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EnglishWhat Are Connected Degrees at the University of Portsmouth?
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Connected Degrees are the University of Portsmouth's four-year degree format: a three-year course followed by a placement year in the fourth year. They are aimed at students who want a placement but do not want to arrange it in the usual third-year slot. According to the university, Portsmouth is the only UK university offering this option, and UK students could start a Connected Degree from September 2024.
How a Connected Degree is structured
The core difference from a standard placement degree is when the placement happens.
| Traditional placement degree | Connected Degree (Portsmouth) | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 3 years, with placement in year 3 | 3-year course + placement in year 4 |
| When you find your placement | During year 2, for year 3 | With an extra year to search, before year 4 |
| Who you graduate with | Your original year group | Your original year group |
| Graduation point | End of year 3 | End of year 4, whether you take the placement or continue studying |
The university's own summary of the trade-offs is deliberately framed as "pros and pros": three years with the same friends, more time to explore options, and a later launch into your career.
What the fourth year actually changes
Three things follow from moving the placement to year 4:
- More time to secure a placement. You are not competing for roles while also finishing second-year study. The extra year gives you a longer runway to find something that fits your career direction.
- You stay with your cohort. Because the placement moves rather than replaces a study year, you complete your taught course alongside the people you started with.
- You keep the standard route open. If you prefer, you can still choose a third-year placement instead. Either way, you graduate at the end of your fourth year.
The university also states that students on this route keep full university support while moving into professional life.
Who it suits — and who it doesn't
Connected Degrees fit you if a placement is important to your plans but you want more time to find the right one, and you are willing to add a year to your studies to get it.
They are a weaker fit if you want to finish and start earning as quickly as possible, or if you already have a placement lined up for your third year — in that case the standard placement route gets you to the same outcome sooner.
How to check whether a specific course offers it
The format is described at course level, not as a blanket option across the university. To confirm:
- Go to port.ac.uk and find your subject area.
- Open the individual course page and look for placement or Connected Degree information in the course structure or duration section.
- Check the start date — the university states UK students could begin a Connected Degree from September 2024, so earlier intakes will not show this option.
- If the page is unclear, use the course contact details or book onto an Open Day (the site lists an Undergraduate Open Day on Sunday 11 October 2026 and a Postgraduate Open Day on 21 October 2026) to ask directly.
Where this sits in the wider Portsmouth offer
Portsmouth also runs a London campus alongside its Portsmouth campus, and offers Master's, postgraduate taught, and postgraduate research degrees. Connected Degrees as described apply to the undergraduate route; if you are looking at postgraduate study, check the individual course page for its own placement arrangements rather than assuming the same structure carries over.