Joining the University

Before you arrive, double-check you've ticked every box with our guide to what you need to do before you get here and what comes next, once you arrive.

Before you get here

Pack your ID

You'll need a valid passport (mandatory for non-EU students), EU identity card, UK driving licence or UK birth certificate. You won't be able to start your course without one of these.

Complete your registration

Before you begin your course, you need to register.

If you're starting your studies in January or February 2021 and have firmly accepted your offer from us, you can register now. You should have received instructions by email, or you can follow the steps below.

Step 1: Get your student account details

You can access your student account details from your Student View. Your username will consist of 'UP' followed by your student ID number, for example UP1234567.

Step 2: Register for your course

Please log in to your Student View to complete online registration.

Completing registration gives you access to your student Gmail and other essential University services.

Your student Gmail account will be activated within 48 hours of successfully submitting the registration form. Remember to check your University email regularly for updates.

Step 3: Submit personal identification (ID) and course entry qualification check

Once you've completed online registration, we'll email you to request a copy of your personal identification. If you're a Tier 4 Visa holder, we'll need a copy of the photo page of your passport, your UK visa and your entry stamp (if you're in the UK).

If you didn't submit your relevant qualifications when applying, please upload them to your Student View.

If you're unsure which qualifications are required, contact the Admissions Team via your Student View.

Step 4: Apply for your student card

Make sure that you apply for your student card to ensure you can access University buildings and services when you arrive. When you apply for your student card, you’ll need to upload a passport size photo of yourself, clearly showing your face, with no one else in the picture.

You'll receive a confirmation email when your card is ready for pick up. After you receive your email, visit MyPort Hub Nuffield between 10.00am - 4.00pm, Monday to Friday to collect it. There may be a queue and you will be required to wear a mask to enter the building. Please also use the sanitising station and social distance from others. Unfortunately we cannot send your card through the post for security reasons. 

There's more information on MyPort about what you can use your student card for.

Late arrival

If you can't make it to Portsmouth for the start of term, please let us know.

We allow late registrations, up to a certain point, on an exceptional basis.

Engage with your studies

Research has shown that if you engage with your learning and take part in timetabled teaching sessions you'll get better grades and feel more like you ‘belong’ at uni.

To help you do this, we monitor your attendance when you:

• swipe your Student Card at card readers placed outside, or in, teaching rooms for face-to-face sessions
• log in and access modules and learning materials on Moodle for virtual learning

Complete your IT induction

You'll want to know what IT facilities and software are available to you as soon as you've registered – and how to use them. To help you get up and running, take 15 minutes to complete the IT induction course. You'll discover the Google apps we use (including Gmail and Drive), how to get IT support, where to get further training, free software you can download and your online storage options.