Prospective Students FAQs

Undergraduate Degrees

Applications for full-time undergraduate courses starting in September 2025 are made via UCAS between now and Wednesday 29 January 2025.

Applications for part-time undergraduate courses are made directly to the university - you can read guidance about using our online application form. You might also find it helpful to check out our How to Apply page.

Degree Apprenticeships

Applications are made directly to the university following a consultation with your employer. Further information on the next available start dates can be found on the individual course pages. You can read more about our degree apprenticeships on our website.

Once you've made an application to study with us, you'll typically receive a decision within a few weeks. The exact time frame can vary from course to course, and on the time of year, but our Admissions Team work hard to process all applications as quickly as possible.

If you are a UCAS applicant you can monitor the progress of your application via your UCAS Hub - your application status will automatically update as soon as any changes occur. More information can be found on the UCAS tracking your application page. 

If you are a direct applicant we recommend that you regularly sign into your applicant portal for updates on the progress of your application.

You can find more details about the next steps in your applicant journey.

You can search the range of courses we offer and filter by the type of study you are interested in. From the search results, you can click on a course to read more about it such as entry requirements, course duration, tuition fees, modules and methods of assessment.

Please refer to our personal statement guide and our hints and tips for more information.

Generally we review the one original personal statement which you have submitted as part of your initial application and this should be tailored towards the course you are interested in studying. However, sometimes we may be able to consider an alternative one.

If you would like a new statement to be taken into account, please send it to applications@salford.ac.uk and include your date of birth and application ID number in your email, along with your enquiry.

Yes, all applications require a reference from a suitable referee, such as one of your tutors if you are in education or managers/supervisors if you are in employment.

If you're applying via UCAS through your school/college then your tutors will attach your reference after you have filled in your personal details and qualifications and completed your personal statement.
 

If you have been asked to fill out a Fee Assessment form, this is because we need to clarify your fee-paying status as either a home or international student. Please complete your online form as soon as possible. When a decision is made, your offer will then be processed. Your offer status can be found on your UCAS Hub if you are a full-time undergraduate applicant, or through the online application portal if you are a direct applicant.

If your offer letter refers to you being classed as a full-time home student, this means you are paying our home student tuition fees rather than international fees. It is not related to whether you choose to live in student accommodation or commute from your home address.

Once we receive your application, we will assess the information you have included and then email you to provide full details about what you need to do to complete an interview, assessment and/or portfolio if required. Not all courses require you to attend an interview or share a portfolio, it just depends on which course you have applied for.

Portfolios are required by some of our creative courses to assess examples of your work. We understand that you may not have a full portfolio at this stage in the academic year, but we're keen to see your work so far to understand what your interests are within your chosen subject.

You should expect to see a decision on UCAS within four weeks of your portfolio submission deadline, but please take into consideration that at busy times of the year there may be some slight delays. You can monitor the progress of your application via your UCAS Hub.

If you need to reschedule your interview, you can use the application portal to do so.

If you have any problems doing this, feel free to contact us at enquiries@salford.ac.uk. 

Further details about your interview and how to prepare can be found by clicking the "interview preparation" button on your interview invite once you have been selected for interview. Please check your inbox and spam folder and read the invite carefully.

Our interview process is independent from UCAS, so unfortunately this will not update on your UCAS Hub.

If you have received an email from us inviting you to an interview, then please be assured you have been selected. The date, time and location of your interview is on your email and further details about how to prepare for your interview can be found by clicking the "interview preparation" button on the email.

Our next Open Days will take place on Saturday 12 October and Saturday 9 November. You can book your place now.

If you're made an offer to study with us, we'll invite you to an Offer Holder Day where you can get a real taste for what it would be like to study here. These events run between February and May, and all offer holders will receive more information about these nearer the time.

You can keep an eye on our Undergraduate Events page for details of ways to meet us and see the campus over the coming months.

If you're unable to attend one of our on-campus events, not to worry! We have our Virtual Experience Platform where you can find plenty of resources relating to both your course of interest and wider student life at Salford. You can hear from current students and staff, see some of the key teaching facilities and even go on a virtual campus tour!

Salford is in the heart of Greater Manchester, but whilst it’s just 2km from the buzzing Manchester city centre, it has its own community feel.

If you enjoy the outdoors, then you'll find Peel Park, one of the first public parks in the country, conveniently located next to Peel Park Campus. It’s the perfect place for an afternoon walk or an early morning jog before your studies.

Culturally there’s lots to see and do - Salford is home to MediaCity and The Lowry, plus Salford Museum and Art Gallery is right on Peel Park Campus!

If you're new to Salford and Manchester, you might want to check out our Where is Salford? Discover our neighbourhood video which showcases the local area.

We’re well connected by public transport with Salford Crescent train station located right between our Peel Park and Frederick Road campuses making it easy to travel into Manchester city centre and further afield. There’s a Metrolink stop a stone’s throw from our building at MediaCity if you’re using the city’s tram network. Don’t forget the regular bus links between the city centre and all three campuses - you can use your student ID card to get between MediaCity and Peel Park for free on the number 50 Stagecoach bus!

Yes, and we have multiple car parks available across our Peel Park and Frederick Road campuses - take a look at our travel page for more information. 

If you choose to use a University car park, you will need a valid parking session which students can purchase hourly, weekly, monthly or annually. There are several ways to pay for your parking, and you can find more information, including prices, on our dedicated car parking page. 

Parking at our MediaCity site is a little bit more limited, but if you do decide to drive, take a look at the MediaCity parking guide for more information.

At Salford, we understand that a student’s experience goes beyond the academic teaching on your course. We have a wide range of societies, sports groups and social activities on offer so that you can pursue your passion or try something new. If you can't see a society that interests you, then you are also welcome to start your own.

Why not hear from some of our students who've got involved in societies alongside their studies!

We want you to enjoy your time studying at Salford, but we understand that you may need a little extra support. askUS is our dedicated student support service, offering advice and information on a range of matters, from finance to wellbeing and counselling to disability and learner support.

Within our dedicated student support service, askUS, the Wellbeing and Counselling team are on hand to support you throughout your studies. We've created a Wellbeing and Counselling page to provide you with more information on our wellbeing service, including who to speak to about your mental health and guidance on how to ensure you remain supported once you start university. 

Previous students tell us that getting support in place early or ensuring any existing support they had in place was transferred to Salford, really helped them to enjoy and succeed in their studies, so we would encourage you to start the process as soon as possible. 

For more information, please call the Wellbeing team on +44 (0)161 295 0023 (option 1, option 1) or email wellbeing@salford.ac.uk.

Student Minds, the UK’s student mental health charity, are also here to help you. They have established a resource called transitions, to provide you with information and tips to guide you through the process of moving and settling in to life at university. 

Our Students' Union offers a peer support listening service called Rafiki, which is led by students for students. If you're experiencing any problems whilst at University then our student volunteers are there to listen to you and support you via online chat, phone and video call. 

We understand that as a parent of young children, you need support at a time and place that suits you. We currently have nursery facilities on our campus and in partnership with Busy Bees. You may also wish to contact our dedicated student support service, askUS, for further information and advice.

We offer a range of support and advice through our askUS service for care experienced young people, disabled learners, young carers and estranged learners (students who will be studying without family support). We will support you every step of the way, and as a student at Salford, you will have access to our counselling and wellbeing services to ensure you reach your full potential.

Our specialist support team can be contacted at specialistsupport@salford.ac.uk.

You can find support from several dedicated charities across the UK, such as Buttle UK who provide grants and assistance to vulnerable young people, Rees Foundation who strive to help care experienced individuals and Stand Alone who offer advice and support services to people estranged from their families.

There are also a range of services available to you across Greater Manchester, and you can find the contact details for these and each university on the Greater Manchester Higher website.

We know accommodation is an important decision for you to make as part of your applicant journey.

We work with our accommodation partners, Campus Living Villages (CLV), who manage two accommodation villages: Peel Park Quarter, and John Lester and Eddie Colman Courts.

Many of our students decide to live off-campus and there are loads of other options to find a great place to live. If you want to live off-campus, you might want to check out some alternative accommodation providers.

If you have any queries about booking accommodation, we recommend browsing our accommodation FAQs.

Don't worry if your UCAS application indicates you wish to live at home - it's no problem if you've changed your mind and are now considering student accommodation!

You don't need to take any action to update this. UCAS include the question on the application form to simply gauge how many students are interested in accommodation vs commuting to study.

You may decide that living at home and commuting to university is the best option for you, and there are plenty of public transport links to help you get to our campus.

Salford Crescent train station is situated right by our Peel Park and Frederick Road campuses, connecting you to Manchester city centre and beyond. MediaCity is accessible by tram, and there are frequent bus services between all three sites and the wider Greater Manchester area.

Our common rooms in University House and Peel Building on Peel Park campus, and in Allerton Building on Frederick Road campus, have been created with commuter students in mind. They feature spaces for individual or group study, as well as areas to relax in, watch TV, and enjoy your lunch with friends.

You can read more about the day in the life of a commuting student on our commuting from home page.

Application dates for Student Finance are still to be confirmed, but we would expect full-time undergraduate students to be able to apply from Spring 2025 ahead of starting their studies in September 2025. Part-time students usually apply in the summer before their course begins.

For the last few years, financial support has been made available to students studying a number of healthcare courses via the NHS Learning Support Fund.

Whilst application dates for the NHS Learning Support Fund are still to be confirmed, if you are a new healthcare student starting one of the eligible courses in September 2025, you can be kept up to date on the NHS Business Services Authority website.

When it comes to fees and funding, we understand that going to university can feel like a daunting experience for some students. With a range of support schemes and bursaries, as well as the Inspire Support Scheme which provides all new undergraduate students with £150 a year to spend on learning resources, there are a number of support options available to help make your money go further. Learn more on our fees and funding page.

If you are an international student, you can find out all you need to know about paying your tuition fees, deposit and about the cost of living on our fees and funding page.

Remember to check your offer letter to see if you are eligible for one of our scholarships. You may also be able to apply for one of our other international scholarships.

Once you have registered as a student with us, you will receive an email with a link to your personal timetable. 

In the meantime, you may wish to have a read through some general timetable guidance.

Teaching and assessment methods vary from course to course depending on the type of subject you're studying - some will be more practical with workshops and interactive assessments, whilst others will have traditional lectures and essays.

If you're unsure about what is involved in your course, then we recommend searching our range of courses and then selecting the relevant course page for all the details about your chosen programme.