Mature Students

We welcome applicants who are over 21 and have a wide range of qualifications and experience.  Applications from mature students are considered on their own individual merit, and work and other experience can be taken into consideration.

If you are able to demonstrate recent study at Level 3 or above, for example achieving an A‑level or equivalent qualification, then you may not need to fulfil the standard entry requirements for your chosen programme.

For mature students, achieving a pass with an Access to HE Diploma will fulfil the general entry requirement for the majority of our programmes. If you are applying for a course with accreditation requirements such as Nursing/Nutrition & Dietetics/Physiotherapy/Primary Education/Social Work please contact the admissions team to discuss entry requirements and they can advise you further admissions@winchester.ac.uk

All applications for full‑time study are made online via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). They have helpful advice and information to guide you through the process How to Apply

For part‑time study enquiries, contact our friendly Admissions team admissions@winchester.ac.uk

We welcome applicants who are over 21 and have a wide range of qualifications and experience. Applications from mature students are considered on their own individual merit, and work and other experience can be taken into consideration.

The typical entry requirements are a first or second-class Honours degree or professional experience in the area of study. A related Honours degree is desirable but not essential for most courses.

You can check the entry requirements for your chosen course on the relevant course page or for further information please contact the Admissions team: admissions@winchester.ac.uk

All applications for postgraduate study are made online on our website.

Most mature students prefer to travel in and we have a page all about your options as a commuting student Commuting - University of Winchester

Winchester Student Union runs a Commuting Students Network and they keep the the joining fee low. The Network have a dedicated Commuters Lounge with homely facilities to give you a 'home from home' on campus (think sofas, kettle, microwave, shower, lockers and even PCs and a printer).

Read our handy blog on all things commuting.  

First of all, don’t worry. We know you may not have been in formal education for a while as you’ve been busy with work or caring responsibilities or both. This is why you’ll get an invitation from our Academic Success to either an undergraduate or postgraduate Back to Study Day in September. On that day we’ll give you lots of helpful advice to get you back into study mode ahead of your course starting.

The Academic Success team can support you with academic skills training at any stage of your studies.

Our friendly Student Support and Success team can provide advice and support in the following areas: mental wellbeing, finances, general life advice, disability and learning diversity support and careers advice. You can book a 1:1 appointment to see how we can best support you.  

Our Mental Wellbeing Team (mentalwellbeing@winchester.ac.uk) has trained professionals who offer information, advice and guidance on a range of issues relating to mental health and wellbeing. The team can refer or signpost to other local services such as the NHS and local charities.

If you are applying for a course and you would like to discuss reasonable adjustments to study and access to specialist support due to an existing mental health condition, please contact the super friendly team at disability@winchester.ac.uk

There are two childcare providers, West Downs Nursery and Tops Day Nursery, very close to the University campuses. They are not run by the University, but they do offer Winchester students a discounted rate.

You have lots of options to get into Winchester as the city is really well served by bus and train. Have a look at our transport pages.

There is no general parking for students, but we have a small number of spaces for those who need them for accessibility reasons, for example if you have a disability or medical need which means you need to have your vehicle on campus. Please contact Student Support and Success in the first instance to discuss this.

We encourage all of our students and staff to use public transport to travel in, but if you prefer to drive, we recommend you make use of one of the four Winchester Park & Ride car parks which offer students discounted day rates. Travel and transport - University of Winchester

Yes! We’d love to welcome you on campus. As well as the Saturday Open Days we run informal campus tours most Tuesday afternoons throughout the year which are led by one of our Student Ambassadors. If you prefer to have a look around in your own time, you can head over to our Main Reception 8am-5pm Monday to Friday and pick up a map of the campus. We also have an audio tour that you can download using the VoiceMap App and searching for 'University of Winchester'.

Open Days - University of Winchester

This is the most important one - accept your offer! After that you will need to:

• apply for finance
• apply for our accommodation if you would like to live in University-Managed Accommodation
• check your resource list from your faculty which they will send you
• research your travel options to the city 
• have a look at the SU website to see what groups and activities you might like to get involved in
• respond to the email asking you to enrol and complete your online enrolment
• if you have been invited to one of our Back to Study Days ahead of your course starting in September, accept your invitation, come along and meet your coursemates

Yes! We allocate our accommodation on a first-applied, first-allocated basis so we recommend you get your application in and don’t leave it too late. If you accept your offer of a place on your course by the Housing deadline published on our website, we guarantee you a place in our University Managed Accommodation.

Take a virtual tour of the campus and your different accommodation options.

Winchester is a beautiful, historic city, and our two University campuses (King Alfred Quarter and the West Downs Quarter) are both just a 10-15 minute walk from the city centre and a 15-minute walk from the train station.

You are welcome to come and visit us, either on an Open Day, at a postgraduate Open Evening or at an informal Tuesday afternoon campus tour and then head down to the city afterwards. All of our events are here.

To get to know the city, have a look at our handy A-Z Guide to all things Winchester.

Find the information you need on funding your undergraduate or postgraduate degree here Students and money - University of Winchester

If you are planning on studying a health course, you may be eligible for a grant from the NHS if your course is one of the NHS's eligible pre-registration courses. Find out more about the NHS Learning Support Fund here NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF) | NHSBSA

The University has various scholarships, bursaries and awards for undergraduate students, postgraduate students and international students. Find out if there are any you might be eligible for.

Our Knowledge and Digital Services (KDS) department provides your library, IT and multimedia services. In our two beautiful libraries, the Martial Rose Library (on the King Alfred Quarter) and the West Downs Library (on the West Downs Quarter) we have different study environments including quiet study areas and collaborative rooms. We have PCs, loan laptops and desks where you can plug in your own device. Our multimedia centre has recording studios (TV, music, audio) with editing facilities and equipment you can borrow to use outside the studios. 

The majority of resources that you’ll need, such as books, articles, theses and images are available online and you can discover all of them via our OneSearch facility. As a Winchester student you have access to Microsoft365 applications and Canvas, which is our Virtual Learning Environment, and we provide guides, videos and advice on the University intranet.  

There are plenty of study spaces around the campuses, from our cafés to our contemplation space pods, all of which have points where you can sit down, plug in and study.

University of Winchester students are all automatically members of Winchester Student Union. The SU represents the student voice and offers a huge range of societies and events that you can get involved in.

If you will be travelling into Winchester, as opposed to living in the city, consider joining one of the SU’s networks, the Commuting Students Network.

For more information about this network, see the answer to the Commuting Students question above.

Our Careers Hub offers ‘Careers Advice for Life.’ The Hub can help with applications for graduate roles and postgraduate study, lists part-time work available locally and can help with volunteering opportunities to boost your skills and CV.