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University of Sussex

8.81 Rating
96 reviews
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About

The University of Sussex is a leading research-intensive university in the lively city of Brighton on the South Coast of the United Kingdom, located one hour away from London.

Ranked in the world's top 150 universities and top 20 in the UK (QS World University Rankings 2020), the University has both an international and local outlook, with staff and students from more than 100 countries and frequent engagement in community activities and services.

Situated in rolling parkland of the South Downs National Park and just a few minutes from Brighton - which has been ranked as the UK's happiest city for students (Student Living by Sodexo) - the campus combines award-winning architecture with green open spaces.

Sussex offers a multi-disciplinary Direct Enrol Study Abroad Semester and Year Program, with over 1,000 modules on offer, as well as the Sussex Undergraduate Summer School offering over 30 modules designed, delivered and taught by Sussex faculty across the summer.

Website
www.sussex.ac.uk
Founded
1961
University of Sussex
City:
Brighton
Students:
17,300
International Students:
5,000

Qualifications

Min. SAT Score:
1300
Min. ACT Score:
26
Min. Age:
16
Additional Items:
  • Transcript
  • Letters of Recommendation
  • Academic Statement
  • Language Requirement (English)
Further Information

How to Apply

Application Steps
  • Choose your course
  • Check our academic entry requirements
  • Check our English language requirements
  • Apply through UCAS
  • Check fees, funding and support
  • Receiving your decision
  • Confirming your place
Apply Now

Community Photos

Sussex Campus
Brighton
Langfords
At Sussex
One of my favorite locations in Brighton
South Downs National Park is adjacent to the campus and provides a beautiful route to Lewes
Located on Falmer Hill, the library has a peaceful atmosphere and beautiful views over the campus
Carousel on Brighton Pier
The Lanes
A carousel at Brighton Beach
A visit to Seven Sisters
North Laine
Hike along the Seven Sisters cliff.
Picture of the underground in London.
Trip to Barcelona
Exploring the Seven Sisters Cliffs

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Reviews

Default avatar
Larissa
23
Female
Germany
8/10
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Study Abroad Direct Enroll Semester/Year at University of Sussex, Brighton

My Time At Sussex

Jan 14, 2021

Despite the circumstances, due to the pandemic I had a lovely time at Sussex University. I found my courses very intriguing especially because we were taught how to apply knowledge practically. My tutors were very helpful, throughout the term and always had an open ear for any worries or concerns. My only regret is that it was very hard to make new contacts, as all social events were held online. Covid made that more challenging. Luckily I knew some people beforehand. However, I would love to stay a second semester at Sussex.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I would definitely start revising earlier and check out all of the assessment requirements. Sometimes studying abroad can be a harder challenge academically, as you might not be familiar with the referencing style etc.
Default avatar
Julia
7/10
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Study Abroad Direct Enroll Semester/Year at University of Sussex, Brighton

Erasmus

Jan 11, 2021

Overall, especially under the current conditions of a worldwide pandemic, I had a great time, thank you!
However, the housing conditions were not very good (bathroom, wifi, kitchen) . After complaining, things got better but it was very annoying.
Also even though online teaching did work quite well and most of the professors were really eager to help and support us, it was a big challenge
to only have online classes, where it was not really possible to connect with other students from your modules.

Default avatar
Kyle
22
Female
United States
8/10
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Study Abroad Direct Enroll Semester/Year at University of Sussex, Brighton

Fall 2020 exchange

Jan 7, 2021

I loved being able to attend Sussex this fall. Obviously it was a bit hard with the Coronavirus pandemic which I definitely think affected my academics both from the teacher and my own engagement. I also found the staff slower to respond to emails than I am used to again probably due to the overall influx of online contact. Outside of school I loved living in the town of Lewes and getting to know other exchange students. It was nice that we had people to talk to during the lockdown and we could walk in local parks which helped with the stress of COVID.

What was your funniest moment?
The funniest times were when it would get late and we would play cards everyone would revert back to their mother tongue and then we would switch back and forth a lot.
Default avatar
Myriam
23
Female
Belgium
7/10
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Study Abroad Direct Enroll Semester/Year at University of Sussex, Brighton

Review

Jan 7, 2021

The circumstances of my trip were really really strange because of COVID but I still manage to have lots of fun. I met new people and made good memories. I will definitely visit another time when I can travel a lot more freely. I made the choice to live in residence and it was great because my flatmates were very nice so we had good time even during lockdown. The teachers were understanding of the situation so I didn't feel too overwhelmed by my classes. I think my English improved significantly too and it was the purpose so I am glad. My courses were interesting and because I could attend modules that I don't have in my University

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Be open minded and don't be afraid to try new things and to meet new people. I will advise you to stay in a residence so you'll be sure to meet a lot of people
Default avatar
Sarah
23
United States
7/10
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Study Abroad Direct Enroll Semester/Year at University of Sussex, Brighton

Semester Abroad

Aug 31, 2020

Overall, I really liked studying at University of Sussex. Brighton is beautiful, it was easy to get around, and there was lots to do in the area. I enjoyed my classes but wasn't overwhelmed by them. The worst part was definitely housing. I was led to believe I would be living in on-campus housing, but it turns out that semester-long study abroad students live in off-campus housing. We ended up living in a hotel with tiny rooms and one dirty kitchen. Fortunately we were close to the beach and it was easy to get into the city center from our housing. The commute to school was long, but my course schedule only had me on campus 3 days a week, so it wasn't too bad.

What was your funniest moment?
A seagull stole a chocolate bar right from my hand!
Response from University of Sussex

Thanks for your review Sarah! It's great to hear that you enjoyed the local activities in the area. Housing is currently being developed on-campus, and the University is working to provide more new and modern housing options for future years.
Thanks again!

By Rebecca Hart on September 3, 2020
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Programs

Displaying 1 - 2 of 2

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Christine Huang

Program
Study Abroad Direct Enroll Semester/Year at University of Sussex, Brighton

Why did you choose this program?

Sussex was not on my radar. I originally looked into a third party program at University College London because I wanted to be in a big city while also having easy access to other countries. I applied, but I did not get in, so my school recommended the University of Sussex, which is relatively close to London in a cool city called Brighton.

I have never heard of Brighton but kept an open mind because I knew I really wanted to study abroad in England.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

Sussex provided a lot more support for me than I thought. Sussex was a direct enrollment where it did not provide the hand-holding that many other study abroad programs had (arranging all your housing and trips and forcing all the American college students to be together so they become friends), so I initially worried I would not have much support. Fortunately, the school provided a coach bus for the visiting students arriving at Heathrow Airport.

The university also has a "Buddy Scheme Society" where international students get paired up with a local student who would acclimate them to the new lifestyle. I was not sure how I would be able to make friends in a direct enrollment study abroad program, so I took advantage of that and met a super nice girl. This was a great way to meet the locals.

Meals were not free, so I had to pay for lunch at the school or buy my own groceries.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Don't make it your #1 priority to leave Brighton and go to other places in Europe.

Before I came to Sussex, I thought studying abroad in Europe was all about cramming in as many weekend trips as possible to see how many countries you can visit in a semester. Traveling to another city is great for a change of pace, but I got so much more from getting to know Brighton and immersing myself in the English (and European) culture through meeting people from all around the world. Coming home, I realized this is the true study abroad experience.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

Living off-campus, I took a 40 minutes bus to the university.

Many of my classes had a lecture and a seminar component. In the lectures, all the students enrolled a course in sitting in a huge hall listened to the professor teach. The students were assigned a time to have their seminar, which consists of group work and discussions. It is a hands-on component of the coursework.

I was fortunate to not have classes on Friday. This gave me time to catch up on homework so I can make time for fun.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear was how I would be able to balance my studies with having fun.

I thought that during weeks when I had many deadlines, I would be so drowned in my studies I would not have time to have fun. What helped was I always had the mindset that studying abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and that you should have fun during this relatively short time period because you will look back on those memories rather than the nights you spent cranking through your papers.

No matter how busy I was, I always made sure to carve out time for hanging out with my friends, exploring Brighton, or going on a short trip.

Do you have a favorite story you'd like to share?

During my time abroad, I had many rituals with my friends that brought me close to them because we would have fun together. My favorite one was riding the bus to the university every Wednesday morning together with two of my friends because we all had our classes at the same time. It was a 40-minute ride and we would spend the arduous trek having intensive conversations whether they were goofy or insightful. This brought me close to them.

The take-home message here is that the best memories are often not what you would think they are. While I really enjoyed going out with my friends for partying or sightseeing, what stood out to me were the times when I just talked to my friends because that was when I formed my strongest bonds.

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Jon Bowditch

Program
Study Abroad Direct Enroll Semester/Year at University of Sussex, Brighton
Job Title
Global Mobility Officer (Inbound)
I began working at the University of Sussex in 2015. After 3 years in the Postgraduate Admissions department I moved to the Global Engagement team where I supported Sussex students going on a semester or year abroad, as well as Summer Schools programmes. In August 2021 I took up my current role a the Global Mobility Officer (Inbound). Along with my colleagues Sara and Louise, I look after all the incoming visiting and exchange students to the university.
Jon Bowditch

How many students attend your university?

17,000 in total. This includes 5,000 international students from 145 countries

Please outline any qualifications to get accepted to your university (minimum SAT scores, GPA, age, transcripts, language etc.)

Students need to have completed at least one year of higher education and have a minimum of 2.8 GPA out of 4. There is also an English language requirement (further details can be found here).

What is the international student experience like at the University of Sussex?

Students will experience our beautiful green campus. Sussex us the only UK university to be located in a national park. We are also only 10 minutes from the vibrant cosmopolitan city of Brighton & Hove which is home to a great arts scene as well as our fantastic beach. The campus is just an hour from London by train too.

The university prides itself on it's international outlook. Students will therefore find a very inclusive environment with the opportunity to mix with not just students from the UK but also around the work.

When should international students start the application process for the University of Sussex?

For the Autumn Semester the deadline is 1st April. For Spring it will be 15th October.

How long does the application process take?

The application is quite simple to complete so should not take students long to complete. We also try to get back to students as soon as possible regarding the outcome of their applications.

What is the academic experience like at your university compared to other international universities? What surprises students most?

I think our campus and location really stands out compared to other universities in the UK. We have the perfect mix of a great city that's very lively but easy to get around, and also the tranquility of beautiful countryside. If that isn't enough we also have a fantastic beach! We are also have great connections to the rest of the UK as well as Europe, with Gatwick airport just 30 minutes away.

In addition to this, students can select from over 1,000 classes from 9 different schools, so the range of subjects is huge.

What is living in Brighton like for international students?

Brighton and Hove is a fantastic city for an international student. There are an abundance of independent shops, restaurants, pubs, and clubs. There is also a great arts scene which incorporates theater, film, music and comedy.

The city is very vibrant and cosmopolitan and is renowned for it's inclusivity. We may be known as 'London by the sea', but we are much easier to get around than the capital, so students can easily explore the delights which are on offer.