Gaining two degrees
Dual degrees (also known as double degrees and dual award degrees) allow you to gain 2 Bachelor's degrees or 2 Master's degrees in less time than it takes to study them separately.
Most dual degrees involve studying at 2 universities, so you'll benefit from the teaching expertise, latest research and facilities of both institutions. And because each university is usually located in a different country, you'll get to experience another culture and build a professional network.
You'll study more modules than on a single degree, developing a more comprehensive knowledge of your subject. You'll also gain an understanding of different cultures, which helps you work more effectively with people from different backgrounds.
All of this helps you stand out in a competitive job market after you graduate.
Dual Bachelor's degrees typically last 3.5 or 4 years when you study full time, compared to 3 years for a single degree.
They're not the same as joint degrees, where you study with 2 or more universities and graduate with a single certificate signed by all institutions.
What is a dual degree?
Learn about our dual degree programmes with Edith Cowan University in Australia.
Chris Chang: We have a strategic partnership with Edith Cowan University in Australia, particularly for students who have not travelled abroad or lived abroad, that gives them the opportunity to experience a dual degree. The design of our programmes means that we have developed the programme from the ground up, which doesn't require you to study that much more time for a degree programme.
Heather Massey: There's lots of reasons why people might want to come and study this dual award course at the University of Portsmouth. Learning in a different environment from different tutors and the facilities that they have at Edith Cowan are absolutely first-class.
Chris Chang: Students have the opportunity to travel for a year and the question that some students will have is "how will I be able to afford this?" Now the UK Government has launched the Turing programme and what this programme does is fund them to do study abroad, internships, placements. It makes it accessible to all students from different groups, whether they are international students or students from the UK.
Dr Sarah Reynolds: Experiencing life in a different country. You would mature and develop your confidence during that time and definitely walk out of the degree, I think standing up a bit taller than if you hadn't.
Chris Chang: Now the benefits of this is that you can actually show to employers that you have two degrees from two different universities in two different countries. Jobs these days have changed quite substantially. Your future job may not be in the UK and employers are looking for the kind of employees that are able to work in different contexts, different cultures be able to work in multidisciplinary and multinational teams.
One of the other benefits of this programme is that you can actually travel around, not just, Australia but around the ASEAN region because from Perth it's a very short flight to Hong Kong; to Singapore; to Malaysia.
Heather Massey: It's an amazing opportunity to learn both from experts in their field, but also learn about how different people in a different culture operate.
Chris Chang: There are inter-semester breaks of two-three months and you should use that opportunity to see the world. The other thing that you have is having studied a year abroad, you will make friends who could in the future be your supporters, be your allies, and be your collaborators of the future.
Dr Leah Fox: Even though they're geographically away. They'll still be able to get access to that same level of support as they were getting in Portsmouth. They'll have access to wellbeing, they'll have access to financial services, they'll have access to personal tutoring.
Chris Chang: These courses that we have delivered so far: Global Sport Management, Cybersecurity, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism, Environmental Science and Management are all in very specialist and niche areas. Means that wherever you end up working or living, you're prepared for it. The demand for these courses are high, so we want highly motivated students who will benefit from this programme and benefit from a year abroad.
Dr Leah Fox: We're looking for an applicant who wants to make a change, who is open minded and prepared to be confronted with a number of challenges. But overall, someone who is curious and wants to learn.
Studying a dual degree
We currently offer 6 dual degrees in partnership with Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Western Australia and 1 dual degree in partnership with Münster University of Applied Sciences in Germany and IDRAC Business School in France.
Edith Cowan University dual degrees
- BA (Hons) Global Communication and Media
- BSc (Hons) Counter Terrorism, Intelligence and Cybercrime
- BSc (Hons) Environmental Science and Management
- BSC (Hons) Global Sport Management
- BSc (Hons) Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences
- BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science with Human Biosciences
- BSc (Hons) Psychological Sciences
Münster University of Applied Sciences dual degree
IDRAC Business School dual degree
You'll be based in Portsmouth for most of your course. You'll spend 1 year at our partner uni.
Visas, travel and funding
We can advise you on travel arrangements, finding accommodation and accessing funding that can help pay for your study and living costs when you're in Australia, Germany or France.
Applying for a dual degree
To apply for a dual degree, you apply to us in the normal way – through UCAS or using the direct application form at the bottom of course pages.
You don't need to apply to both universities.
Don't worry if you change your mind about studying abroad after you start the course. It's easy to transfer to a similar single degree once you're at Portsmouth.
Tuition fees
In years 1, 2 and 4, tuition fees on a dual degree are the same as a single degree – £9,535 a year if you're a UK student (£4,767 in year 4 if this lasts 6 months). You'll pay a reduced fee for your placement year, this is subject to annual increase, which will not exceed 20% of the full time fee.
Fees for EU and international students depend on the course – details are on each course page.
If you're eligible for a student loan, you can use this in years 1 to 4.
All fees are subject to annual increases, please refer to your relevant course page for next year's fees.
Travel costs
If you're eligible for a student loan, you may be eligible for a Student Finance England Travel Grant to cover travel costs, visas, vaccinations and medical insurance. They are means-tested and vary by local education authority.
The Turing Scheme
The UK Government has launched a new scheme to replace Erasmus+ for UK institutions, named after British code breaker and mathematician Alan Turing.
The Turing Scheme can provide funding for University students to study abroad worldwide (subject to the Scheme's terms and conditions).
We made a successful application to the first year of the Turing Scheme in 2021 and are committed to applying for funding from 2022 to help cover travel expenses and costs of living whilst studying in Australia on one of our planned dual awards. We'll publish more information about the Scheme here, once confirmed.
Global Communication and Media (Dual Degree) BA (Hons)
Set yourself up for a global media and communication career studying in Portsmouth and Perth, Australia. Specialise in Media and Journalism or Screen Media and Cultural Studies.
Start date: September 2025
Counter Terrorism, Intelligence and Cybercrime (Dual Degree) BSc (Hons)
On this dual degree, you'll explore the evolving area of international terrorism and cybercrime, studying in Portsmouth and spending a year at Edith Cowan University, Western Australia.
Start date: September 2025
Environmental Science and Management (Dual Degree) BSc (Hons)
Study in Portsmouth and at Edith Cowan University, Australia and earn two degrees in three-and-a-half years. Learn the latest environmental theory and get lab and field experience.
Start date: September 2025
Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences (Dual Degree) BSc (Hons)
Study in Portsmouth and at Edith Cowan University, Australia and earn two degrees in 4 years. Gain an in-depth knowledge of sport, health and exercise science in a global context.
Start date: September 2025
Global Sport Management (Dual Degree) BSc (Hons)
Study in Portsmouth and at Edith Cowan University, Australia and earn 2 degrees in 4 years. Gain an in-depth knowledge of sport management in a global context.
Start date: September 2025
Biomedical Science with Human Biosciences (Dual Degree) BSc (Hons)
Learn how we can use the biology of disease to fight it on this BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science with Human Biosciences dual degree course. Study in Portsmouth and spend a year at Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, gaining two degrees and international scientific study experience.
Start date: September 2025
Psychological Sciences (Dual Degree) BSc (Hons)
Develop specialist knowledge and skills in a range of psychological subjects, including social interaction, learning and memory, child development, comparative and evolutionary psychology, clinical and health psychology on this dual degree while studying at Portsmouth and Edith Cowan University, Australia.
Start date: September 2025
International Business BA (Hons)
Gain the global business skills you need as you study abroad on this flexible international business degree. You’ll explore a range of business specialisms including marketing, accounting, operations and leadership, and have the option to convert this course to a dual degree.
Start date: September 2025
