University in United Kingdom
Bolton, England, United Kingdom
University profile
The University of Greater Manchester is a public university based in Bolton, Greater Manchester. It traces its roots to the Bolton Mechanics' Institute of 1825, gained university status in 2005 as the University of Bolton and took its present name in December 2024. It describes itself as a Teaching Intensive, Research Informed (TIRI) institution with an emphasis on professional and vocational education and applied research, and has a global student body of around 11,000 across all campuses and affiliates, with over 900 staff.
The main campus sits on Deane Road, a compact town-centre site about ten minutes' walk from Bolton town centre and railway station, with Manchester around 20 minutes away by train. The Institute of Medical Sciences, home to the School of Medicine, stands in the grounds of the Royal Bolton Hospital in Farnworth. Bolton One, a £31 million health and sports centre, is next to the campus on Moor Lane.
Teaching is organised in the School of Arts & Creative Technologies; School of Clinical & Biomedical Sciences; School of Education; School of Engineering & National Centre for Motorsport Engineering; Greater Manchester Business School; School of Health & Society; Greater Manchester School of Law; School of Medicine; School of Nursing & Midwifery; and School of Psychology, alongside an Off Campus Division that manages UK and international partner delivery. Subjects range from law and computer science to dental sciences, paramedic science, film, games and dance. More than 30 courses carry professional accreditation, with bodies including the British Psychological Society and the Nursing & Midwifery Council.
Specialist facilities include the National Centre for Motorsport Engineering, the Centre for Dental Sciences laboratories in the Queen's Building, the Institute of Management Greater Manchester, a moot court for law and simulation suites at the Institute of Medical Sciences. Research centres include the Institute for Materials Research and Innovation, the Centre for Islamic Finance, the Centre for Worktown Studies and the Centre for Contemporary Coronial Law.
Orlando Village, a 10-minute walk from campus, is the university's recommended hall of residence, with self-catering flats of up to six. Student life centres on the Greater Manchester Students' Union, Bolton One's sports hall, gym, pool and climbing wall, a chaplaincy and prayer room, and the International Society. Around 120 nationalities study on campus, supported by Africa, Middle East and Central Asia, and South Asia branch offices.
The university is a higher education corporation under the Education Reform Act 1988, an exempt charity, and is regulated by the Office for Students. It cites a ranking of 1st in the North West for student satisfaction in the Times and Sunday Times guide (2025).
Fees depend on the level and length of the course and on fee status, and are listed on each course page. As an example, the full-time BSc (Hons) Psychology costs £9,790 a year for Home students starting in 2026/27 (£10,050 a year for 2027/28 entry) and £17,500 a year for international students. Most international fees are £17,500 a year, apart from special category programmes. Postgraduate research fees for 2026/27 are £5,995 a year full-time (£2,997 part-time) for a Home PhD and £17,500 full-time (£8,750 part-time) for an international PhD or MPhil.
Year 1 tuition fee discounts for self-funded international students on undergraduate (three-year), taught postgraduate and PhD programmes. The Global Excellence Package, for direct applicants from listed countries including Ghana, Kenya, the USA, Canada, China and EU countries, gives £4,000 (Gold: First Class or 70% GPA), £3,000 (Silver: upper second or 60% GPA) or £2,000 (Bronze). The International Merit Package, for other countries or applicants applying via an agent, gives £3,000, up to £2,000 or up to £1,000. Ten Global Scholars Awards of £5,000 are open to Gold-eligible undergraduate and PhD applicants from the listed countries, through a separate application and interview, and one recipient is named the Chancellor's Excellence Scholar with a 100% Year 1 fee discount. Additional £500 discounts are available for Women in STEM, family members of current students, and Transnational Education progression. Foundation-year degrees qualify for Bronze only, and MRes programmes are excluded. International scholarships
For new students from September 2026 who hold full British citizenship but are classed as international fee payers, enrolling on full-time undergraduate or taught postgraduate degrees at the Bolton campus. It reduces fees to the Home rate each year (from £17,500 to £9,535 for undergraduates), is applied automatically to direct applicants, and excludes PhDs, undergraduate Medicine, part-time and partner-delivered courses.
Home students can apply to Student Finance England for tuition fee and maintenance loans; from January 2027 eligible students may use the Lifelong Learning Entitlement. Taught master's students may apply for a Postgraduate Master's Loan, and Government teaching bursaries apply to eligible teacher training courses. Student funding enquiries: [email protected], 01204 903733.
International Excellence Scholarships →
Greater Manchester Homecoming Scholarship →
University of Greater Manchester Basketball Scholarship Programme →
Group Progression Scholarship →
Browse the scholarships listed for University of Greater Manchester and check each award’s eligibility.
View scholarships for University of Greater Manchester →Each applicant is assessed on merit under the Student Admissions Policy and the criteria for the specific course; entry requirements are set per course. Typical offers are expressed in UCAS tariff points, and qualifications carrying UCAS points, including A-levels and BTECs, are accepted, with non-tariff qualifications considered for most courses. For example, the BSc (Hons) Psychology (UCAS code C801) asks for 112 UCAS points plus five GCSEs at grade 4/C or above including English and Mathematics. Some courses require an interview, audition, other assessment or a portfolio of work.
Applicants for full-time September entry who want to apply to several institutions or courses use UCAS (institution code name UGM, institution code B44), with up to five choices for a fee of £28.95. Applicants choosing a single University of Greater Manchester course for September entry can instead apply directly and free of charge through the "How to Apply" link on the course page; a direct application and a UCAS application cannot both be made in the same academic year. A direct application needs details of schools attended, qualification certificates, employment history, a personal statement and two referees, at least one academic. Part-time undergraduate, postgraduate taught and CPD applications are made through the course pages, and some courses also have a January intake. Clearing is open to applicants applying after 2 July.
International students apply directly online through the course page or through an authorised representative or agent in their country. Country-specific academic requirements are set out by country and region, with separate academic and language requirements for the MBChB Medicine course. Many degrees are also offered with a foundation year (four years in total).
Undergraduate programmes require IELTS Academic (or IELTS Indicator) 6.0 with no band below 5.5, taken within two years of the start of the course; postgraduate programmes set their own IELTS level. Equivalents for programmes requiring IELTS 6.0 include PTE Academic with no less than 59 in each component, TOEFL iBT with Reading 18, Writing 17, Listening 17 and Speaking 20, Pearson Versant 55 overall, Trinity ISE II with Distinction in each component, Cambridge Advanced English 170 with no component below 160, and GCSE English Language grade 4. For postgraduate courses requiring IELTS 6.5, PTE needs no less than 59 in each component and TOEFL iBT needs Reading 20, Writing 19, Listening 19 and Speaking 21; for IELTS 7.0, PTE needs 76 in each component. The Imperial English Test and Imperial English courses, delivered with Imperial English UK online or in Birmingham, are also accepted.
Applications are made through the university's online application form via the "How to Apply" tab on each course page and are considered by the admissions tutor in the relevant school or research centre; interviews may be held for some courses. Some courses require a 2:1 honours degree or approved equivalent in a related subject.
Applicants for the MPhil or PhD need at least an upper second class honours degree (2:1) in a relevant subject or an overseas equivalent; a postgraduate qualification or research training is desirable for the PhD. Applicants whose first language is not English normally need IELTS 6.5 overall with no component below 6.0, taken within the last two years at a UKVI-approved centre. Applicants first contact the Research Coordinator for their subject, then send the completed application form and a research proposal to [email protected]; shortlisted candidates are interviewed.
Offers to international applicants are made on academic merit on a first-come, first-served basis, and places are reserved only once the requested tuition fee payment is received. For September 2026 entry the application deadline is Monday 20 July 2026, the last CAS is issued on Monday 3 August 2026 and the latest enrolment date is Monday 12 October 2026. For January 2027 entry the application deadline is Friday 4 December 2026, the last CAS is issued on Friday 18 December 2026 and the enrolment deadline is Monday 15 February 2027.
The Off Campus Division also manages delivery of University of Greater Manchester qualifications by approved UK and international partners.
Study programmes offered at University of Greater Manchester.
Experiences shared by students of University of Greater Manchester.
Studied here? Share your experience to help other applicants.
Book a free consultation with our expert counsellors and take the first step towards your dream university.
Copyrights © 2026 StudyMapped. All rights reserved.
Enter your credentials to continue.
Join us and start your study abroad journey.
