Solent University (Southampton)

Solent University (SU) is a long-established and highly regarded educational institution in Southampton with over 160 years of teaching heritage to its name. With postgraduate courses available in a huge number of subject areas, SU offers a range of MA, MSc and MBA programs, as well as industry-accredited professional and part-time courses.

SU is located in the coastal city of Southampton, a city with a population of around 250,000 which offers something for everyone. Southampton has beautiful city centre parks, lively arts and music scene as well as a culture of sports and outdoor pursuits. There is a waterfront development with restaurants and modern shopping centres, and many beaches within an hour’s drive.

The university campus and its six halls of residence are located in the heart of the city, and incoming students will join a vibrant community of around 30,000 students from over 100 countries, who call Southampton home. There is a diverse and very active Students’ Union, and students benefit from strong international connections, both socially and academically.

Solent University is well funded and equipped with the latest subject-specific tools and technologies. It is a research-driven and employment-focused university, which cultivates strong connections with its industry partners. The curriculums are informed by these collaborations, ensuring that an SU postgraduate degree will be a relevant and respected qualification that prepares graduates for success after graduation.

Solent University is a workplace focused and industry-led institution, with a well-established network of partners and professionals. Students benefit from studying courses that have been designed in collaboration with industry employers, and the university’s Careers and Employment Department help students gain valuable internships and work experience while studying, which enhances their skill sets and boosts employability. SU graduates are among the most employable in the UK, according to the 2017 Employment Performance Indicator (EPI) study, which placed the university at 42nd for graduate employment. 95 per cent of SU leavers find employment or are in further study six months after graduating.

There are 46 postgraduate degree courses available to study at Solent University, across a wide range of subject areas. These courses range from 1-2 years in duration and may include options for professional work placements as part of the assessment criteria. The university also offers a further 18 professional courses, in a number of fully accredited qualification systems.

SU lecturers are highly qualified and are frequently involved with industry research either at the university or elsewhere. Students benefit from their insights and experience.

 

Solent University has a large and very active Students’ Union, which acts as a representative body for its 11,000 full-time students, delivering news and updates as well as providing academic and personal support and running events throughout the year. The Students’ Union has a busy timetable of events, and students at all levels are encouraged to get involved.
 

Southampton is a wonderful place to study, and accommodation can have a real impact on the experience of living there. Solent University has five halls of residence in the city centre available to postgraduate students as well as undergraduates, which cater to a wide range of requirements and budgets. Solent student accommodation is guaranteed for students who confirm their place and apply for accommodation before June of the year in which their course begins, and all residents have free access to the Solent Sports Complex, the university’s state-of-the-art fitness centre.

The university also offers an accreditation scheme for those who would prefer to rent through the private sector, which ensures that any rented property is safe and secure. There is also an option to select LGBT+ accommodation when applying for accommodation through SU.

SU is a well funded and equipped institution with a huge range of facilities available to its students. These range from course-specific resources such as their advanced composites laboratory, or 3D modelling workshop, to more accessible amenities like music practice rooms or the watersports centre. There are also a number of vocational instruction centres such as the fire school and medical training centre. A full list of facilities is available on the university website.
 

Southampton is a vibrant mid-sized coastal city with a lot to offer its large student population. There is a lot of green space, with five parks and a well-developed waterfront, including restaurants and bars, a world-renowned maritime museum and even an aquarium. The city has a thriving arts and music scene, with many galleries and live music venues, and a lively nightlife district for late-night socialising. An advantage of Southampton’s size is that most of its attractions are accessible within a relatively short walk and, for things that are further from the centre, there is a comprehensive network of buses and public transport to easily get around.

Solent University has around 40 active student-run clubs and societies to get involved with. These cover a wide range of areas and interests and are open to all new and returning students. Options range from sports teams to language societies, film, fashion and theatre groups as well as faith oriented student organisations. There are plenty of opportunities for students to make friends and develop extracurricular interests in parallel with their academic work, which will last beyond their time at university.

All students at Solent University have access to specialist year-round support services. The university is committed to creating and maintaining a learning environment which encourages confidence and success on both a personal and academic level.

The Student Protection Plan is a plan devised in a collaboration between the Students’ Union and the university, which outlines which protections are guaranteed, should there be any risk to the continuation of study at SU, or any changes made to teaching and courses.

Additionally, the university offers free support in many other areas such as personal finance, academic support, health and wellbeing, spiritual guidance and international student support.

There are different fee structures at Solent University for UK, EU and Overseas students and, additionally, fees vary on a course-by-course basis. Details on the fee structure of each course are available on the university website. Tuition fees at SU depend on personal circumstance, and also whether the student is studying full-time or part-time.

SU runs a financial incentive scheme for postgraduate applicants who have already completed their undergraduate degree at the university. The discount applied will depend on the classification of their previous degree, and ranges from a 20 per cent to 50 per cent reduction in the tuition fee amount.
 

Solent University is dedicated to doing everything possible to support students who are in financial need and is always reflecting on its support services to ensure that the money awarded through bursaries and scholarships has the maximum impact on the students who need it the most.

SU offers a number of different bursary and scholarship options, which are awarded on both merit-based and needs-based criteria. Eligibility is determined by the university financial support team on a case-by-case basis, and there are multiple schemes available to postgraduates and both domestic and international students.

Solent University consistently performs well in subject areas of business, communication, interior and exterior design, and in recent years has become a leading institution for digital media courses like film, TV and computer game design. Southampton also runs one of the strongest departments anywhere in the UK for Maritime Studies, with four world-renowned postgraduate programs available at the Warsash Marine Academy for the 2020/21 academic season.

SU’s selection of vocational courses and industry involvement in the academic course design adds an extra dimension of employability to all of its courses, which is in itself a strength. The university makes the job market more accessible to all its graduates.

Solent University postgraduate entry requirements vary considerably based on the choice of a degree course, and individual circumstance, and are subject to consideration by the university’s admissions team. However, in general, postgraduate applicants are required to submit the following:

• British bachelor's degree with a minimum classification of 2.2, or equivalent qualification
• CV or resume
• Essay or cover letter, if applicable
• Letter of recommendation if applicable

The university publishes a detailed document of entry pre-requisites which is available to read on their website.

Solent University is a dynamic and progressive university, focused on innovation and growth as a world-leading research centre. Research is targeted on three key areas: Creative and Cultural Industries, Maritime and the Environment, and Health and Wellbeing.

The nature of the research involves a strong interdisciplinary component, and cross-collaboration between departments is encouraged. SU aims to engage with the wider academic community and develop new and innovative approaches towards societal and environmental challenges which must be faced in the coming years.

Information about specific research groups can be found on the university website.
 

Solent University has a heritage of providing quality education stretching back to 1846, and in this time has earned a reputation of excellence which it works hard to uphold and improve. SU has recently been awarded Silver in the Teaching Excellence Framework, which indicates the quality of its tuition, the high standard of the university as a learning environment, and the scope of opportunities and outcomes for its students. SU consistently exceeds the rigorous national standards set for higher education in the UK at undergraduate and postgraduate level, and for its research and innovation.

Universities are incorporating more and more online elements into their curriculums, and many courses are now completely available for remote study.

Solent University has developed a new and effective online resource available to all students, called Solent Online Learning (SOL). SOL is a remote learning hub, which provides access to course materials as part of the learning experience at SU. Students can use SOL to access reading lists, submit online assessments, and communicate with lecturers and peers. SOL also offers access to the university’s career and employment resources from carefully selected information, to personalised guidance and advice.

Solent University offers a range of postgraduate and research courses in fields such as computing, communications, maritime studies, business, law, and health and wellbeing. The university provides full support with time and workload management and awards postgraduate bursaries and scholarship as well as financial incentives to students who completed their undergraduate degree at SU.

Postgraduate students get extensive contact time with their tutors, who are individually assigned and who themselves carry out pioneering research in their taught subject area, as well as providing personal mentorship and support. Postgraduate students at SU gain access to the university’s expanded network of alumni, professional researchers and industry partners. A degree from SU is excellent preparation for competitive employment positions or further academic work.