Checking in
Main Check-in
Visit the main check in between 9.00am–2.00pm to pick up your welcome pack.
- Students' Union on Cambridge Road (PO1 2EF)
Faculty Check-in
You can also check in at some of the buildings where subject sessions are held, around 30 minutes before your subject session starts:
- Eldon Building (PO1 2DJ)
- Park Building (PO1 2BZ)
- Portland Building (PO1 3AH)
- Richmond Building (PO1 3DE)
- Rosalind Franklin West (PO1 2DT)
Subject sessions
You are invited to start your subject session with a Faculty Welcome talk and will then have the opportunity to speak to academics about your course.
The subject sessions are designed to introduce our courses, how they are taught and what you'll learn.
Search A-Z of subject sessions
Faculty Fairs
Outside the main course session, course leaders, academics and faculty support teams will be on hand to answer additional questions in the Faculty Fairs between the hours of 11am and 1pm.
- Humanities and Social Sciences
Park Building (PO1 2BZ)
Map reference: 11 - Creative and Cultural Industries
Eldon Building (PO1 2DJ)
Map Reference: 32 - Business and Law
Richmond Building (PO1 3DE)
Map Reference: 6 - Technology
Portland Building (PO1 3AH)
Map Reference: 2 - Science and Health
Rosalind Franklin West (PO1 2DT)
Map Reference: 15
Key Talks Schedule
Make time in your schedule to listen to our Key Talks and get your questions answered.
Welcome Talk
09.40am - 10.15am
Hear from Graham Galbraith, our Vice Chancellor, as he welcomes you to the campus.
Students' Union (PO1 2EF)
Housing Talk
10.25am -10.45am
Find out what life is like living in Portsmouth and how you can be guaranteed a place in halls of residence.
Students' Union (PO1 2EF)
Info Fairs
If you’ve got any questions about health, managing money, living independently, or any other aspects of being a student at Portsmouth, you can speak to our support services at our Information Fair. It’s open from 9.30am–2.00pm.
Find our Student Information fair in the University Library (PO1 2ST)
Who can you speak to at our Student Information Fair?
-
Additional Support and Disability Advice Centre
- Residence Life Team
- Student Wellbeing Service
- Admissions
- Careers and Employability
- Student Finance
- Student Housing
Tours
Take the opportunity to explore our campus, the halls of residence, library and brand new sports centre.
Guided Campus Tours
Tours depart every 20 minutes from outside the Students' Union (PO1 2EF) between 9.30am–2.00pm and last 35-45 minutes. Our ambassadors will point out key buildings you could be studying in, as well as other relevant buildings. You’ll also have the opportunity to explore the rest of the campus with them as well as ask them any questions along the way.
Halls Tours
Our accommodation tours, running between 9.30am–2.00pm, are one of the most popular activities of our Open Days. It's your chance to see where you might be living next year.
Make your way to each halls of residence where our ambassadors will be waiting to give you a tour of a standard room and kitchen. You'll discover lots of useful information about each hall based on our students' experiences.
There’s no need to book - just turn up and join the next tour. Tours last around 20-30 minutes.
If you require to view a disabled access room, please contact us at opendays@port.ac.uk in advance of your visit.
The halls open to view are:
- Catherine House (PO1 1DZ)
- Greetham Street (PO5 4FB)
- Harry Law (PO1 2SP)
- Margaret Rule (PO1 2DS)
- Trafalgar Hall (PO5 4AY)
- Rees Hall (PO5 3AP)
- Rosalind Franklin (PO1 2DF)
Library Tours
Make your way over to the library and ask the staff inside for more information. They'll be happy to take you on a tour and talk you through the resources we offer students and the different facilities available. Guided tours run from 09.30am - 1.00pm and then self-guided tours are available from 1.00pm .
Ravelin Centre Sports Tours
Come and see our impressive new sports centre for yourself. Tours will be taking place at Ravelin Sports Centre (PO1 2SE) from 09.30am–2.00pm, every 30 minutes. Please reserve your place in advance for the best experience. Get a feel for the building and find out more about how you can benefit from it during your time studying with us.
Food and drink
Food
There’s a lot to do on an Open Day but there are plenty of options for keeping your energy up.
You and your guests are entitled to a free lunch meal deal and hot drink at the cafes in Terrace Cafe (next to Students' Union), Eldon Building, Park Building, Portland Building and Ravelin Sports Centre. Show your Open Day Guide to our catering staff to redeem your free lunch and hot drink for you and your guests.
If you’re out and about in Portsmouth, there are loads of cafes and restaurants throughout Guildhall Walk, Southsea and Gunwharf Quays featuring well-known names and independents. Ask our staff and students on the day for recommendations, they'll be happy to help.
Drinks
Don't forget to stay hydrated. Just ask an ambassador or a member of staff for directions to your nearest catering outlet.
Getting here
Please note there is no parking at Ravelin Sports Centre. If you choose to drive, please take a look at the options available to you:
Park and ride
Portsmouth has a handy Park and Ride service to save you the hassle of finding parking in the city, for only £4 per day, per vehicle. The car park allocated for Open Day visitors is at:
Park & Ride Portsmouth
Tipner Interchange
M275 Junction 1
Portsmouth
PO2 8AN
Tickets can be purchased through the ticket machines with cash or contactless bank card.
The University Park and Ride bus service runs every 10 minutes (peak) and 15 minutes (off-peak) and will drop you off just outside the Students' Union. Please allow about 30 minutes to get to us from the car park. If you need help on arrival at the Park and Ride or when you get dropped off, look out for our student ambassadors (dressed in purple).
University Car Parks
Open Day visitors can park for free in the University car parks listed below so please ignore the car parking signs. The Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system will be switched off.
Car parks can be used on a first-come first-served basis and tend to fill up quickly on the day. Take a look at their locations below and plan your journey:
- Alec Rose Lane (PO1 2SA)
- Anglesea rear car park (PO1 3DJ)
- Eldon car park (PO1 2DJ)
- Milldam car park (PO1 3RE)
- St George's car park (PO1 2HY)
- University House car park (PO1 2UP)
City centre parking
To get to car parking closest to the University, use the M27 (from the west) or A3(m)/A27 (from the east) and take the M275 into Portsmouth (signed 'Portsmouth West'). Ignore the M27/A27 junctions signed to Southsea and Hilsea.
On-street, pay-and-display parking is available close to campus and to the check-in venue. There are also public car parks throughout the City. There's more information about city centre car parking on the Portsmouth City Council website.
Electric vehicle charging points
The most convenient electric vehicle charging points are located at the Park and Ride depot or in Gunwharf Quays car park.
Portsmouth is part of the Clean Air Zone initiative. You can check your vehicle's registration on the Clean Air Zone webpage.
Trains
The closest station to the University is Portsmouth and Southsea. It's a 5-minute walk from the nearest University buildings and close to all parts of the campus.
Plan your train journey to Portsmouth on the National Rail website.
Further travel information
There's more travel information on our maps and directions page.
What to expect at a University of Portsmouth Open Day
Thinking of coming to a University of Portsmouth Open Day but not sure what to expect? Watch our student ambassadors explain what you'll experience at our Open Days to help you make the most of your visit.
Hi, I'm Marlena
and I'm one of the many student ambassadors
here at the University of Portsmouth.
I'll be showing you around the campus of the university
and we cannot wait to meet you at our next open day.
You'll start your day at the check-in where you’ll collect your guide,
and then you can decide where to go from there.
It is really easy to get to campus, whether you're travelling by car or by public transport.
If you decide to use the Park and Ride, you’ll be dropped by check-in
and that’s where your day would begin.
To help everything run smoothly on the day,
please have your QR code ready to show at check-in
which you should have received by email.
Hey, are you okay?
It's just right there.
No worries. Have a good day.
You can come and ask us questions at any time,
even if you just want advice on where to get lunch.
One of my top tips is to use the planner, which is found at the back
of the guidebook, to help you plan your day and make sure you don't miss out.
Once you're ready to start, one of the first things to do is to take a campus tour.
I'll be showing you around
some of the main uni buildings, including the Ravelin Sports Centre,
which is one of the most sustainable sports centres in the UK.
My favourite part of the campus tour is sharing my student experience
and also sharing my favourite spots around the uni.
If you'd like to see more of the city, you can hop on the coach tour
to see the beach.
My top tip is: you can do this tour at any time of the day
so it fits around your key talks.
I’ll also show you the library, which is great if you need a quiet place to study.
During term time, it’s open 24 hours and you can book rooms for group assignments.
When I came to an open day, I immediately felt at home
and could picture myself here.
On the day, you’ll have talks covering your uni essentials.
Speak to us about what's important to you
and we’ll be able to point you in the right direction.
You might want to learn how to make the most of your student finance.
There’s a talk for that.
Or finding your new home in Portsmouth?
There's a talk for that.
Or how to write a killer personal statement?
There’s a talk for that.
And if that's not enough,
you can speak to our student support teams at our information fair.
This is what you're here for, right?
To find out if the course is for you.
The talk will most likely be in your course building
where you get to see the facilities, and this will help you to picture yourself here.
When I came to the open day, I was able to meet the people who would teach me.
The lecturers were so friendly and informative.
My top tip for you is to give yourselves a bit of time between your lectures
because the buildings are about 5 to 10 minutes’ walk apart.
On open days, we have a number of halls open for you to visit.
We'll show you around the rooms, the kitchens and social areas.
There are so many options.
You can choose between catered and non-catered, in the city or by the sea.
There's something for everyone.
We can't wait to see you at our next open day at the University of Portsmouth.
Got a question?
If you've got questions, give our Open Day team a call on +44 (0)23 9284 2748 or email opendays@port.ac.uk.