University of Exeter - INTO UK

Mainly situated in Devon, the University of Exeter is ranked within the top 20 in the 2023 Complete University Guide rankings for overall score. The uni is split over three campuses – Streatham Campus and St Luke’s Campus in Exeter and Penryn Campus which is in Cornwall.

The course you are doing will dictate which campus you are based on, but most students end up in Streatham Campus, a leafy environment made up of lakes, parkland and woodland, as well as its modern and historic buildings.

Exeter is a lively and vibrant cathedral city and is the capital of Devon. It sits on a beautiful coastline, giving great access to beaches and the ocean, as well as nearby national parks.

The city has a good food scene and a buzzing nightlife, due to the high proportion of students living there. You can find independent breweries, quirky pubs, arts centres, theatres and nightclubs.

The Exeter campuses are represented by the Students’ Guild – the students’ union that aims to ensure you get the most out of your time at Exeter. An on-campus venue hosts regular club nights and live gigs and there are over 250 societies for students to join.

Exeter is a popular city to live in and with direct flights to London, the city is fairly well connected and accessible.

JK Rowling is among the uni’s famous alumni and is said to have based her vision of Diagon Alley on one of the city’s streets.

Undergraduate courses at the University of Exeter are divided into six faculties. These are the business school; college of engineering, maths and physical sciences; college of humanities; college of life and environmental sciences; college of medicine and health and the college of social sciences and international studies. A range of degree subjects can be studied within these colleges.

Exeter promotes a flexible combined honours scheme which lets students combine modules from a variety of subject areas, allowing you to study a degree that’s not available as an existing combined honours programme should you want to.

Typically, full-time undergraduate degrees at Exeter take three years to study, but a number of courses include placement years, study abroad options or an integrated master’s year. These courses usually take four or five years to complete. Most degrees include optional modules, as well as core modules, meaning you can study the degree topics you’re most interested in.

Part-time study is also available for some undergraduate courses. You should check this with the relevant department if it’s something you want to look into.

Exeter accepts a wide range of qualifications, including A-levels, BTECs and the International Baccalaureate, among others. You’ll find specific entry requirements for each course on the uni’s programme pages online but we’ve given you an idea of some of the course requirements here.

To study a degree in business, accounting or finance, for example, you’ll likely need A-levels of A*AA–ABB (or equivalent qualification).

If you want to study a science subject at Exeter, you’ll need to achieve A-level grades of AAA–ABB (or equivalent qualification). It should be noted that you may be able to gain entry onto a science-related degree with lower grades than these if you do a course that includes a foundation year.

For degrees in maths and engineering-related subjects, you’ll likely need to get A-level results ranging from A*AA–ABB (or equivalent qualification). Again, there are degrees available with foundation years that ask for lower qualifications. For example, the Engineering with Foundation Year BEng (Hons) course asks for A-levels of BCC.

It should be noted that entry requirements can change so you should always confirm these with the university before applying.

There are accommodation options in both the Exeter and Cornwall locations, so where you stay will be based on the location of your course. You’ll be able to find a variety of options, including self-catered and catered halls of residences, as well as private housing options.

The self-catered residences come with a shared kitchen fitted out with cooking equipment, although you will need to bring your own pots, pans, crockery and cutlery.

As mentioned, there are catered accommodation options as well, although there are fewer of these than self-catered residences. In catered residences, you’ll have breakfast and dinner meals included every day of the week. These are usually served in a communal dining space, as a canteen-style service.

In all halls, you’ll get insurance cover for your personal belongings and heating, lighting and water charges are included. Some accommodations also come with bike storage facilities.

Most of the Exeter accommodations are clustered in different areas of the city, around the campuses. Due to the size of the city, you’ll never have too far to go to get to lectures, other residences or social areas, either by walking or by bus.

The University of Exeter’s career zone aims to help students plan their future careers. It can help with everything from finding the sector you want to work in to searching for and preparing for jobs and providing assistance and advice throughout your studies and after graduation.

The service offers face-to-face and online appointments to give careers advice in several areas, like writing CVs and covering letters, finding a placement, studying abroad and where to look to find employment opportunities.

Careers fairs are also held, giving access to a range of employers offering part-time work, internships, placements and graduate opportunities. These events are a great chance to meet potential employers and learn more about different industry sectors. Some of the recent career fairs that have been held include a law virtual careers fair, a virtual aspiring educators fair and a virtual casual jobs and internships fair.

The career zone also runs several workshops and webinars which aim to improve your employability skills and get you ready for the graduate job market. Skill sessions include online networking skills, negotiation skills, presentation skills and managing people.

The University of Exeter has several bursaries, scholarships and awards to give out, to help eligible students with their tuition fees and living costs.

Scholarships are awarded for several different reasons, like academic and intellectual merit, personal achievement and extra-curricular ability. For example, the Sports Scholarship Scheme offers up to £3,000, plus additional support services, for eligible students of outstanding sporting ability who have earned acclaim at international level in their chosen sport.

Additionally, the EMPS Foundation Year Scholarship is worth up to £2,000 for one year for students who are enrolled on a course with a foundation year. It should be noted that you will have to meet certain criteria to be eligible for all scholarships.

Bursaries are usually awarded depending on a student’s personal circumstances. For example, if you come from a household with an annual income of £25,000 or below, you’ll be eligible for an Access to Exeter (ATE) bursary. This bursary is worth up to £2,000 a year.

You can find more information about the different scholarships and bursaries, as well as what criteria has to be met to receive them, on the uni’s student finance pages online.