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University Of Southampton – All You Need To Know

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Clare Aririahu
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A research institution domiciled in Southampton, England, is the University of Southampton. It is a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities in the UK.

Furthermore, the school has designs of beautiful landscapes, giving it an outlandish outlook. There are also great and modern facilities in the school. Besides, the school ensures the provision of adequate teaching resources. It also makes sure the course arrangements are reasonable and professional. With that, learning promises to be fun.

There are more about this unique school you would like to know. Never mind, we have put down everything necessary about the University of Southampton here. Enjoy a great read!

All You Need to Know About the University of Southampton

With about 25,000 students that enrol from over 140 different nations, the University of Southampton has a reputation for its research-intensive programmes. Also, out of this whopping number, 34% are international students.

Currently, its engineering faculty is the only engineering faculty in the UK to receive a five-star rating. Remarkably, it is the highest rating across all disciplines in the newest Research Excellence Framework. Hence, Soton, as the university is called, is the best university for engineering.

Furthermore, the University of Southampton collaborates and cooperates with leading industries to aid interdisciplinary learning. To this end, the school usually invites businesses to the school’s Open Career Day. Again, the Southampton Careers Services provides free career advice for its alumni up to three years after graduation.

Furthermore, as a way of welcoming international students to Southampton, the school runs a meet-and-greet programme for those arriving in January and September. What this means is that you will have the opportunity to network with diverse students and make friends as well. Similarly, it also helps in getting you acquainted with the new environment as well as those you are likely to spend your academic year with.

More so, the university runs seven campuses, five are in Southampton, one is in Winchester and the other one is an international branch located in Malaysia. There is also a park in Chilworth which the University of Southampton operates.

Admission for International Students

The admission application portal is the UCAS Application, whereas the application fee is 20 GPB for a single programme. for more than one programme, you will pay up to 26 GPB. Meanwhile, the acceptance rate for international students is around 80%. The outcome is that if you apply to the University of Southampton, your chances of getting admitted is very high.

The admission requirements consist of the following:

  • International Baccalaureate: points between 28 and 38
  • English language test score
  • UCAS personal statement
  • CV
  • Letter of recommendation
  • Academic transcript
  • Degree certificate

Additionally, there are specific requirements for students from different countries. As a result, you will need to visit the university admission portal to get more information. Such requirements include English language proficiency and student visa.

Similarly, for your admission to be considered, you must satisfy the University’s general requirements for your choice of course. Hence, you can visit the course page for additional information about the entry requirements.

The application deadline for undergraduate students is January 29 and June 30.

The University of Southampton Ranking

As published by the QS World University Ranking 2021, the university ranked 90thamong the global universities. Thus, the University of Southampton can be said to be among the top 100 universities in the world. This means that the university has made a tremendous impact on its students through its teaching and research programmes.

Other rankings include:

  • #15 in the Times University Guide 2021
  • #23 in the Guardian University Guide 2021
  • #77 in the QS World University Rankings 2022
  • #124 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankin 2022, etc.

Courses at the University of Southampton

The university offers about 65 courses for different categories of students. So, here are some of the undergraduate courses available at the school:

  • Accounting and Economics
  • Accounting and Finance
  • Aeronautics and Astronautics
  • Archaeology
  • Biochemistry
  • Biomedical Electronic Engineering
  • Business Entrepreneurship
  • Cardiac Physiology
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Criminology
  • Economics
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Electronic Engineering with Photonics
  • English and French
  • English with Creative Writing
  • Film and English with Year Abroad
  • Geography
  • Geology
  • German and Spanish
  • International Legal Studies
  • Mathematical Sciences
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Sociology
  • Software Engineering, etc.

Tuition and Funding for Overseas Students

Tuition

International students pay a higher tuition fee than students from the United Kingdom. If you are, possibly, a student from the EU, you will be mandated to pay an Overseas Fee too. Besides, the cost of your study at the University of Southampton will depend on your course of study. Interestingly, as long as you did not change course, you will pay the amount of tuition for the duration of your programme. As an international student and depending on your course, your tuition is in the range of 19,300 pounds – 23,720 pounds.

In the meantime, the UK Home fees are pegged at 9,250 pounds across all courses. Also, if you study part-time, you will pay 50% of the fee for your course of study.

Funding

The school provides some form of funding to international students. As a result, you might be lucky to get one. Likewise, the funds can be in form of loans, financial support, or scholarships. On the other hand, bursaries are only provided for Home students.

Scholarships

The university is known for offering quality scholarships to the best students. Likewise, students with needs have been lucky to see the school handle part of their needs. To achieve this, the university also partners with many international scholarship providers and donors such as Chevening, Commonwealth and Fulbright.

The school awards various scholarships to international students. However, you must meet the conditions before you will be able to receive one. Notably, some of the partner scholarship donors include Chevening, Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, Marshall, Fulbright Commission and China Scholarship Council. Also, there are other scholarship providers for students from Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, etc. It is most important to note that most of these scholarships are provided for postgraduate studies. 

Cost of Living in Southampton

Living in Southampton is a bit affordable. As a student, here are some likely expenses you will make in a month and their average costs:

ExpensesCosts per month (pounds)
Accommodation540
Mobile phone and internet27
Transport80
Food74
Snacks and takeout26
Coffee and beverage7
Hobbies and relaxations46
Clothing and personal effect54
Holidays and flights90
Bank charges30
Miscellaneous expenses21
Average total995

In addition to the above, make sure you spend based on your budget. What we have put down was just the average cost. That is to say, you can spend more than that, depending on your spending habit and lifestyle. Also, the price of the accommodation was based on the university’s halls of residence. As a result, if you choose to live in private accommodation, it also means you will budget more funds for your accommodation.

WATCH – Top 10 Fully Funded Scholarships in UK for International Students

Student Life at the University

The university boasts of a healthy student union known as the University of Southampton Students’ Union (SUSU). SUSU is run by students and for students, with over 300 clubs and societies. Moreover, its main building has its location at Highfield Campus. However, social events also take place on other campuses.

Whatever your origin or hobby is, there is a society for you. Considerably, the SUSU facilities are made available for students to use. There are also, cafes and bars where you can relax with friends. If you are a movie freak, the cinema and theatre are just there for you to give your eyes some delightsome moments.

Are you a sports enthusiast? The SUSU sports team has got you covered. In effect, if you have the skills or are willing to give any sporting event a shot, you are free to join any sports of your choice. You know what, you will always have a competition, whether national or local, to thrill your life with.

In the same vein, if you also face any problem in the school, the Students’ Union will ensure that you receive proper support and representation. This could be your academic or personal life. You wouldn’t want to miss this, would you?

To be honest, there are more the Students’ Union can do for you. Why not take the next step, get in there yourself and enjoy all the goodness? Sure, there are many ways you can make a difference with life outside the classroom.

Student Accommodation

The University of Southampton made provisions for accommodation for every freshman student. The school offers accommodation to international students at the university’s halls of residence. However, it is only for the duration of their programme. In addition, the accommodation can be in many forms, depending on your budget. There are some furnished and self-furnished houses. On the other hand, others have en suite facilities, a sink in the room or access to public bathroom facilities. You can as well choose to share a room with another student. So, you’ve got to make your choice.

Besides, there is always a Junior Common Room (JCR) committee in charge of each room. The committee also makes sure that there is a smooth running of social events at the school. That notwithstanding, it represents the residents at the students’ union as well as the university through the students’ union JCR officer.

The university’s halls of residence include two large complexes of hall, namely: Glen Eyre Complex and Wessex Lane Halls. Others are City Gateway Hall, Mayflower Halls, Archers Road, Highfield Halls, Gower Building, Erasmus Park and Riverside Way.

Surprisingly, for students living in the school facilities, there is usually a free bus. To make it easier, the bus passes on the Unilink service. Therefore, you can save some extra money out of your transport budget.

If perhaps, you do not want to live in any of the University’s halls of residence, the Accommodation Service can help you to secure a privately rented house. However, never forget that it might cost more than the school accommodation.

Healthcare

Health Services at the University of Southampton for international students are usually free at the point of need. The taxes that the UK residents pay are used to fund the National Health Services (NHS). If your course duration is over 6 months, you are free to access the NHS. However, it will require you to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge. Never mind, it is part of your visa requirement. Moreover, it has a yearly renewal.

Reasons to Study at the University of Southampton

The school has a global mindset. Therefore, it makes sure the students are left with long-lasting experiences. As a prestigious university, its establishment focused on raising and nurturing world-class leaders. In fact, the University of Southampton educates the students having their prospective employers in mind.

Not to forget, below are some of the reasons you can make the University of Southampton your number one choice of university:

  1. English-taught courses: The University of Southampton offers a broad range of courses in the English language. This means that the school teaches even the least of the courses in the English language.
  2. High-quality courses: the university offers over 65 courses. These courses include arts, business, computer science, education, environmental science, engineering, humanities, law, medicine and health care science, mathematics and social sciences. In addition, the school ranks the number in the UK for engineering courses.
  3. Quality education: the university is one of the leading universities when it comes to quality teaching. This is because the professors are experts in the fields of education and top leaders of industries. As a result, you are sure to receive lectures by experts with in-depth knowledge and experience. You will as well have a new approach to classroom learning. This will help to inspire, challenge and support your learning process, offering you the best academic experience.
  4. Location: Southampton is not called the Gateway to the World in vain. It is very lively and vibrant and not more than sixty kilometres from London. Notably, it hosts about 40,000 students and delivers different kinds of sports and entertainment activities.

The city also offers warmth and comfort to the inhabitants with its cosy nature. Additionally, it was ranked one of the top 10 friendliest cities in the UK by The Big 7 Travel, 2019.

Careers and employment opportunities: not boasting, about 96% of the graduates of this great institution get employed or further study 15 months after graduation. More so, prominent companies like the BBC, NHS, JP Morgan, Dyson, PwC, etc. are the top employers of the graduates of Southampton.

Part-time Work

To work part-time will be very helpful to you to take care of some expenses. So, you can find part-time jobs for students within Southampton and its environs. Some of the jobs can also be found on campus. Excitingly, working part-time jobs are ways you can build your CV. No knowledge is a waste, you know.

You can also get paid internships too. Around the university environment, you can do some menial jobs like catering, be an attendant, or work with the students’ union. If you are academically sound, you can be a student lecturer and earn some money too.

Most importantly, you must know that you cannot work more than 20 hours a week as a student. This does not include the work placement or internship that is part of your course.

In summary, the University of Southampton is among the top 1% of the educational institutions in the world. Therefore, your degree from the school makes you a sought-after employee.

Further to that, you must understand that where you choose to study is very important to your future. That, coupled with the acceptance rate of the university, is an opportunity for you to make a difference in your career life. Again, with thousands of students flocking into the city yearly, you are not going to live an isolated life at the university.

To that end, you need to take a step in the right direction by applying today. Who knows, this might be your chance to prove to the world that overseas education is still the best.

See also Best Schools for MBA in the UK

This post was last modified on November 1, 2021 3:54 pm

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