University of Plymouth

The University is a dynamic, ambitious and award-winning institution with a research-led culture that encourages innovative and creative ideas with the confidence to turn these into reality.

• Top 10 modern university (Times Higher Education rankings)
• Two thirds of our most recent submission to the Research Excellence Framework was rated as ‘world leading’ or of ‘international quality’
• Top 25 for teaching quality and top 50 for students’ overall satisfaction (National Student Survey 2020)
• Top 25 university for job prospects (What Uni Student Choice Awards 2019)
• Recently awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for pioneering research on microplastic pollution
• Opportunity to change direction with one of our conversion programmes, allowing you to study a completely different subject area from your undergraduate degree.

Location and facilities

Study at Plymouth’s city-centre campus and you’ll be placed right in the heart of the action.

Plymouth is affectionately known as Britain’s Ocean City, owing to its rich maritime history, beautiful beaches and natural harbour. The vibrant waterfront and town centre are home to a wide range of shops, bars, cafes and restaurants, while other attractions include theatres, museums, an aquarium and lido – and of course, the spectacular views of Dartmoor right on our doorstep.

The campus has been redesigned and modernised to create improved study and leisure amenities, including:

• Charles Seale-Hayne library with areas for 24 hour access, 365 days a year
• A world-class performing arts centre, The House, built to the very highest technical and sustainable specification
• The beautifully restored gardens of Drake’s Place, which serves as a hub for public events and activities
• Our Marine Building, which houses some of the most advanced marine testing facilities, including: deep-water wave tanks, a ship simulator, technical labs and a support space
• The new Derriford Research Facility, with hi-tech equipment which will accelerate our world-leading research.

Faculty of Arts and Humanities

The Faculty of Arts and Humanities is a community where we work hard for our students whether they are in the studio, a seminar room, or in co-curricular activities. We build a culture that has far reaching benefits that go beyond the faculty through the provision of creative learning. We consist of five schools:

• School of Art, Design and Architecture
• School of Humanities and Performing Arts
• Plymouth Institute of Education
• Plymouth Business School
• School of Law, Criminology and Government

Through the provision of creative learning we build a culture of ingenuity, diversity and distinctiveness, a culture that has far reaching benefits that go beyond the faculty, beyond the University and reach out into the community, industry and economy at large.

The Faculty of Arts and Humanities transcends the provision of degrees and doctorates, lectures and workshops by:

• Working with schools and colleges to raise aspirations
• Offering space for the development of creative business ideas through the Formation Zone
• Fostering collaborations both within the University and with external partners through Creative Cultivator
• Bringing a diverse range of cultural events to the people of Plymouth and the South West through The Arts Institute

Bringing together a community comprised of the School of Art, Design and Architecture, the School of Humanities and Performing Arts, Plymouth Institute of Education, Plymouth Business School and the School of Law, Criminology and Government, the Faculty of Arts and Humanities works hard for its students be they in the studio, a seminar room, or in extra-curricular activities.

Plymouth just isn’t like anywhere else, the culture is unique, the location is unparalleled and all of my lectures and support from the university have really helped to set me up to succeed in my journey as a graduate.

Georgia O’Carolan MRes Art History

Faculty of Health

The six schools within the Faculty of Health: Medicine, Dentistry and Human Sciences combine world-leading research and practical expertise across a wide range of scientific and practical disciplines. Our graduates progress to a huge variety of professions and we are one of the UK’s largest providers of graduates for the health and care sector.

• School of Health Professions
• School of Nursing and Midwifery
• School of Psychology
• Peninsula school of dentistry
• Peninsula school of medicine
• Peninsula school of biomedical sciences

Delivered by professional experts, our programmes at Plymouth are tailored to you and your career. Together, we address today’s most challenging healthcare and psychological issues, through research-informed teaching and active, real-world learning.

The Plymouth Institute of Health and Care Research work on discovering the causes of disease, through to evaluating novel ways of delivering care to the most vulnerable people in society, our thriving community conducts adventurous world-leading research.

Number one nationally for clinical medical research output, according the Research Excellence Framework (REF2014)

I would recommend studying at Plymouth because I have had a great experience and outcome. Plymouth is a very modern university which is constantly growing. It is an accepting community, open to worldly views, and looking into the future. There is a great atmosphere at the University and facilities are only ever improving.

Soraya Williams MSc Biomedical Science graduate

Faculty of Science and Engineering

At the heart of our teaching philosophy is the desire to give you programmes that are driven by research-informed teaching and are at the leading edge in their fields. We want you to be hands-on with as much of our equipment as possible, to develop skills, as well as knowledge.

If you aren’t in the lecture theatre or the lab, you may well be in the field. We are lucky to have a location that supports our field-based programmes. If you are not on a field-based programme, you will still find the sea, the moors and the city a great place to be for all kinds of social and leisure activities.

The programmes within our three Schools attract students from all over the world who want to innovate, generate new ideas and fundamentally make the world a better place. During your time with us, we will give you knowledge, skills and work experience opportunities that will enable you to thrive in your chosen field. You will go on to make an impact on our world. Throughout your journey with Plymouth, you will be empowered to bring about positive change and progress.

• School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics
• School of Biological and Marine Sciences
• School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

I would recommend Plymouth for the high quality courses and teaching, academic support, and, of course, a beautiful combination of sea and moorland.

Emma Mellor – BSc (Hons) Animal Behaviour and Welfare; MSc Zoo Conservation Biology graduate

Support for Postgraduate Students

We are proud of the support we offer our students. The Student Hub is staffed by a wonderful team of advisers who are available to help on a wide range of topics such as mental health and wellbeing, disability advice, international student advice, funding and bursaries, and pastoral and spiritual support.

Our Doctoral College operates across the entire University and offers a range of support specific for postgraduate students including:

• Access to scholarships, studentships and bursaries for research degrees, professional doctorates and taught masters programmes
• Professional skill development
• Support from the Postgraduate Society through monthly exchange sessions

Careers and Employability

We want you to come and join our vibrant community of postgraduate students and benefit from our innovative approach, world leading expertise, world-class facilities and close collaboration with employers. Studying a postgraduate programme with the University of Plymouth ensures that you will be equipped with the most relevant knowledge and skills to be competitive in the workplace.

The Careers & Employability Service offers free and impartial one-to-one careers information, advice and guidance throughout the year. All of our advisers are professionally qualified and experienced, and are able to offer a range of services including:

• Skills development webinars and employer sessions
• Online resources you can access 24/7
• One-to-one appointments through phone or Zoom
• Jobs board advertising the latest Part time, placement and graduate vacancies

Fees and Funding

The University of Plymouth offers a range of financial support to help you during your time as a student. Whether it’s advice on student loans and grants, information on bursaries and scholarships or help with extra financial support, the Student Funding team can advise you on all aspects of student funding.

Did you know you may be eligible for a government-funded loan of up to £11,570 towards the cost of your masters degree?

Find out more about postgraduate funding.

International Students

Students from over 100 countries currently study with us, attracted to Plymouth by our reputation for teaching and research as well as the opportunity to experience one of the UK’s most beautiful regions. We support you during your studies and before you arrive.

Visit our international pages.

How to apply

For the application form and information on how to apply, can be found on our postgraduate pages.

For information about how the current situation might affect your application to study with us, please visit our website.

Plymouth on Demand

We're excited to announce that we have added a collection of postgraduate virtual experiences to Plymouth On Demand - from tasters and tours, recorded Q&A sessions and information on funding and careers.

Even though we can't welcome you to our campus in person at the moment, we hope these resources will give you an insight into postgraduate study at Plymouth and give you the opportunity to get your questions answered.

Find out more by visiting our Plymouth on Demand webpages.

Open Evening

13 October 2021 - 16:00 – 19:00

Our Postgraduate Open Evenings are designed to help you find out about the range of postgraduate and professional development opportunities.

Both academic and professional support staff from the University will be available to answer your questions and give you advice, guidance and information about our programmes.

Find out more about our next Postgraduate Open Evening.