover up to 40% of the cost of study, but MBA participants, especially those who are successful in studies, can receive a scholarship that covers expenses 100%. Also for students of preparatory programs that demonstrate excellent academic performance, a special discount is provided - one term can be studied free of charge in a year.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision