University of Winchester

About the University of Winchester

The University of Winchester is a public university based in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It traces its roots to the 19th century and offers a campus-based learning experience in a compact, historic cathedral city. Winchester emphasises high-quality, research-informed teaching and student support, with particular strengths in areas such as education, health & life sciences, humanities and conservation.

Why choose Winchester? (student-friendly reasons)

• Strong teaching focus — Winchester promotes a high-quality teaching environment and student support services (Academic Success team, dedicated international support).

• Compact, safe campus in a scenic city — King Alfred Quarter campus is close to the historic centre so students get a friendly campus feel plus easy access to city life. Campus has been upgraded with modern facilities and an interactive campus map is available.

• Good graduate outcomes in some measures — Winchester performs well on graduate outcomes measures and emphasizes employability and placements across many programmes.

• Strong international student support — dedicated pages and services for international students including pre-arrival guidance, visa signposting, and academic support.

Rankings & recognition (how to read them)

• Winchester appears in major ranking sources (e.g., Times Higher Education pages for the university) and has subject-level placements in THE subject tables. It is not typically in the highest global ranking bands (these are dominated by very large research universities), but Winchester’s strengths are in teaching quality and student experience.

Campus locations & student life

• Main campus — King Alfred Quarter, Winchester: student life is centred here in walking distance of Winchester Cathedral and the city centre. The campus is split into quarters (King Alfred, West Downs, Medecroft, Bar End) and the university provides an interactive campus map and details about accommodation.

• Campus facilities include the Martial Rose Library (recent refurbishment announced in 2025), sports centre, student union, and a range of catered and self-catered accommodation options. Recent news includes the reopening/official opening of refurbished library facilities (2025).

Types of courses & study levels

Winchester offers the usual breadth of higher-education awards:

• Undergraduate degrees (BA/BSc/BEd etc.) — many honours programmes across arts, humanities, sciences, business, health, education.

• Postgraduate taught (MA/MSc/MBA/PGCE) and research (MPhil/PhD) — taught master’s, professional programmes and research degrees administered by the Doctoral School.

• Foundation & pathway years, short courses, apprenticeships and CPD — Winchester runs flexible options for entry and professional development.

Mode of learning (on-campus / e-learning / blended)

• On-campus (traditional delivery) is the default for most courses — Winchester is a campus-based university.

• Distance & flexible learning / online — Winchester runs a number of distance and flexible programmes (examples include BSc Animal Science & Conservation by distance, MA Death, Religion & Culture, MSc Global Health and several online MSc/MRes/PGCert options). The university provides guidance and technical requirements for distance learners. So you can find both campus-based and fully online options depending on course.

Number of programmes offered

• Winchester runs a broad portfolio of courses across undergraduate, postgraduate and research levels. Public listings and course finders show hundreds of options (undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and short courses). Use the university course finder to see the live list by subject and level.

Highlights & distinctive features

• Compact campus and strong student support — easy to get involved in campus life and reach services.

• Distance learning options in selected subjects (useful if you cannot relocate).

• Good accommodation and student experience indicators — THE accommodation ranking and other student-experience measures are positive.

• Active news & events— Graduation 2025 and library refurbishment are recent, showing ongoing campus investment and student celebration events.

Practical checklist for international applicants

1. Pick programmes: Use Winchester’s course finder (Undergrad, Postgrad or Research) to shortlist programmes by subject and delivery mode.

2. Check entry & English requirements: Winchester has a dedicated International Entry Requirements page; check the exact qualifications, GPA equivalents and IELTS/English scores required for your course.

3. Look at fees & scholarships: Review the Scholarships, Bursaries and Awards pages and confirm deposit & application deadlines to secure fee reductions if eligible.

4. Decide mode: If you can’t relocate, filter for distance/online courses; otherwise plan for on-campus arrival and accommodation. Read the distance-learning technical requirements carefully.

5. Apply & prepare visa documents: Contact Winchester International or Admissions for country-specific visa guidance and required documents.

6. Attend an Open Day / virtual tour: book a campus visit or virtual open day to see facilities and ask subject tutors about placements and assessment style.

Scholarship

• International Undergraduate Student Scholarship — £4,000

  • Applies to new international students joining a taught undergraduate programme in 2025/26. It is automatic and will be applied to your offer letter.

• International Postgraduate Student Scholarship — £5,000

  • Applies to new international students joining a taught postgraduate programme in 2025/26. It is automatic and will be applied to your offer letter.

• Sanctuary Award (for students seeking asylum / refugee students)

  • Winchester’s Sanctuary Award can waive tuition fees and provide a bursary (up to £5,000 a year) for up to two students per year. This award is separate from the international scholarships and is targeted at people seeking sanctuary in the UK.

• Undergraduate & Postgraduate bursaries, awards and Widening Participation support

  • Winchester lists a range of course-level awards, progression awards, and widening-participation bursaries (care leaver, estranged, young adult carer, etc.) — check the Undergraduate and Postgraduate scholarship pages for full lists.

• Research studentships

  • Research (PhD) studentships are published when available; these are typically advertised on the research studentships page and vary by faculty (fully funded or fees-only).

Who is eligible — the essentials

• Fee status: You must be assessed by Winchester as an international (overseas) fee-paying student to be eligible for the International Undergraduate or Postgraduate Scholarships.

• Course type: Scholarships listed above apply to taught programmes (UG/PG taught). Research degrees and some foundation/route programmes may have different funding arrangements — check each scholarship’s T&Cs.

• Automatic awards: The £4,000 (UG) and £5,000 (PG) international scholarships are automatic — Winchester applies them to eligible offers (you should see them in your offer letter/fee invoice).

• Sanctuary Award: Separate eligibility and selection process — targeted to those seeking sanctuary/refugee status and has its own application/selection process.

How scholarships are applied / combined (important mechanics)

• Automatic application to offer: Winchester states that the International Undergraduate and Postgraduate Scholarships will be applied automatically to qualifying offers for the specified intake (2025/26). Check your offer letter — it should show the reduced payable fee.

• Fee invoices / CAS: Scholarships generally reduce your tuition fee invoice. Note Winchester requires an international tuition deposit before issuing a CAS — confirm how the scholarship is reflected on your invoice before payment.

• One award at a time / rules: Many universities restrict combining internal discounts — Winchester’s general Scholarships page lists multiple awards and T&Cs (read the relevant scholarship page for combination/exclusions). If you are offered more than one Winchester award, the University’s policy determines which is applied.

Deadlines & timing to watch

• Intake-specific: The automatic international scholarships are advertised for the 2025/26 intake — check the scholarship page for the exact intake (Sept 2025 / Jan 2026) you are applying to.

• Deposit & CAS: You must pay the deposit before the CAS is issued — missing deposit deadlines can cause visa delays. Winchester’s international fees page has full payment & deposit instructions.

• Sanctuary Award and some bursaries have separate application windows — check the individual award pages for closing dates.

Practical tips & checklist (do this before you accept an offer)

• Confirm your fee status (international/overseas) with Admissions — scholarship eligibility depends on it.

• Ensure the scholarship appears on your offer before paying balances. If it does not, contact Admissions/Fees immediately.

• Keep scanned copies of transcripts, passport, English test and any documentation the University might request.

• Budget for living costs and visa-related fees — scholarships typically reduce tuition only.

• If you’re seeking sanctuary or refugee support — explore the Sanctuary Award; Winchester can waive tuition + provide bursary support for eligible applicants.