As a student on a course with mandatory health or social care placements, where you live during your time with BU may depend on the course you choose and your placement locality. Typically – in your first year at least – you can either stay in one of our halls of residence and travel to work at your placement locality, or you can choose to stay closer to where you’ve been placed.
If you are enrolling on one of the courses below, you will have the option to live in one of the student halls or hospital accommodation. As you will experience the full 24-hour shift pattern, including weekend and night shifts, you should consider whether you would prefer to live near campus and travel to placement, or to live near your placement locality and travel to campus for lectures.
- BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing and MSc Adult Nursing
- BSc (Hons) Mental Health Nursing and MSc Mental Health Nursing
- BSc (Hons) Children’s & Young People’s Nursing
- BSc (Hons) Midwifery
- BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practice
For students on other courses with health or social care placements such as Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Paramedic Science and Social Work you do not need to consider hospital accommodation and should instead investigate BU accommodation options.
Making the right choice for you
If you're not sure which option will be best for you in your first year, these student stories may help.
Staying in halls
You also have the option of staying in one of BU's halls of residence if you prefer, travelling to your placement location as required.
If you choose this option, you may be able to claim back travel expenses and dual accommodation costs – but it is worth carefully considering how this will fit in with your travel plans and shift schedule.
There are four NHS courses that require 50 week accommodation, therefore that is the only length of halls accommodation that can be chosen by students on these courses; Midwifery, Mental Health, Adult Nursing, Child Nursing. There are 50 week ensuite rooms available for these courses in Corfe House and Cranborne House. 50 week studios can also be booked in most halls of residence.
Students on other NHS courses can choose accommodation from any halls, however we have some labelled NHS 42 week rooms in Cranborne House, if you would like to live with other NHS students.
In some cases, you may need to accept accommodation on a shorter tenancy and then apply for a summer let with the relevant provider, however they may require you to move rooms.
Skip to our hospital accommodation Visit our halls of residence listing page
Further information & FAQs
Placement localities
When to book hospital accommodation
How to book hospital accommodation
Accommodation options for Paramedic Science students
Accommodation options for Portsmouth Midwifery students
Which accommodation options have parking?
How can I claim back travel and dual accommodation expenses?
ResLifeBU
Health and social care placement accommodation
You have a range of options of where to stay if you need to be close to your placement location – from the on-site accommodation at many hospitals, to shared houses in locations such as Yeovil. If you are staying in hospital accommodation you can still get fully involved in BU activities and support can be accessed on site.