Student life
Discover the opportunities available to you at The University of Manchester and beyond.
Student life can be what you make it and we've got plenty of opportunities for you to explore at a time and place that suits you.
As a Manchester student, we encourage you to discover new places, meet new people, try out new things and make the most of your time at University. Here are just some of the things you could get involved with.
At the University
Stellify is the University’s prestigious extracurricular award that gives you the chance to make a difference in a way that feels authentic to you, your passions and interests.
Through volunteering, leadership roles and tackling global challenges, you’ll take action to help further causes you truly care about during your time at Manchester.
The home of societies, volunteering, student media, advice, campaigns, student democracy, events and more.
Your Students’ Union is here to support your student life outside of your academics or course. As a Manchester student, we encourage you to get involved, to join campaigns, fuel your curiosity and make the most of your time at University, and all this and more is possible under the roof of your SU.
Find out more about your Students’ Union and how to get involved.
Volunteering is a great way to enhance your university experience. You can make new friends, become part of the local community, and develop new skills that will look great on your CV. Volunteering also counts towards the Stellify Award.
There is a wide range of opportunities for you to get involved with, from supporting other students to engaging with charities and not-for-profit organisations in the wider community.
Learn more about volunteering at Manchester.
The Ethical Grand Challenges allow you to learn about three of the biggest issues facing the world in the 21st century: sustainability, social justice and workplace ethics. Our online and face-to-face activities take place during each year of your study and give you the tools you need to become a more socially responsible graduate.
All first-year students get the chance to complete the Sustainability Challenge. This is a one-hour, interactive, online activity that challenges you to think critically about sustainability in a real-world context and empowers you to act on the issues that matter most to you.
To help make the transition to university easier, every new undergraduate student joins one of our Peer Support schemes.
Your course will either offer PASS (Peer-Assisted Study Sessions) or a Peer Mentoring scheme to support and guide you through your first year. These groups are run by higher-year student volunteers from the same course of study, who’ll be able to provide advice, share their own experiences, and direct you to all the helpful services the University offers.
Visit the Peer Support website to find out more and see what the schemes have been up to via @uom_peersupport on Instagram.
You have the chance to join the hundreds of Manchester students who’ve chosen to study abroad at one of our partner institutions during their degree, either for a year, semester or a summer.
If you have any questions or want to find out how you can study abroad, speak to the Go Abroad team in the Atrium (1st floor of University Place) between 10am and 4pm, Monday to Friday.
MEC provides you with numerous opportunities to learn, gain valuable experience and position yourself to secure your desired job or launch your own business.
In addition to our taught units, we offer a range of co-curricular activities, including competitions, speaker events, workshops, and start-up support programmes for students with ambitions to learn and launch their ideas.
We recognise the important role that faith and spirituality play in many students’ lives. At the University – and across Manchester – we celebrate a multi-faith community.
On campus there are lots of dedicated spaces for faith and worship, including two chaplaincy centres, prayer rooms and a host of religious clubs and societies within our Students’ Union.
We’re committed to creating a place of study where you’re treated fairly and diversity is celebrated. Read about our EDI ambitions.
We’re proud to be close to the centre of Manchester – a city that’s known all over the globe for its sports, a legendary music scene and a rich cultural history. From designer stores to independent one-offs, shopping in the city never gets dull, and if you’re after a bite to eat we have restaurants that serve food from every corner of the world.
Manchester is a hotbed for media and creativity, and a growing powerhouse driven by science, engineering and business. We’re a community made up of dreamers, schemers and some of the most creative minds around. Manchester delivers not just an outstanding student experience, but offers some of the best opportunities after you graduate too.
Explore more of the city and what it has to offer, and you can plan a bucket list of things to do during your time here.
With three major railway stations in the city centre, buses every few minutes and a tram network spanning Greater Manchester, you’ll have no problem getting around. You can even catch the 147 bus for free, and there’s a rapidly growing network of cycle routes across the city and on campus.
The University offers subsidised bike hire for students through Biko Bikes/second-hand bike sales at our Owens Park Campus, as well as free or subsidised bike lock schemes.
The Bee Network cycle hire scheme is also available for student use, and a docking station is situated opposite the gates of Owens Park Campus.
You can plan your journey in and around Manchester on the Transport for Greater Manchester website, or using Citymapper. Just enter your point of departure and your destination and it will tell you the quickest way to complete your journey. We recommend that you download the app or use the online service, not just for your journey to Manchester, but for getting around the city.
Find out from our students how well connected Manchester is to the city, campus and the rest of the UK.
We encourage you to embrace a sustainable lifestyle here at Manchester. Sustainability is at the heart of our University’s mission because the choices we make today have a lasting impact on our planet and future generations.
We're about positive actions and behavioural changes – every one of them a step towards lasting change for a healthy, prosperous planet. This means being mindful of your energy use, appreciating the nature surrounding you, reducing waste, reusing and recycling, and utilising sustainable travel options. By making these choices, you’re not only supporting our Environmental Sustainability Strategy but also setting an example for others.
Discover Environmental Sustainability at The University of Manchester to learn about our plans for the University and how you can contribute to a greener campus.
Part-time work is a great way for you to earn some extra money and gain useful work experience while you study.
The University recommends that students work for no more than 15 hours per week, or as advised in your programme handbook. This is so that you can achieve the right balance between your studies, other commitments and the need to earn money to support yourself.
Find out more on our Careers Service website, or browse the live vacancies on CareerConnect and the SU jobs page.