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26 Oct 2020

Your application

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Your personal statement is a key part of the application process

Start writing your statement as early as possible.

Applying for your course of choice  is  an exciting process.  After all, it marks the start of your decision to commit to  furthering your education and learning more about a subject that you care about.  

Your  p ersonal  s tatement forms a  key part of   the application process.  It provides the best opportunity for you to showcase   yourself  as a  candidate and   highlight  why you’d  be  an excellent  fit  for  the course.  

A  well-crafted  p ersonal  s tatement  should   tie your entire application together , putting you in the best possible position to receive an offer.   However, t o ensure that you r  personal statement works to your benefit, it’s  essential  to follow all university guidelines .  

When writing your personal statement for a  University of Portsmouth online course , you need to adhere to a word limit of 1,000 .  In terms of  the different topics  you should cover, w e suggest you include the following :  

An introduction to yourself 

Sharing some information about yourself can provide context to the rest of your personal statement. While you don’t have to go into great detail, it could prove useful to mention anything that might offer background to your mindset and motivations for applying.

When putting it together, be as accurate and concise as possible – and always keep in mind that your personal statement needs to communicate your own views and character.  

Your experience and qualifications 

W rite about any relevant work experience , accreditations,  or  e ducation  that  you  have, making sure t o  emphasise on how you meet  the eligibility requirements of the course.  

You can  also  reflect on how you r   experience has  led you to pursue further  education , and the lessons you’ve taken from either your  work  or studies thus far . This  not only  illustrates  your commitment to the subject, but your ability to  discuss  it clearly and critically .  

Your reasons for choosing the course 

Explain  your reason s  for wanting to  enrol  for  the specific  course you’ve selected.   While your experience and qualifications can  display  your dedication to the subject , this section can help  demonstrate  your enthusiasm ,  which is certainly  valuable  as well.  

You can  also  touch upon specific topics or practices within the  course  that you’re particularly passionate about ;   why you feel strongly about studying at The University of Portsmouth ;   or  even  any personal motivations that  brought  you to the course.  

How you think the course will benefit you 

Discuss how you plan on leveraging your learnings from the course in the  outside  world –  whether  after graduation or during your  studies. You can write about how your course choice fits into your wider career plan, and the overall outcome you hope to achieve .  

By d etailing  the thought and  care that  you’ve p ut into  your decision to apply , you help further validate  your  own  commitment to the programme .  

It may take some time for you to write a personal statement that you feel confident about. To make sure that you have time to many any revisions you want, i t’s always beneficial to start your application as early as possible.  

Make sure to read over  your personal statement  a few times , checking  for grammar ,  spelling , and punctuation errors .  Don't get your personal statement  written by anyone else  –  it ’ s important t o   show  that you  have enough understanding of the English language  to support your studies.  

Before you submit,  you can  get feedback on your personal statement from one of our  helpful  course advisers . They’ll help  ensure you’ve covered all the necessary information. You can call them on  +44 (0)23 9400 3692 , or email  [email protected]  

You can also get more hints and tips on putting together a successful application for a Portsmouth Online course on our application process page:

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University of Portsmouth Personal Statement Hub

Our Personal Statement Hub is open all year round, not just for the autumn term. If you are are keen to make a start on making your first draft.

The Personal Statement Hub holds some great resources to get students started, they can also submit a draft to their colleagues to read and offer feedback.

Link for the Hub is HERE .

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University of Portsmouth Personal Statements

These UCAS personal statements have been kindly provided by students applying to University of Portsmouth. You can click on one of the links below to view the entire statement and find out if the applicant was offered a place.

You can also view our entire collection of personal statements or view personal statements for application at other universities .

English Personal Statement Example 1 Ever since I have had the ability to understand it, I have been fascinated by the English language. As a child, I would either be writing, reading or telling stories and ever sine then, have read a wide variety of both fiction and non-fiction texts from a variety of genres and eras...

Accounting Personal Statement Example 1 My world is populated by numbers. Numbers are the most powerful tool for good and I see myself as someone who can wield these numbers. That is why accountancy is the only option, in my opinion, to study at university...

Marine Biology Personal Statement Example 4 The biology and ecology of the world's oldest and most complex ecosystem truly fascinate me. The delicate nature of coral reefs is a particular interest of mine as they are being disrupted by our intrusive and often harmful activities such as oil spills, over fishing, coastal development and the poor buoyancy of inexperienced divers...

Law and Business Personal Statement Example (International Student) From an early age, law has always been number one priority in my vision of the future. Probably because of my father's profession (he is Head of the Regional Criminal Police), I have always been intrigued by Criminology and the idea of analysing and solving tangled cases...

Postgraduate Pharmacy Personal Statement Example I am interested in the Masters of Pharmacy (MPharm) Programme because I am interested in the modules on which it is based. I want to do the MPharm programme so as to extend my knowledge in Medicines. I would like to get a deeper understanding of how to formulate and administer drugs safely...

Psychology Personal Statement Example 58 Curiosity and amazement of the world has led me to want to understand what the reasoning is to why we learn, and why the consequence of reinforcement produces the repetition of behaviour, either positive or negative...

Financial Mathematics Personal Statement Example 2 Studying mathematics is a pure pleasure for me and I take pride in my achievements in the subject. What makes maths so interesting is its foundations in the real world; for instance, the Fibonacci numbers that arise all through nature, the notes played by a guitar string producing standing waves at different frequencies of sound and algebra which is used to create special effects in animated films and TV shows...

Civil Engineering Personal Statement Example 18 Aged 4, my favourite question was "why?". This eventually developed into "Why is the sky blue", "Why does 2 plus 2 equal four", and after the first time I crossed the Severn Bridge, "Why does that stand up?"...

Politcs Personal Statement Example The evermore increasing globalization of the world and volatile but connected economies places Politics and Economics as the most significant factors that have affected the world hugely in the past, present and will continue to do so in the future...

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Using the ABC method to write your personal statement

You need to include as much relevant information as possible in your personal statement, but just making a list of your achievements isn’t enough. Using the ABC method to structure your examples will help you demonstrate why you’re the perfect person for your chosen course.

View video transcription

ABC stands for Action, Benefit and Course. Remembering this acronym will help you talk about your experiences to really sell yourself in your personal statement.

So what does ABC stand for?

Action = What have you done?

Benefit = What skills have you gained?

Course = How has this prepared you for your chosen course?

After you’ve written your introduction, you then need to write the main body of your personal statement which details your experience and interest in the course. This is where you can start using the ABC method to construct the paragraphs that will talk about your experiences from education, work experience and extra-curricular activities. Below are a few great examples from our students.

Example 1: Education

Action = In A-level Psychology, I studied core topics related to mental health, including Beck’s negative triad as an approach to treating mental health. I spent a lot of time researching this and completed wider reading as it affirmed my passion for mental health nursing.

Benefit = The wider reading allowed me to develop my knowledge of mental health conditions and treatments.

Course = This knowledge will improve my patient care whilst on placement and in my career. Completing wider reading has also prepared me for university assignments and inspired me to learn more through research.

Example 2: Work experience

Action = I take part in Global Games Jams, working with others to create online games in a short time frame. I recently collaborated with a team of five people to create an online snooker game.

Benefit = As a result, I have developed my teamwork and communication skills.

Course = On the Computer Games Technology course, I’ll be confident when collaborating with others to complete group projects, using our individual strengths and knowledge to create the best game possible.

Example 3: Extra-curricular activity

Action = I’m a member of the debating society at college and participate in discussions on controversial topics and current affairs. I led an argument for the legalisation of euthanasia in the UK.

Benefit = I improved my research skills and used these to gather information that helped me form a coherent argument to use in the debate.

Course = Research skills are key to a law degree and career, they will help me complete university assignments, participate in moot courts and advocate for clients in a court of law.

As you can see from the examples above, these students have very different experiences, but they still find a way to link this back to their course.

Take a look at the examples above and think about how you can talk about your experiences from school, work experience or extra-curricular activities in the same way. Before you know it, you’ll have lots of ABCs that you can turn into well-structured paragraphs.

What should you do next?

Download your free personal statement guide.

Get even more advice on starting, writing and checking your personal statement. Plus, be inspired by real personal statement examples from our students!

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Drone attacks in Moscow’s glittering business district leave residents on edge

People stroll at embankment of the Moscow River in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023, with the “Moscow City” business district in the background. The glittering towers of the Moscow City business district were once symbols of the Russian capital’s economic boom in the early 2000s. Now they are a sign of its vulnerability, following a series of drone attacks that rattled some Muscovites shaken and brought the war in Ukraine home to the seat of Russian power. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)

A couple sit in a park in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023, with the “Moscow City” business district in the background. The glittering towers of the Moscow City business district were once symbols of the Russian capital’s economic boom in the early 2000s. Now they are a sign of its vulnerability, following a series of drone attacks that rattled some Muscovites shaken and brought the war in Ukraine home to the seat of Russian power. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)

Police officers stand near the Red Square in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. The glittering towers of the Moscow City business district were once symbols of the Russian capital’s economic boom in the early 2000s. Now they are a sign of its vulnerability, following a series of drone attacks that rattled some Muscovites shaken and brought the war in Ukraine home to the seat of Russian power. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)

People stroll at the Red Square in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. The glittering towers of the Moscow City business district were once symbols of the Russian capital’s economic boom in the early 2000s. Now they are a sign of its vulnerability, following a series of drone attacks that rattled some Muscovites shaken and brought the war in Ukraine home to the seat of Russian power. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)

People sit in a cafe in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Aug. 1, The glittering towers of the Moscow City business district were once symbols of the Russian capital’s economic boom in the early 2000s. Now they are a sign of its vulnerability, following a series of drone attacks that rattled some Muscovites shaken and brought the war in Ukraine home to the seat of Russian power. 2023. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)

A view of the damaged building is seen in the “Moscow City” business district after a reported drone attack in Moscow, Russia, early Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. Ukrainian drones again targeted Moscow and its surroundings early Tuesday morning, the Russian military reported. Two of three launched were shot down outside Moscow, while one crashed into a skyscraper in the Moscow City business district, damaging the building’s facade. (AP Photo)

Investigators examine an area next to damaged building in the “Moscow City” business district after a reported drone attack in Moscow, Russia, early Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. Ukrainian drones again targeted Moscow and its surroundings early Tuesday morning, the Russian military reported. Two of three launched were shot down outside Moscow, while one crashed into a skyscraper in the Moscow City business district, damaging the building’s facade. (AP Photo)

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The glittering towers of the Moscow City business district dominate the skyline of the Russian capital. The sleek glass-and-steel buildings -- designed to attract investment amid an economic boom in the early 2000s – are a dramatic, modern contrast to the rest of the more than 800-year-old city.

Now they are a sign of its vulnerability, following a series of drone attacks that rattled some Muscovites and brought the war in Ukraine home to the seat of Russian power.

The attacks on Sunday and Tuesday aren’t the first to hit Moscow — a drone even struck the Kremlin harmlessly in May. But these latest blasts, which caused no casualties but blew out part of a section of windows on a high-rise building and sent glass cascading to the streets, seemed particularly unsettling.

“It’s very frightening because you wake up at night hearing explosions,” said a woman who identified herself only as Ulfiya as she walked her dog, adding that she lived in a nearby building. Like other Muscovites interviewed by The Associated Press, she did not identify herself further out of fear of retribution or for her personal safety.

Another resident, who gave her name as Ekaterina, said Tuesday’s blast “sounded like thunder.”

“I think for the first time, I got really scared,” she said. “I don’t understand how people in a war zone can live like this every day and not go mad.”

The Russian Defense Ministry said it shot down two Ukrainian drones outside Moscow and had electronically jammed another, sending it crashing into the IQ-Quarter skyscraper that houses government offices like the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Digital Development and Communications, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade — the same building that was hit Sunday.

A cordon went up around the building and personnel from the fire department and the Russian Investigative Committee were at the scene. Hours later, residents strolled through the district along the Moscow River or sat on benches in the sunshine. By about 1 p.m. Tuesday, workers were already starting to replace damaged windows.

The business district, a 10-minute subway ride west of the Kremlin, is home to some of Moscow’s flashiest restaurants, offering far-reaching views of the capital and a menu of upscale fare like three types of caviar, shellfish from Russia’s Far East and French cuisine.

But there was no escaping the grim news.

While Russian state television has largely played down the strikes, one channel sandwiched a segment on how Moscow’s air defenses successfully intercepted the drones in between reports highlighting Russian attacks on Ukraine.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said in Ukraine that Moscow “is rapidly getting used to a full-fledged war,” without confirming or denying Kyiv’s involvement in the drone attacks that in recent days have struck from the capital to the Crimean Peninsula .

After Sunday’s strike, the Kremlin said security would be ramped up.

Still, the size of the drone that hit the Moscow City district led analysts to question the effectiveness of the capital’s air defenses, suggesting it could have been launched from Ukraine.

“If this is the case, this would be rather embarrassing for Russia’s air defenses. If a drone has been in Russian airspace for hours, air defenses should have picked it up earlier and shot it down earlier,” said Ulrike Franke, an expert in drones and military technology at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

While they haven’t caused much physical damage, bringing the drone campaign to Moscow “blows holes in Russia’s narrative that the war on Ukraine is successful and that it is being prosecuted far away from any consequences for the Russian people themselves,” said Keir Giles, a Russia expert at the Chatham House think tank in London.

“That is something which is going to be harder and harder for Russia’s propaganda machine to explain away,” he said.

A Muscovite who identified himself to the AP only as Eldar summed up the strikes this way: “We attack them, they attack us. And it’s obvious that they will succeed somewhere, and we will succeed somewhere. We should try to strengthen the defense.”

In Odintsovo, where some of the drones were downed about 30 kilometers (18 miles) southwest of the capital, some residents discussed the events on their local Telegram channel.

One woman talked about hearing noises that turned out to be a car or improperly closed trash containers, and seeing what she thought were drones but actually were a flock of birds, a plane and a wind-blown plastic bag.

“How is it possible to live like this?” she asked the group.

“Stop creating panic,” one member admonished her.

“If you hear a noise, be happy because it hasn’t hit you,” added another.

Burrows reported from Tallinn, Estonia.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Undergraduate FAQs

We’ve compiled answers to the most common questions about the application and admissions process. If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, please contact our Admissions Teams.

• For UK student enquiries, contact [email protected] / +44 (0)23 9284 5566 .
• For international student enquiries, contact [email protected] / +44 (0)23 9284 5113 .

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Applications, entry requirements, funding and fees, accommodation, getting an offer.

• Withdraw, transfer or defer

Starting your studies

How do i apply.

You can find all the information about applying to us on our ‘How to apply’ pages . You’ll need to visit the UCAS website and submit an application online. You can find information about filling in the application on the UCAS website. You can also apply to us directly from the application link at the bottom of our course pages .

Which course is best for me?

Our undergraduate degree programmes offer an excellent teaching structure and cutting-edge facilities on our modern city campus.

If you’re still deciding on the right course to study, take a look at the degrees we offer . The course pages include details of course content, teaching structure and career pathways. You can also search for a course by subject area  if you aren’t sure which course is right for you.

You can also read our guide to ‘ Choosing where and what to study ’.

When is the application deadline?

Find out more about UCAS application deadlines on the UCAS website . The deadline is usually towards the end of January. You can still apply after the January deadline, but you could miss out on your chosen course because it could become full or the entry requirements could change.

If you’re applying directly to us, only some of our courses have set application deadlines. These are specified on the course pages If you’re unsure of the deadline, please email [email protected] . We encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

How do I write a personal statement? What do I need to include?

Take a look at our support and guidance for writing a great personal statement , including the personal statement hub. Our hub is full of resources to help you make your personal statement the best it can be, you can then send us your draft for feedback.

For health care, social care and dental care courses, we screen personal statements for particular criteria. Our page about demonstrating the NHS values  has advice about information to include in your application.

Can I submit more than one personal statement?

Yes, you can. Whether you apply using UCAS or our direct application form, you will have a space to enter a personal statement. If you’re applying for different courses within your five choices, you may wish to submit an additional personal statement. If necessary, you can email your additional personal statement to us at [email protected] after you’ve submitted your application. Please include your ID number so we can add this to your application.

I don’t have an academic reference, what do I do?

If you’re unable to provide an academic reference, we can accept a professional reference from your workplace. We understand that if you’ve been out of university for a while, it may not be easy (or relevant) to get back in touch with your old lecturers, or that you may not have attended university before.

If you can’t provide a professional reference, other referees might be able to help you. Please email [email protected] if you're a Home applicant, or [email protected] if you're an EU or International applicant, for further guidance.

What is the status of my application?

You can check the status of your application via our Applicant View system , or if you applied via UCAS, check it in UCAS Hub .

What are the next steps after applying?

Once you've submitted your application, there are still some things to do before you start with us.

Read our guidance on ‘getting your offers and results’  to find out what you need to do next. And check out our other information about preparing for uni .

Our MyPort website (aimed at current students) has lots of information to help you settle in to uni when you arrive. It’s useful to start getting your head around the MyPort website as you’ll be using it a lot.

If you’re taking a distance learning course, you’re still welcome to visit us in Portsmouth and take advantage of the on-campus facilities.

How long do I need to wait for a reply after I’ve applied?

We aim to reply to you within 10 working days of submitting your full application. Our reply might include a request for further information to help us make a decision or an invite to interview. If we can make a decision straight away, we will contact you via email to confirm whether we can issue an offer.

I’m an International applicant. Where can I go for help and advice about my application?

For any updates on your application, you can track its progress using your Applicant View portal.

If you require further help in relation to an update, please email our dedicated Global Admissions team, who are looking after your application, who will be able to assist at [email protected] .

What is a transcript?

A transcript lists the modules you’ve taken during each academic year, their credit value, and the marks you obtained in each module.

How do I upload/send my qualifications?

You can upload any qualifications we’ve asked for in the "Documents" section of the Applicant View system . If you're having difficulty uploading your documents, you can email them to [email protected] (if you're a Home applicant) or [email protected] (if you're an EU or International applicant)

I uploaded evidence to my Applicant View but it's showing I still need to do something. What do I need to do?

Our Admissions team needs to review the information you provided. Once approved, this section in Applicant View will change from red/amber to blue, showing no further action is required. This is a manual process for our team. We aim to respond to all applicants as soon as we receive additional information.

Please keep checking your Applicant View and your emails in the days after submission for updates. You will hear from us soon. If you want further information about the status of your application, please email us at [email protected]  (if you're a Home applicant) or [email protected] (if you're an EU or International applicant).

What are UCAS tariff points and how do I calculate them?

We express entry requirements for our courses using UCAS Tariff point ranges. Most qualifications have a UCAS Tariff value depending on the qualification size and grade achieved; for example, an A Level at B grade is worth 40 points.

Use the UCAS points calculator on our ‘entry requirements for undergraduate courses’ page  to calculate your UCAS points.

Can I apply with lower predicted grades than the advertised entry requirements?

We normally make individual offers within the tariff range published on our course pages. For the most popular courses, we expect to make offers at the upper end of the range.

We like to consider every application on an individual basis, taking into account your entire profile, including your qualifications, experience and enthusiasm for study. After your application has been reviewed in full, you’ll be sent an offer based on all of the information you provided.

We’ll make you a bespoke offer for the course based on your predicted grades.

Do my qualification(s) meet the entry requirements for a course?

You can find the entry requirements for a particular course on its dedicated course page. You can search for our courses here .

If you are still unsure, please feel free to email your qualification(s) to [email protected]  (if you're a Home applicant) or [email protected] (if you're an EU or International applicant) and one of our team will be able to help you.

Can I apply using Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)?

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) allows you to convert relevant university-level knowledge, skills and experience into credits you can put towards a qualification. RPL can come from previous study, employment, voluntary work and training courses, including courses and qualifications you didn't complete.

Please visit our ‘Recognition of Prior Learning’ page  to view the different types of RPL and which one is most applicable to you. For further guidance, please email [email protected]  (if you're a Home applicant) or [email protected] (if you're an EU or International applicant) and one of our team will be able to help you.

What are unit descriptions?

If we've asked you for a unit descriptor, it's likely you're taking a BTEC or Access to HE Diploma qualification and we need to assess whether you're taking the right units to meet our entry criteria.

Please provide us with a syllabus of your course and a list of the units you're taking, including the unit title and the credits associated to the unit. You can usually find this information in a course or unit handbook, or from your current school or college.

Please send this information to [email protected]  (if you're a Home applicant) or [email protected] (if you're an EU or International applicant) and one of our team will be able to help you.

Can I get a scholarship?

Scholarship opportunities may be available for the course you’re interested in.

Home students

Contact our Student Finance Centre for questions about finance and funding your studies – [email protected] .

Find more information on our ‘Scholarships and bursaries for undergraduate students page .

International and EU students

Contact our Global Team for questions about finance and funding your studies – [email protected]

Find more information on our ‘Scholarships for international students’ page .

How do I pay my tuition fee?

If you’re paying your tuition fees with a tuition fee loan, the Government will pay your tuition fees to us directly.

If you or a sponsor are paying your tuition fees, we’ll send you an invoice when you need to pay.

Find more information on our tuition fees page .

To pay your tuition fees, head to our ‘make a payment’ page .

Contact the Income team for advice about making a payment for your course, or any payment-related queries – [email protected] or +44(0)23 9284 5533 .

If your enquiry is related to applying for a student loan or any other funding-related enquiries e.g. scholarships and bursaries, please contact our Student Finance team – [email protected]

What is my fee status?

When you apply to study with us, we’ll use the information you provided to determine your fee status as Home, EU or International. If we need more information, we might ask you to complete an online fee assessment questionnaire or provide further documents. If you’d like to know more about this process, please visit our Fee Assessment Information Page , or if you have any questions, please contact [email protected] .

When is the accommodation application deadline?

Accommodation application deadlines may influence when you need to apply by and accept us as your firm first-choice university.

When you firmly accept your place with us, we’ll send you an email inviting you to apply for accommodation. This email will include the application deadlines.

If you have questions about accommodation, email our Student Housing team [email protected] . Or take a look at our student accommodation pages .

How do I accept my offer if I applied through UCAS?

If you applied through UCAS, you need to let us know your decision in UCAS Hub . If you’re unsure how to accept your offer, please get in touch with UCAS.

I want to accept your offer on UCAS but I’m not able to.

Before you confirm your decision in UCAS Hub , you need to wait for all the universities you chose to get back to you.

If you applied by the UCAS deadline in January universities have a deadline to respond to you . Some will get back to you earlier. You’ll have several weeks to make a decision once all your universities have replied. You don’t need to rush.

Accommodation application deadlines may influence when you need to accept Portsmouth as your firm first-choice university.

How do I accept my offer if I applied directly to you?

If you applied to us directly, you need to log in to your Applicant View and let us know your decision.

When do I need to accept my offer?

You can't make a decision on your choices until all your chosen universities get back to you in UCAS Hub. Once they all respond, you can then:

• Select 1 course as your firm (first) choice
• Select 1 course as your insurance (back up) choice

UCAS has information about deadlines to reply to universities .

What are contextual offers?

We like to consider every application on an individual basis, taking into account your entire profile, including your qualifications, experience and enthusiasm for study. Find out more by reading about how we make our offers .

Please contact [email protected] (if you're a Home applicant) or [email protected] (if you're an EU or International applicant) for more information about contextual offers.

I have a question about my offer, e.g. why is it so high?

We normally make individual offers in the tariff range published on our course pages. For the most popular courses, we expect to make offers at the upper end of the range. We review everyone's application individually and make you an offer in relation to your predicted grades.

If your offer is conditional, we advise you to work hard to achieve the best grades you can. You should continue to do this even if you get a lower offer – committing to your studies and exams will help once you start uni.

If you have more questions about your offer, pease contact [email protected] (if you're a Home applicant) or [email protected] (if you're an EU or International applicant).

Can I swap my replies on UCAS? (i.e. we are your Insurance choice and you want to make us your Firm choice)

You can only swap each choice once. Please contact UCAS to make your swaps if it’s before 25 July 2024.

For more information, including deadlines for swapping your choices, visit UCAS .

I’ve been given an offer, but I don't think I’ll meet the conditions.

If you don’t meet the conditions of our offer, we'll look again at your application to see if we can accept a lower grade to confirm your place. We’ll take into account any extenuating circumstances or additional information you’ve provided.

We’ll keep you up-to-date by email and contact you by email on results day. If we can’t offer you a place on your chosen course, we’ll see if we can offer you a different course. If this happens, we’ll email the new offer to you, which you can choose to accept or decline.

Withdraw transfer or defer

I want to withdraw my place. will this delete my ucas application.

We can withdraw your application completely, but this will delete your UCAS account. If you’re happy with your account being deleted, email us at [email protected] (if you're a Home applicant) or [email protected] (if you're an EU or International applicant) and we will process it for you.

If you applied to us directly and withdraw your application, your Applicant View account won’t be deleted. This won’t affect your applications with any other universities. Your application with us can be reinstated if you want.

I’m at another university, can I transfer to you?

We consider transfers for many of our courses at the beginning of each academic year.

Whether we can admit you depends on how well the modules you've completed so far match the modules on our course. If you’d like more information about this process, please read our guidance to Recognition of Prior Learning  (RPL).

Please get in touch with [email protected] (if you're a Home applicant) or [email protected] (if you're an EU or International applicant) for more information about transferring to us.

Can I defer my place?

We can only defer applications that are Firm with us, so you need to select us as your Firm choice before we can process this.

Once you’ve made us your Firm choice, please email [email protected] (if you're a Home applicant) or [email protected] (if you're an EU or International applicant) if you want to defer your place. Please allow 12 to 24 hours for your firm choice to update on our system, and then contact us again with your deferral request.

You can request to defer your place until the first week of September, so you don't need to make a decision right away about deferring.

Not all of our courses accept deferral requests.

I'm a current student and I want to transfer/withdraw/suspend my course. Can you help?

As a current University of Portsmouth student, you'll need to talk to your current course administration team to seek advice about your next steps. Please contact the MyPort Hub for your course for advice .

I need proof that I’m starting my studies with you so I can open a student bank account. Can you provide this?

Yes, we can provide you with proof in the format of a letter stating that you’re a student or you’re registered here. Send your request to our MyPort Information Hub – [email protected] .

When do I register for my course and find out my timetable?

You will be emailed information about registering onto your course, ordering your student card and how to access your personal ‘Student View’ pages from late August onwards from our registration team.

Can I work while I study?

A lot of our students do part-time work while studying to earn extra money or build skills and work experience. For advice about finding work while you study or managing your workload around your degree, email [email protected] .

If you’re an international student and want to work while studying, read our ‘working during your studies’ information , or email [email protected] for advice.

If you want to study alongside your job, there are lots of options available to you including distance (online) learning degrees, Learning at Work degrees and Degree Apprenticeship programmes. Find out more on our ‘studying while working’ pages . For more information about Learning at Work courses, email [email protected]

For more information about Degree Apprenticeship courses, email [email protected]

I’m a current student and I need a proof-of-study letter and transcript. Can you provide this?

If you'd like to request a letter for this purpose, login to your Student View and click on the ‘My Student View’ tab.

You will see 6 blue boxes. To request the letter you need, click on "Request Standard Letters" and pick the one you need. If you need something more specific or a copy of a transcript, please contact your MyPort Hub .

What is UCAS Extra?

If you've used all five choices on your application, and you're not holding any offers, you could still find a place using UCAS Extra .

Adding another choice using Extra is easy:

• Search for courses with vacancies using the UCAS search tool (you can skip this step if you know which course you want to apply for with us)
• Get in touch with us to make sure we’re still accepting applications for your chosen course before you apply.
• Add the details in the UCAS Hub.

What is UCAS Clearing?

Clearing gives you another opportunity to find the best course for you – whether you've changed your mind, your results surprised you or you're just starting to think about going to university this year.

Clearing opens in early July each year. You'll need to have your exam results to go through Clearing. When you have your results, search our Clearing courses to find out what's available. If you're taking your A level exams in the summer, you'll get your results mid-August. See UCAS Clearing pages for more information about the dates.

Placements and internships

Placement and internship opportunities

Gain real-life employability skills and work experience

A large part of your studies while at University will be about employability after your course. It's important to gain and develop key skills to make yourself more employable once you have graduated.

Work experience gives you real-life employability skills that are invaluable when applying for a job as a graduate. Employers expect a range of transferable skills when they recruit graduates, such as problem solving, analytical skills, team skills and commercial awareness. By taking action early you will be able to stand out from the crowd when applying for jobs.

It's important to find out the type of work experience that's right for you. The work experience you choose could be paid or unpaid, formal or informal, long-term or short-term. It also depends on how much time you can spend in work experience.

Types of work experience

Internships.

Many courses at the University of Portsmouth let you do a year's work placement, short term placements or a self-employed placement.

These provide excellent opportunities to gain high-level experience, an insight into a particular job role and make useful contacts. The experience looks good on your CV  and a large number of students get graduate jobs with their placement employer.

You'll spend your placement working for an employer or setting up and working on your own business. It gives you the chance to experience what it's like working in your potential career and allows you to apply the knowledge and skills you've learned in your degree.

On some of our courses you can spend your placement year abroad. Speak to your Faculty Placement Office (below) to check if you're eligible.

Benefits of doing a placement degree

As well as increasing your employment opportunities, doing a placement:

• Improves your knowledge of business practices and allow you to appreciate the importance of working relationships and their contribution to a company’s activities
• Develops your understanding of the national and international business environment
• Shows you that experience is as important as academic knowledge
• Develops your transferable and interpersonal skills such as team working, communication, problem-solving and commercial awareness
• Gives you a better understanding of your degree, helping you choose your modules in your final year of study and potentially improve your final degree classification
• Builds your confidence
• Helps you build a valuable professional network and meet new friends
• Gives you exciting new experiences – especially if you choose to live in another city or country
• Gives you an experience of your chosen industry so you can make informed decisions about your future career path
• Gives you the ability to talk more authoritatively about your experiences during future job interviews
• Consolidates your ideas for a dissertation or major project
• Introduces you to potential role models and mentors for your personal and professional development

When should you start looking?

You should start looking for placement opportunities early in your second year, but opportunities will be advertised throughout the year. The later you leave it, the harder it will be to find a placement.

Discover placement opportunities

Our placement offices can help you find a suitable placement or prepare for a self-employed placement year or short-term placement.. They'll also support you during your placement.

The University has many links with organisations and companies from various industries and backgrounds, and our placement offices can help with tasks such as:

• Keeping you updated about potential placement year jobs
• Helping you to identify suitable roles to apply for
• Putting together your CV, cover letters, application forms and portfolio
• Holding mock interviews and assessment centres, and application reviews and interview preparation
• Helping you meet potential employers at employability events
• Carrying out pre-placement checks such as occupational health checks, the disclosure and barring service (DBS) and the mandatory training framework

You can also get help with applying and interviewing for your placement from our Careers and Employability Service . It provides resources to help you prepare applications and plan for placement interviews. The team can also support you if you choose a self-employed placement year.

Contact your placement office

Your first point of contact will be your placement office in your Faculty. Use the contact details below to find out about some of the specific placement opportunities available to you:

Faculty of Business and Law

Phone: +44 (0)23 9284 4055

Email: [email protected]

Location: Richmond Building

Faculty of Technology

Phone: +44 (0)23 9284 6263

Email: [email protected]

Location: Portland Building

Faculty of Humanities and Social Science

Phone: +44 (0)23 9284 6179

Email: [email protected]

Location: Park Building

Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries

Phone: +44 (0)23 9284 5181

Email: [email protected]

Location: Eldon Building

Faculty of Science and Health

Phone: +44 (0)23 9284 3555

Email: [email protected]

Location: First Floor, St Michael's Building

Some faculties offer shorter placements. However, minimum placement opportunities vary between faculties. Talk to your placement office to find out the minimum placement length.

Business, marketing, law and finance placements

Kickstart your career by doing a placement year during your studies and graduate with experience in the industry. 

Creative careers placements

Find out the benefits and opportunities of a placement year in a creative career

Science and health care placements

Add professional experience to your studies by doing a placement year on your science sandwich degree course. We'll help you find the best placement for your studies and help with your application.

Maths, physics, computing, engineering and surveying placements

Your sandwich year placement will give you valuable experience to help grow your professional network in your subject, enhance your CV, and improve your chances of employment after graduation.

Finding your own placement

If you prefer, you can find your own placement as long as it meets the requirements of your course and is in a location approved by the University. If you're searching for your own placement, you'll still need to be in-touch with your placement office.

Organisations advertising on graduate websites are often larger companies and so competition is often higher. You should also consider small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) as they may offer opportunities which might be less high-profile but a brilliant placement option. Students have previously secured roles through personal contacts or via professional networking sites such as LinkedIn.

Consider making speculative approaches. You can get more advice on making applications from the Careers and Employability Service and in our careers advice section .

Allocated placements

On some courses, such as health and care professions courses, your course placement team chooses your placement for you.

In these cases, we select your placement to make sure you get the appropriate experiences to meet your learning and career development needs.

Online Placement Sources

The following general vacancy sources promote a wide range of placements. Register your interests and sign up for alerts if possible.

Check out the websites below, follow them on Twitter and Facebook for the latest updates. If you don’t already have a LinkedIn account , create one and follow specific organisations to get a feel for their business. You may get some insights into when they might be opening up placement opportunities as well as gaining an understanding of key issues facing the industry.

• Graduate Prospects
• Rate My Placement
• Target Jobs

Placement years

When you choose a placement year degree, you'll be registered on a placement module during the sandwich year. This is assessed by a portfolio of evidence.

Further information about placement years

Portfolio of evidence for placement year degree.

Your portfolio could include some or all of the following items:

• Placement learning agreement between yourself and your employer
• Your placement diary
• Reflective analysis of your employing organisation and your personal development
• An updated version of your CV to showcase your additional experience
• Reference or final report from your placement provider
• A spoken presentation

The majority of placement year degrees also require you to do a minimum number of hours on placement, which is recorded and assessed as part of your overall progress.

This assessment information doesn't apply if you take a language year abroad. You can find out more about spending a year abroad in our study abroad section .

Placement year salaries

During your placement year you can do paid work, an internship or an unpaid voluntary role depending on your course and the type of experience you want.

The average salary for a 12-month paid placement is £16,500 – but your salary can range between the National Minimum Wage and substantially higher.

You can do an unpaid or voluntary placement where necessary. Unpaid placements can include work in:

• a hospital or lab
• a primary care trust in the UK
• a local authority or a voluntary organisation in the UK related to the care of children and young person’s health or welfare
• a prison or aftercare service in the UK
• unpaid research in a University in the UK or overseas

Funding your placement year

The cost of your sandwich year placement depends on the type and location of the placement you do. You'll need to give careful thought to living costs and how you'll support yourself financially.

Funding available through Student Finance England depends on the type of placement you choose. You may be able to receive living cost grants and loans.

If you do a placement in Europe, you can apply for Erasmus+ funding. Contact [email protected] for more information.

Tuition fees on placement

While you're on your placement or year abroad, your tuition fee is discounted. The fee is currently 15%, subject to annual change, and won't exceed 20% of our normal tuition fee for UK or EU students.

We set tuition fees for international students at the start of each academic year.

Many companies now offer an internship scheme for students, as this is beneficial to both the organisation and the student employee. These internship schemes are usually offered by major graduate recruiters particularly in the business, finance, retail, law, engineering and IT sectors.

Opportunities generally offer paid work for between 1-4 months, usually taking place over the summer. Closing dates are generally around January/March but can be earlier.

If the career area you want to work in doesn’t offer an established internship scheme, or if you are keen to work for a local Small Medium Enterprise (SME), then read our advice on making your own internship.

Internship schemes and work experience opportunities

You can look for advertised internship and vacation schemes, a selection of useful jobsites are provided below:

• The Careers and Employability Service jobs board provides some vacation work experience opportunities. Get notified about new opportunities by setting your email preferences in your MyCareer profile.
• Graduate Prospects allows you to search for a range of opportunities, including internships and placements, by keyword and region.
• TARGETjobs also has a wealth of work experience schemes including internships by sector, searchable by region and duration.
• Rate My Placement is a great resource to see what internship schemes are highly rated by previous students.
• All About Careers is a major Jobs Board focused on internship opportunities.
• Student Ladder provides work experience opportunities for 16-24 year old students.
• Milkround provides information on hundreds of internships and work experience opportunities across the UK and Worldwide.
• JobisJob is a job search engine site which details national and international internship and work experience opportunities.
• W4MP provides career development opportunities for those looking for a job with an MP or in other areas of political activity.
• British Council runs and helps organise a series of internships around the world
• Graduate-jobs.com is a site aimed at promoting internships and work placement opportunities to students and graduates.
• Employ Ability is a site promoting opportunities for students and graduates with disabilities and dyslexia.
• Bright Network is a jobs board that provides internship opportunities

If you're looking for work experience in a specific job sector, you can find information in our in-depth guides to getting into your chosen career.

Erasmus+ incoming students

Many students who come to the UK on the Erasmus+ programme look for short-time placements while studying here. Short-time placements are available and are sometimes referred to as ‘internships’ or ‘work experience’ – please be aware that opportunities are often limited and very competitive. Many opportunities usually take place during the summer months and can have long application processes.

If you're an incoming Erasmus+ student looking to do paid work, you'll need to apply for a National Insurance (NI) number. This needs to be applied for early and advice on how to do this is available at the Careers and Employability Centre. However, if you're 3 months away from completing your course and returning to your home country, it's unlikely a NI number will be issued.

Make your own internship

If the advertised summer internship and work experience opportunities aren't right for you it's worth thinking about creating your own through speculatively approaching organisations. For further information on how to approach and apply to organisations speculatively. Please view our guide to speculative applications .

When making applications, you may need to send a good CV and covering letter. You can get started by following the advice detailed in our guides to CV writing  and cover letters .

Visit the Careers and Employability centre:

Careers and Employability Service University of Portsmouth 28 Guildhall Walk Portsmouth PO1 2DD

Opening hours:

Monday – Thursday: 8.30am–5.00pm and Friday: 8.30am–4.00pm

Get more guidance on jobs and work experience

Part-time jobs guide.

Learn how we can support you with securing paid, part-time work while you study.

Volunteering

Discover how we can help you find and apply for volunteering opportunities to enhance your employability and get experience to add to your studies.

Graduate jobs and programmes

Find a graduate scheme or graduate job with help from our Graduate Recruitment Consultancy.

Working globally

Get experience working abroad during your vacations or when you graduate with our international job-hunting resources.

Connect with us: