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University of Portsmouth

Coordinates: 50°47′43″N 1°05′37″W / 50.795307°N 1.093601°W / 50.795307; -1.093601
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University of Portsmouth
File:UoP 2017 Logo.jpg
Former names
Portsmouth Polytechnic
MottoLucem Sequamur (Latin)
Motto in English
Let us follow the Light
TypePublic
Established1992: University of Portsmouth (gained university status)
1960: Portsmouth Polytechnic
1869: Portsmouth and Gosport School of Science and the Arts
Endowment£1.79 m (as of 2012)[1]
ChancellorKaren Blackett[2]
Vice-ChancellorGraham Galbraith[2]
Academic staff
1,490[3]
Students26,775 HE (2022/23)[4]
Undergraduates22,010 (2022/23)[4]
Postgraduates4,765 (2022/23)[4]
Other students
125 FE[5]
Location,
CampusUrban
ColoursPurple  
Black  
White  
AffiliationsUniversity Alliance
The Channel Islands Universities Consortium
Websitewww.port.ac.uk

The University of Portsmouth is a public university in the city of Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. The history of the university dates back to 1908, when the Park building opened as a Municipal college and public library. It was previously known as Portsmouth Polytechnic until 1992, when it was granted university status through the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. It is ranked among the Top 100 universities under 50 in the world.

The university offers a range of disciplines, from Pharmacy, International relations and politics, to Mechanical Engineering, Paleontology, Criminology, Criminal Justice, among others. The Guardian University Guide 2018 ranked its Sports Science number one in England,[6], while Criminology, English, Social Work, Graphic Design and Fashion and Textiles courses are all in the top 10 across all universities in the UK.[6] Furthermore, 89% of its research conducted in Physics, and 90% of its research in Allied Health Professions (e.g. Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy) have been rated as world-leading or internationally excellent in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF2014).[7]

The University is a member of the University Alliance[8] and The Channel Islands Universities Consortium.[9] Alumni include Tim Peake, Grayson Perry, Simon Armitage and Ben Fogle.

Portsmouth was named the UK's most affordable city for students in the Natwest Student Living Index 2016.[10] On Friday 4 May 2018, the University of Portsmouth was revealed as the main shirt sponsor of Portsmouth F.C. for the 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.[11]

History

The history of the university dates to 1908, when the Park building opened as a Municipal college and public library. The focus was on chemistry and engineering. The roots of the University can be traced back even further to the Portsmouth and Gosport School of Science and the Arts.[12] Shortly after in the year of 1911 a Student Union was established; as early records from the Student Union newspaper The Galleon show.[12]

From 1945 to 1960 the college diversified its syllabus adding arts and humanities subjects after World War II, in response to a decline in the need for engineering skills. This did not hinder its expansion or reputation, as from 1960 to 1980 it opened the Frewen library, gained Polytechnic status and became one of the largest polytechnics by the late 1980s. On 7 July 1992 the inauguration of the University of Portsmouth was celebrated at a ceremony at Portsmouth Guildhall. As a new university, it could validate its own degrees, under the provision of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992.

Campuses

The university is split between the University Quarter, which is centred around the Portsmouth Guildhall area, and the Langstone Campus.

Langstone Campus

Langstone is the smaller of the two campuses, located in Milton on the eastern edge of Portsea Island. The campus overlooks Langstone Harbour and it is home to the university's sports grounds. It also houses a restaurant for the students and provides accommodation for 565 students in three halls of residence: Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother (QEQM), Trust Hall and Langstone Flats.

Langstone Campus used to be home of the University's School of Languages and Area Studies, which has since moved into Park Building in the University Quarter.

University Quarter

The University Quarter is a collection of university buildings located around the centre of the city. This area contains most of the university's teaching facilities and nearly all of the Student Halls of residence (except the Langstone student village and two halls (Rees Hall and Burrell House) located on Southsea Terrace.

The University Library (formerly the Frewen Library) was extended in 2006 at a cost of £11 million.[13] It was opened by the crime writer P. D. James. The University has also recently invested in the Faculty of Science, in particular by renovating the aluminium-clad main building, St Michael's, adjacent to James Watson Hall, named after the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA.

A new faculty called "Creative and Cultural Industries" was opened in September 2006. It provides a unique environment in which all aspects of creative thinking will flourish and develop by combining creative schools from across the university.

Military Technological College of Oman

On 7 June 2013, the University of Portsmouth announced its partnership with the Military Technological College of Oman. This involves the University of Portsmouth providing academic guidance and academic accreditation for the education of 4,200 students with technical roles in armed services and a few civilian employers in the Sultanate of Oman.[14] This has been criticised by the student Amnesty International Society and by Campaign Against the Arms Trade who consider Oman an authoritarian regime, likely to use military capabilities on their own citizens or in regional conflicts.[15]

Organisation and structure

Governance

Portsmouth is formally headed by the Chancellor, currently Karen Blackett.[16] The Chancellor is largely a ceremonial role; Portsmouth is run day-to-day by the Vice-Chancellor, presently Graham Galbraith, along with a single integrated decision-making body known as the University Executive Board. This includes Pro Vice-Chancellors, the Director of Finance and the Deans of faculties, together with the Chief Operating Officer, the Director of Human Resources and the University Secretary and Clerk.[17]

Faculties

The University of Portsmouth is composed of five faculties divided into 29 departments:[18]

Finances

The University of Portsmouth is worth £1.1 billion to the British economy and brings £476 million to the city, an independent assessment in 2017 has shown.[20]

Academic profile

Portsmouth offers more than 200 undergraduate degrees and 150 postgraduate degrees, as well as 65 research degree programs.[21]

The university formerly validated BSc (Hons) degrees in Acupuncture and MSc courses in Traditional Chinese medicine that were carried out by the London College of Traditional Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, a private education provider that collapsed in early 2011.[22]

Research

Over 60% of research submitted by the University to REF2014 was rated as world-leading and internationally excellent.[23] In two subject areas respectively - Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy, and Physics - 90% and 89% of all research submitted was rated as world leading and internationally excellent.[23]

In 2015, the University of Portsmouth won a £272,000 award from the Education and Training Foundation to research how best to deliver study programmes in the UK.[24]

In 2016, Dr Victoria Wang and Professor Mark Button, of the Institute of Criminal Justice Studies, were awarded £299,355 by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to investigate unintended consequences of data release, including those associated with issues of trust, identity, privacy and security. The project is in partnership with Swansea University's Department of Computer Science, the DVLA and other government agencies.[25]

Rankings

Rankings
National rankings
Complete (2025)[26]51
Guardian (2025)[27]25
Times / Sunday Times (2025)[28]53
Global rankings
ARWU (2024)[29]501–600
QS (2025)[30]601-650
THE (2025)[31]501-600

The University of Portsmouth is one of only four universities in the south east to achieve the highest Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).[32][33]

The University was ranked 25th by The Guardian University Guide 2019,[6] 51st by The Complete University Guide 2019[34] and 53rd by The Sunday Times University Guide 2018.[35]

Internationally, the University was ranked 98th in Times Higher Education's ‘100 under 50’ rankings of international modern universities 2017.[36]

Portsmouth was rated in the top 401 - 500 universities in the world by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2017.[36]

Student life

Students' Union

The University of Portsmouth Students’ Union (UPSU) is a registered charity that represents and supports all UoP students, who automatically become members upon registering for their course. The Students’ Union offers members support services, development opportunities and represent them at different levels throughout the University, in the community and beyond.

The earliest record of the Union is in the September 1911 edition of The Galleon student magazine. From 1965, the Union was based in Union House - now St Paul's Gym - on St Pauls Road. In 1983, it moved to the ex-NAAFI building, Alexandra House, where it remained for 19 years. Since 2002, the union has been situated at the north end of Ravelin Park. The Union previously housed two nightclubs, Lux and Co2, but these were closed and redeveloped for other uses in 2009.[37]

The Union Advice Service offers confidential, impartial and non-judgemental support. The service delivers a range of academic & non-academic, information, advice, and guidance to the students of the University of Portsmouth and partner institutions. The service also undertakes other activities and events throughout the year to promote the health and wellbeing of students.The Advice Service is based in Gun House at The Union, next door to Cafe Coco.

Societies and sports clubs

The Union supports a range of student-led groups that provide extra-curricular opportunities to students. There are over 190 sports clubs, societies, media groups and volunteering opportunities. Students can also create new societies with the support of the Union.

The Students' Union offers a range of sports clubs which are administered by the Athletic Union[38] The sports range from traditional team games like athletics, football, rugby union, netball, trampolining, and table tennis to octopush (a form of underwater hockey), lacrosse and pole dancing. As of July 2017 there are 44 different sports clubs .[39]

The Students' Union runs a number of volunteering projects, such as HEFCE's Volunteering Team of the Year.[40] In 2010, the Union was awarded a £15,000 grant to work with elderly residents in the city.[41]

Student media

The university has four main media outlets. The Galleon the student newspaper, Pugwash the student magazine and is the oldest student media attached to the university, Victory Studios the student television station and Victory Radio the student radio station, which works alongside local radio stations including Express FM.[42]

Notable people

Alumni

Notable students of the University of Portsmouth and its predecessor institutions include

See also

References

  1. ^ "University of Portsmouth Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 July 2012" (PDF). University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 12 August 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ a b "About Us". University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 21 October 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ "All staff by HE institution, activity and mode of employment 2011/12" (Microsoft Excel spreadsheet). Higher Education Statistics Agency. Retrieved 13 August 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ a b c "Where do HE students study?". Higher Education Statistics Agency. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  5. ^ "All students by HE institution, level of study, mode of study and domicile 2011/12" (Microsoft Excel spreadsheet). Higher Education Statistics Agency. Retrieved 12 August 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ a b c https://www.theguardian.com/education/ng-interactive/2017/may/16/university-league-tables-2018
  7. ^ "The institution - University of Portsmouth". www.port.ac.uk. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
  8. ^ "University of Portsmouth". University Alliance. Retrieved 12 August 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ "University Partnerships:Channel Islands University Consortium". States of Guernsey Education Department. Retrieved 12 August 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  10. ^ http://personal.natwest.com/personal/life-moments/student-living-index.html
  11. ^ https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/our-region/portsmouth/university-of-portsmouth-named-as-new-pompey-shirt-sponsor-1-8487074
  12. ^ a b "The institution - University of Portsmouth". www.port.ac.uk. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
  13. ^ "Library". University of Portsmouth. Archived from the original on 9 February 2007. Retrieved 4 January 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ "University wins prestigious Oman contract". University of Portsmouth. 9 May 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  15. ^ "University criticised for new contract with Oman military college". the Galleon. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  16. ^ "Karen Blackett OBE announced as new University Chancellor". University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 6 November 2017. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  17. ^ "Vice-Chancellor's Executive" (PDF). University of Portsmouth. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2014. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  18. ^ "Academic Departments". University of Portsmouth. Archived from the original on 28 July 2013. Retrieved 12 August 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ "About Us". University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  20. ^ http://www.biggareconomics.co.uk/recent-publications/portsmouth-university-generates-1-1bn-for-uk/
  21. ^ "Facts & Figures" (PDF). University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 12 August 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  22. ^ Simon Baker (27 January 2011). "No relief for acupuncture students as private college collapses in debt". Times Higher Education.
  23. ^ a b http://results.ref.ac.uk/Results/ByHei/73
  24. ^ "University wins contract to help further education in the UK". The News. 9 November 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  25. ^ "Data Release - Trust, Identity, Privacy and Security - Portsmouth Research Portal". researchportal.port.ac.uk. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  26. ^ "Complete University Guide 2025". The Complete University Guide. 14 May 2024.
  27. ^ "Guardian University Guide 2025". The Guardian. 7 September 2024.
  28. ^ "Good University Guide 2025". The Times. 20 September 2024.
  29. ^ "Academic Ranking of World Universities 2024". Shanghai Ranking Consultancy. 15 August 2024.
  30. ^ "QS World University Rankings 2025". Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd. 4 June 2024.
  31. ^ "THE World University Rankings 2025". Times Higher Education. 9 October 2024.
  32. ^ http://www.hefce.ac.uk/tefoutcomes/#/provider/10007155
  33. ^ http://uopnews.port.ac.uk/2017/06/22/gold-rating-for-teaching-excellence-at-the-university-of-portsmouth/
  34. ^ https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/portsmouth/
  35. ^ https://www.ukuni.net/uk-ranking/overall
  36. ^ a b https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/university-of-portsmouth#ranking-dataset/612573
  37. ^ "Students' anger over axed clubs". BBC News. 10 June 2009. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
  38. ^ "Activities". Upsu.net. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  39. ^ https://membership.upsu.net/
  40. ^ "Credits for your career : Volunteering Advice". National Union of Students (United Kingdom). Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  41. ^ "Old folk and students to learn from each other". The News. 29 March 2010. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  42. ^ http://www.purefm.com/
  43. ^ "Poets: Simon Armitage". BBC. Retrieved 12 August 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  44. ^ "The man who would have been leader". BBC News. 27 October 1998. Retrieved 12 August 2013. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  45. ^ "Lord Chidgey – Co-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party Committee on International Affairs (DfID)". Liberal Democrats. Retrieved 12 August 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  46. ^ Vallely, Paul (14 January 2006). "Ben Fogle: Action man". The Independent. London. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
  47. ^ Henry, Alan (3 March 2008). "Whitmarsh was groomed to be safest bet in the one-horse race to succeed Dennis". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
  48. ^ "Ehsan Masood". Wikipedia. 6 October 2017.
  49. ^ "Timothy Peake". European Space Agency. Retrieved 12 August 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  50. ^ "The 100 most powerful people in British culture". Daily Telegraph. 11 November 2016.
  51. ^ "Nick Kennedy". Rugby Football Union. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 12 August 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  52. ^ Tabbitt, Sue (29 October 2012). "Bouncing back from bankruptcy". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
  53. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 16 December 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  54. ^ https://itunes.apple.com/gb/artist/ramz/1317091714
  55. ^ http://geog.hkbu.edu.hk/?page_id=656. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

Media related to University of Portsmouth at Wikimedia Commons

50°47′43″N 1°05′37″W / 50.795307°N 1.093601°W / 50.795307; -1.093601