Entry requirements

To apply for a place at the University of Southampton, you'll need to show how you meet the entry requirements.

You'll need:

  • information about your qualifications
  • a personal statement
  • a reference
  • evidence of your English language skills if English isn’t your first language

For some specific degree courses, entry requirements can also include a successful:

  • admissions test or exam
  • audition or performance
  • individual or group interview
  • portfolio
  • occupational health assessment (for professionally regulated courses)
  • disclosure and barring check (for professionally regulated courses)

Entry requirements can also include professional experience.

For most of our courses, our Admissions team will review your application. They will assess whether your application should receive an offer for a place to study at the University.

For some courses, we'll send your application to an academic selector. The selector will assess and determine if you need to attend an interview or selection event before getting an offer.

You can find specific entry requirements on the individual course pages in our course finder.

If you're not from the UK, you can also find help with your qualification on our country information page.

We accept a wide range of qualifications for undergraduate study. Check the individual course pages for specific entry requirements.   

You can apply if you've not yet completed your qualifications. We could still make you a conditional offer, if applicable. 

Accepted qualifications typically include:   

  • A levels   
  • Access to Higher Education (HE)   
  • BTECs   
  • Cambridge Pre-U   
  • Cambridge Technical    
  • International and European Baccalaureate   
  • Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers   
  • T Levels   
  • Welsh Baccalaureate   
  • many European and international qualifications   
  • combinations of qualifications 
  • resits are accepted for all subjects, except for Medicine where there are certain restrictions on resits. Visit the Medicine course pages to read their Selection Policy and to find out more 

If you're taking (or have taken) qualifications not listed on the course pages, contact our Admissions team at admissions@southampton.ac.uk. They will be happy to advise you on entry requirements.

A-levels with Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)    

Certain courses at the University will count A-grades achieved in the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) towards their entry criteria. 

You can find more information on individual course pages.   

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, you'll need to provide a recognised English language test or show how else you meet our requirements when you apply. 

You can apply if you have not yet met our English language requirements and we would still be able to make you a conditional offer if applicable.

Your course page will tell you what the English Language requirements are for the subject you wish to study. You'll see these listed as IELTS scores on individual course pages in the 'entry requirements' section.   

For other accepted language tests, you'll need to match the specific IELTS scores to the equivalent scores for your qualification (opens as PDF).    

If you need to improve your English before coming to University, you may book a pre-sessional English language course. Our courses take place during the summer before the first semester.    
 

The University of Southampton is committed to widening participation and welcoming all students with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, to apply to study with us.   

The Admissions team will be able to access all the information you provide in your application. 

We'll use this to make an assessment and determine whether we can make you a reduced offer. 

You won't need to provide extra information or send us additional documents.  

Learn more about contextual admissions to find out if you're eligible.  
 

For some subjects, you may need to attend an interview or selection event. Check the individual course page to see if this applies to you. 

If this is the case, we'll contact you with specific information on dates and the interview or selection process. 

We support mature students, usually aged 21 or over (23 for Law), who would like to apply for an undergraduate course.    

We typically consider applicants who have been in some form of education within the past 3 years and have completed a level 3 qualification. But, we may also consider your previous employment experience, if relevant.   

We suggest reviewing the course pages and contacting our team at enquiries@southampton.ac.uk to check any unlisted entry requirements and equivalents. This will differ depending on the programme you are applying for.

In some cases, we may put you in touch with one of our Admissions tutors to discuss whether the course is right for you.    

Find more guidance for mature students.