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Undergraduate Guide 2021 The University of i

Undergraduate Guide 2021 www.ed.ac.uk 01

We’re consistently ranked one of the top 50 universities in the Top th world. We’re 20 in “You are now in a place where the best the 2020 QS World courses upon earth are within your 50 University Rankings. reach… such an opportunity you will never again have.”

Thomas Jefferson ND TH American Founding Father and President, speaking to his son-in- Thomas Mann Randolph as he began 2 4 his studies here in 1786 Edinburgh is ranked We’re ranked the second best fourth in the UK student city in for research power, the UK and 7th based on the 2014 in .* Research Excellence Framework.† £10m Our students accessed undergraduate financial support totalling more than £10 million in 2018/19. Top 19 TH We're ranked 19th in the world's most international 10 universities‡. Since We’re ranked in the 2010, we have taught top 10 in the UK students from 160 and in the top 100 countries. in the world for the employability of our graduates.§

* QS Best Student Cities 2019 † Times Higher , Overall Ranking of Institutions § Times Higher Education, Global Employability University Ranking 2019 ‡ Times Higher Education, The World's Most International Universities 2020 02 www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees Undergraduate Guide 2021 The 03 Open to a world of possibilities

We live in a complex, fast-changing world and we’re honest about the significant challenges facing us all. As a leading global university, we know education will play a vital role solving those challenges and relish our shared responsibility to respond to them.

That’s why we’re open to everyone. We will widen participation and bring people together from a range of backgrounds and experiences. We welcome people with new outlooks and perspectives into an international community that values each individual and the contribution they make. Together, we will be open to change. We will adapt and work in new ways that disrupt the status quo or overturn established ways of thinking. We will do this without boundaries, in open facilities, where our students, academics and researchers come together with commercial companies and the public sector to breathe the same air, learn from each other and create solutions side by side. For more than 400 years, we’ve seen the benefits such collaborations bring. Being open to the world today brings greater potential and possibilities for tomorrow. 04 www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees Undergraduate Guide 2021 The University of Edinburgh 05

For you, the possibilities start with the 58 subjects and more than 400 degrees we offer. Many of these are joint honours degrees, offering innovative cross-disciplinary subject combinations. Some of our degrees let you study a single subject in depth, developing a deep understanding of one area. Others feature an open and flexible structure with options to tailor your own studies. This lets you choose whether to experience a wide range of topics before you specialise, or sample multiple subjects in a broader degree. Our global links offer you possibilities for fieldwork, industry placements and study abroad opportunities, and our research-led, industry-informed teaching incorporates the latest developments in your field.

“My programme is preparing me for my future career by addressing issues from many different perspectives, which is necessary in our globalised world, as well as presenting me with opportunities to volunteer and go abroad.”

Manisha Thill MA (Hons) Health, Science & Society 06 www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees Undergraduate Guide 2021 The University of Edinburgh 07

As one of ’s four ‘ancient’ universities, many of our full-time degrees in the and social sciences, are undergraduate masters qualifications that require four years of study. In science and we offer four-year bachelors degrees or five-year integrated masters. We also offer a smaller number of other qualifications including LLB, as well as a few degrees with shorter or longer full-time study durations. These range from three to five or even six years (MBChB Medicine). If you have excelled at your studies so far, you may have the option to start in the second year of some of our science, engineering and art and design degrees. We also offer an expanding range of options for students on a Higher National Certificate or Diploma. Alternatively, if you’re considering a year out before you go to university, you may be able to apply for deferred entry.*

*Applications for BVM&S Veterinary Medicine or international applications for MBChB Medicine will not be considered for deferred entry. Please contact us to check before you apply. 08 www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/degree-structure Undergraduate Guide 2021 The University of Edinburgh 09

My story “Coming to the University has been to travel to Israel and Jordan to visit one of the defining moments of my historical sites in the Middle East – Study in breadth life. The four-year degrees allow trips that I would not have been able a great deal of flexibility and I have to afford otherwise. been able to fully explore my interests “Edinburgh has opened up many doors in different subjects. to me and although it is undoubtedly and in depth “I applied to study MA (Hons) French & a huge learning curve, it is well worth the and took a option in journey. Through the flexibility of the Year 1, alongside other courses, four-year system, I have gained knowledge then economics in Year 2. This offered in areas that a shorter structure would me the opportunity to study courses not have allowed. This has given me a that weren’t available at school and, in grounding in a variety of fields which, in When you choose to study with us, you’ll find that particular, to explore periods of history turn, gives me transferable skills I can take many degrees take four years to complete. This is to a greater extent. That led to my change into my career.” in programme to MA (Hons) Ancient & an approach that’s common not just to Scotland Medieval History. Since then I have been Tabitha James, but across Europe and in the US. lucky enough to receive a scholarship MA (Hons) Ancient & Medieval History

Studying a four-year degree allows you As you move into Year 3, you’ll have the to benefit from greater flexibility and confidence to say with certainty which choice during your studies than might be area you want to specialise in for your final offered in a shorter degree elsewhere. degree. You’ll also take up any option to You’ll usually have the time to try different study abroad, or any industrial placement subjects before you concentrate your offered on your degree, usually during Year studies for your final degree. Some 3 before returning to the University for your students find these experiences change final year. You’ll then focus on the in-depth their mind about the degree or specialism studies required for your degree across they want to qualify in and allow them to a series of Year 4 compulsory courses take advantage of the flexibility to refocus. and a final project or dissertation. This will allow you to graduate with a versatile How it works combination coveted by prospective On most of our degrees in , employers – a specialist focus built on a humanities, engineering, science, and broad base of interdisciplinary experience. social sciences, you’ll be able to study a range of subjects in Years 1 and 2 before Benefits at a glance you decide which area to specialise in • Enhance your career prospects, for your final degree. You’ll study the gaining a broad education that is compulsory courses that are required for attractive to employers. your degree and in addition will be able to • Experience new subjects without the choose of option courses either need to commit long-term – discover from areas related to your degree or from new passions, take your career in a different parts of the University. “Edinburgh is one of the top new direction or enhance your CV. Using your option course choice, you’ll campuses that we target for • Discover where your strengths lie and be able to choose to study up to three tailor your degree accordingly. recruitment. If you are looking subjects in Year 1, then continue those for a university that will give subjects or swap some out as you • Nurture your talents, develop a broad you the skills and experiences move into Year 2. It’s flexible, letting range of skills and grow intellectually you try subjects without committing over a longer period of time. to have a successful career, to them long term, and personal. You’ll • Develop a global outlook – then Edinburgh is a good develop academically and intellectually, opportunities to study abroad are discovering which subjects suit your place to start.” possible on most of our degrees. interests and aptitudes and which are Proctor & Gamble the best fit for your career aspirations. 10 www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/teaching Undergraduate Guide 2021 The University of Edinburgh 11

Research-led teaching Our world-class academics are leaders in their fields, conducting groundbreaking research that directly informs the teaching you “Getting taught by lecturers receive. Nobel Prize winner Professor , for example, New proposed the while he was still a lecturer here. who were carrying out their The principle of research-led teaching means your lecturers will own research and would incorporate their latest research in the teaching you receive, allow you to work alongside allowing them to share their discoveries with students. You may ways of have the opportunity to get involved in research that will allow them was a dream come you to delve more deeply into your chosen subject. This will true to me.” not only develop your analytical skills, but will help you prepare for the next steps in your career whether that’s in industry or learning Brenda Mionki postgraduate study. BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences (Biochemistry) Industry placements A number of our degrees offer you the opportunity to get involved and sample life on the front line of your future career with an industry placement. These can be short placements or in some cases a full year out. They offer an unrivalled opportunity to hone Choosing to study with us means more your skills and put theory into practice under genuine working conditions, tackling live projects side-by-side with your peers. than choosing to sit in our lecture theatres. In some cases, you will be required to find and secure your own placement and in others you will be recruited competitively by the companies offering the positions. Industry placements offer For many of you, it will mean adopting a whole new approach to you an opportunity to broaden your horizons, gain valuable your own education that differs from what you experienced at insights into the professional application of your chosen degree, school or college. and enhance your future career prospects. You will become an independent learner, working collaboratively with us to enhance and enrich your own education. You’ll need to Study abroad be proactive, seeking out and seizing the opportunities we offer We’re one of the world leaders in international student while managing your own time, learning new ways of studying exchanges, offering more than 1,400 opportunities to study and developing independent learning skills to meet the demands abroad across 300 different destinations. Exchanges are of your degree. We’ll work with you of course, providing help possible on most of our degrees and the exact options open to and guidance on how to study most effectively and how best to you depend on what you’re studying. Our exchange partners succeed in this new environment. We’ll nurture and support your include CalTech (the California Institute of Technology), the development as a confident learner with the attributes required National University of Singapore, Seoul National University, for success at the University and beyond. and the Universities of , , , , , Pennsylvania, and Toronto. You’ll gain Our approach career-boosting international experiences, broaden your network In addition to lectures and tutorials, you’ll experience a range of of friends, and develop new perspectives on your subject other ways of learning when you study with us. and insights into a foreign culture. Securing a place can be competitive – you’ll usually apply during Year 2 then study abroad Practical and lab sessions are common in many of our science, in Year 3 – and most of our students go abroad for the full year but engineering and health-related degrees, giving you the shorter semester-only options are available. opportunity to put what you’ve learned into practice and conduct your own live experiments and other bench work. Fieldwork is a feature of our degrees in areas such as geography and Earth sciences. It will take you away from the University, bringing theory to life in the field as you study the natural world both here in “The freedom you’re given with projects to Scotland and overseas. interpret briefs and tailor them to your own Art and design students can also expect to spend a lot of time style, concept and imagination is one of the in the studio. You will have your own studio space and will be things I’ve enjoyed most.” expected to develop your own skills, responding to creative briefs through project-based learning. You will also have opportunities Callum Miller to exhibit. BA (Hons) Performance Costume 12 www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees Undergraduate Guide 2021 The University of Edinburgh 13 Degree index Degree A Ecology Chemistry Performance Costume Evolutionary Biology Chemical Physics Product Design Genetics Chemistry Textiles Accounting Immunology Medicinal & Biological Chemistry Accounting & Business Decisions, Molecular Biology E Accounting & Finance Molecular Genetics Chinese Agricultural Science Plant Science Chinese Earth Sciences Agricultural Economics Zoology Chinese & Economics Environmental Geoscience decisions… Animal Science Chinese & French Crop & Soil Science Biomedical Sciences Chinese & German Geology & Physical Geography & Development Global Agriculture & Food Security Chinese & History Geophysics Biomedical Sciences Chinese & Linguistics Geophysics & Geology Arabic & Persian Biomedical * Chinese & Russian Studies Geophysics & Geology with Arabic Infectious Diseases Chinese & Spanish Professional Placement Arabic & Ancient Greek Integrative Biomedical Sciences* Geophysics & Meteorology Arabic & Business Neuroscience Classics Geophysics & Meteorology with The following list shows you the wide range of degrees Ancient & Medieval History Arabic & Economics Professional Placement we currently offer. Open your mind to the hundreds of Arabic & French Physiology Geophysics with Professional Ancient History & Greek options available and find a degree that’s perfectly suited Arabic & History Reproductive Biology Placement Arabic & Persian Ancient History & to your personal interests and career aspirations. If you’re Arabic & Business Classical & Middle East Studies Ecological & Environmental Business & Economics Arabic & Social Classical & Ancient History Sciences still nailing down exactly what you want to study, you Business & Geography Arabic & Spanish Classical Archaeology & Greek Ecological & Environmental Sciences Business & Law may prefer to start with the subjects we offer, which are Persian & English Literature Classical Archaeology & Latin Ecological & Environmental Sciences Business Management highlighted in bold. For much more detail on our subjects Persian & Middle Eastern Studies Classical Studies with Management Business with Decision Analytics Persian & Social Anthropology Classics and on the individual degrees we offer, please visit our Business with Enterprise & Innovation Persian Studies Classics & English Language Economics Economics degree finder: Business with Human Resource Classics & Linguistics Economics & Accounting Archaeology Management Greek Studies Ancient Mediterranean Civilisations Economics & Mathematics Business with Marketing Latin Studies www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees Archaeology Business with Strategic Economics Economics & Politics Archaeology & Ancient History Finance & Business (Humanities) Economics & Archaeology & Social Anthropology International Business Cognitive Science (Humanities) Economics & Statistics International Business with Arabic Economics with Environmental Studies Architecture and Architectural International Business with Chinese Computer Science (Informatics) Economics with Finance History & Heritage International Business with French Economics with Management Science Architectural History & Archaeology Artificial Intelligence & Computer Science Architectural History & Heritage International Business with German International Business with Italian Cognitive Science (Computing) Education Architecture Childhood Practice International Business with Japanese Computer Science Learning in Communities Art International Business with Russian Computer Science & Management Art International Business with Spanish Science Physical Education Fine Art Computer Science & Mathematics Primary Education with Gaelic Intermedia Art C Computer Science & Physics (Fluent Speakers) Painting Data Science (Graduate Apprenticeship) Primary Education with Gaelic Photography Celtic Informatics (Learners) Sculpture Celtic Software Engineering Celtic & Archaeology Engineering B Celtic & English Language D Chemical Engineering Celtic & English Literature Civil Engineering Biological Sciences Celtic & French Design Electrical & Mechanical Engineering Biochemistry Celtic & Linguistics Animation Electronics & Computer Science Biological Sciences Celtic & Fashion Electronics & Electrical Engineering Biological Sciences with Management Celtic & Scottish History Film & Television Engineering Biotechnology Celtic & Scottish Literature Graphic Design Mechanical Engineering Cell Biology Illustration Structural & Fire Safety Engineering Development, Regeneration & Stem Cells Interior Design Structural Engineering with Jewellery & Silversmithing Architecture

*These degrees are based in China at the Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJE). Visit: www.ed.ac.uk/biomedical-sciences 14 www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees Undergraduate Guide 2021 The University of Edinburgh 15 Degree index Degree English Language German & Philosophy L O Russian Studies & Politics Sociology English Language German & Politics Russian Studies & Scandinavian Studies Sociology English Language & Literature German & Portuguese Landscape Architecture Oral Health Sciences Russian Studies & Social Policy Sociology & Politics German & Russian Studies Landscape Architecture Oral Health Sciences Russian Studies & Spanish Sociology & Psychology English Literature & German & Scandinavian Studies Sociology & Social Anthropology Scottish Literature German & Social Policy Law P S Sociology with Quantitative Methods English & Scottish Literature German & Spanish Law (Graduate Entry) English Literature Law (Ordinary and Honours) Philosophy Scandinavian Studies Spanish, Portuguese & Latin English Literature & Classics H Law & Accountancy Philosophy Scandinavian Studies (Danish, English Literature & History Law & Business Philosophy & Economics Norwegian, Swedish) Portuguese Scottish Literature Health, Science & Society Law & Celtic Philosophy & English Language Scandinavian Studies & Classics Portuguese & English Language Scottish Literature & Classics Health, Science & Society Law & Economics Philosophy & English Literature Scandinavian Studies & English Portuguese & English Literature Scottish Literature & History Law & French Philosophy & Greek Language Portuguese & Linguistics History Scandinavian Studies & English Scottish Literature & Scottish History Law & German Philosophy & Linguistics Portuguese & Philosophy Economic History Literature Law & History Philosophy & Mathematics Portuguese & Scottish Literature F History Scandinavian Studies & History Spanish Law & International Relations Philosophy & Politics History & Archaeology Scandinavian Studies & Linguistics Spanish & Business Law & Politics Philosophy & Psychology French & Francophone Studies History & Classics Scandinavian Studies & Philosophy Spanish & Classics Law & Social Anthropology Philosophy & Scottish Literature French History & Economics Scandinavian Studies & Politics Spanish & English Literature Law & Social Policy French & Business History & Physics & Astronomy Scandinavian Studies & Social Policy Spanish & History Law & Sociology French & Classics History & Politics Astrophysics Scandinavian Studies & Spanish Spanish & History of Art Law & Spanish French & English Language History & Scottish History Computational Physics Spanish & Linguistics French & English Literature Mathematical Physics Scottish Ethnology History of Art Linguistics Spanish & Philosophy French & German Physics Scottish Ethnology History of Art Linguistics Spanish & Politics French & History Physics with a Year Abroad Scottish Ethnology & Archaeology History of Art & Architectural History Linguistics & English Language Spanish & Portuguese French & History of Art Physics with Meteorology Scottish Ethnology & Celtic History of Art & Chinese Studies Linguistics & Social Anthropology French & Italian Theoretical Physics Scottish Ethnology & English Language Sport History of Art & English Literature French & Linguistics M Scottish Ethnology & English Literature Applied Sport Science History of Art & History of Music French & Philosophy Politics & International Relations Scottish Ethnology & Scandinavian Sport & Recreation Management History of Art & Scottish Literature International Relations French & Politics Mathematics Studies International Relations & International Sustainable Development French & Portuguese Applied Mathematics Scottish Ethnology & Scottish History I Law Sustainable Development French & Russian Studies Mathematics International Relations with Scottish Studies French & Scandinavian Studies Mathematics & Business T Islamic Studies & Quantitative Methods Scottish Studies French & Social Policy Mathematics & Music Middle Eastern Studies Politics French & Spanish Islamic Studies Mathematics & Physics Social Anthropology Theology & Politics, Philosophy & Economics Divinity Middle Eastern Studies Mathematics & Statistics Social Anthropology G Politics with Quantitative Methods Social Anthropology & Politics Divinity – Graduate Entry Italian Medical Sciences Divinity & Classics Psychology Social Anthropology & Social Policy Geography Italian Medical Sciences Philosophy & Theology Psychology Social Anthropology with Development Geography Italian & Classics Religious Studies Medicine Psychology & Business Geography & Archaeology Italian & English Language Social Policy Religious Studies & English Literature Medicine Psychology & Economics Geography & Economics Italian & English Literature Government, Policy & Society Religious Studies & Scottish Literature Psychology & Linguistics Geography & Politics Italian & History Music Government, Policy & Society with Theology Geography & Social Anthropology Italian & History of Art Acoustics & Music Technology R Quantitative Methods Geography & Social Policy Italian & Linguistics Music Social Policy & Economics V Geography & Sociology Italian & Philosophy Social Policy & Law N Russian Studies Veterinary Medicine Italian & Politics Russian Studies Social Policy & Politics German Veterinary Medicine Italian & Spanish Russian Studies & Classics Social Policy & Sociology German Nursing Studies Veterinary Medicine (Graduate Entry Russian Studies & English Language Social Policy with Quantitative Methods German & Business Master of Nursing with Programme) J Russian Studies & English Literature German & Classics Pre-registration (Adult) Social Work Russian Studies & History German & English Language Nursing Studies Social Work Japanese Russian Studies & History of Art German & English Literature Japanese Russian Studies & Linguistics German & History Japanese & Linguistics German & History of Art Russian Studies & Philosophy German & Linguistics 16 www.ed.ac.uk/access-edinburgh Undergraduate Guide 2021 The University of Edinburgh 17

Myth busting Your university community: Only straight A students get into Total students Undergraduates the University of Edinburgh. 43,380 26,770 Open and We offer places based on a range of grades, depending on the context in which your results were achieved.

If I get in with minimum grades, Part-time UG inclusive I will struggle to catch up. 4,290 (16%) Full-time UG Our grades are set at the academic level 22,475 (84%) you need to succeed. When you get in, it will be because we believe you have the ability to do well and we will give you the Male UG time and support you need to settle in. 10,155 (38%) I’m too old to go to university. We welcome learners of all ages. If you have already left school you can still apply. We believe everyone deserves an equal Adults returning after a break of at least Female UG opportunity to study at the University of three years in their formal education 16,585 (62%) need to have undertaken some recent Edinburgh. We welcome students from academic study. Find out more at: all over the world, who represent diverse www.ed.ac.uk/studying/mature It’s impossible to go to university Undergraduates studying in: Undergraduates experiences, backgrounds and cultures. if you have kids. coming from: Lots of people juggle university life with The University is committed to widening access to higher raising a family and we offer excellent Medicine & education, and admitting the very best students, who childcare services, support and advice. Veterinary demonstrate the potential to benefit from, and contribute to, Medicine Scotland Edinburgh isn’t for me. I’m not going 3,160 (12%) the academic experience we offer. This means that no student 8,325 (31%) to fit in. is admitted on the basis of grades alone. You will. We have a multicultural student Science & body who join us from a wide range of What qualifications and grades do I need? Engineering Arts, Humanities & backgrounds. They are roughly one third 6,925 (26%) The qualifications and grades you need vary according to the Social Sciences Scottish, one third international and one degree you apply for and may also depend on whether you are a 16,685 (62%) third from elsewhere in the UK. Other UK* widening access student. Please check the specific subjects and 8,170 (30.5%) grades we require for entry to the degree you are interested in online: www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees My story Am I a widening access student? 7,700 “I was given the opportunity to visit the We consider you to be a widening access student if you are Academic staff Overseas University and talk to students because I in the UK and: More than 7,700 academic members of 7,455 (28%) attended a LEAPS [ Equal Access staff are employed across our 21 Schools. • live in a target postcode area, or Programme for Schools] high school. This piqued my interest in the University and • attend a target school or college, or Other EU helped set a goal in mind. I began to attend 2,820 (10.5%) • are studying on the Scottish Wider Access Programme events organised by the University’s widening 160 or the University of Edinburgh Access Programme, or participation team. I was able to interact Countries Undergraduate entrants aged: with students, learn about the University and • are care experienced, or Students from 160 different countries facilities, and visit the law library. These events have studied here in the last 10 years. 17 or under 2,470 (9%) • have refugee status or are an asylum seeker allowed me to form a better picture of what life would be like at university. The staff and 18 to 20 19,895 (74%) You can find out more about all of these terms at: students were friendly. They made me feel 2,910 (11%) www.ed.ac.uk/access-edinburgh 21 to 24 welcome but were also realistic and honest.” 290+ 25 or over 1,490 (6%) Find out if we will consider you to be a widening Societies access student, using our online checker: Anais Banag More than 290 societies and groups https://admission-checker.is.ed.ac.uk LLB (Hons) Law you can join. Or start one of your own! * Includes Channel Islands and 18 www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/apply Undergraduate Guide 2021 The University of Edinburgh 19

Making an application Open What you need to do and where to find out more. to you ntat u i u need re e ere hy to suort you t ny oint during your ition ee ge How to apply What you will need to apply International foundation for our ontt detis You should apply for full-time You’ll need your qualifications, a personal programme undergraduate study at the University statement and a reference to apply. For If you’re from a country whose national ind ut re aut via UCAS. You can find out more about some of our degrees you may also need to: school-leaving qualifications are at a lower ur degree how to apply online: www.ed.ac.uk/ level than we require for admission, we • come to an interview, for medicine, he ht nd here undergraduate/apply offer a one-year foundation programme veterinary medicine, nursing, teacher you i study ho you to develop your academic skills and education, or oral health sciences; i ern your reer When to apply English language proficiency. If successful, oortunities nd ore You can submit your application for • submit a digital mini portfolio, for art, you’ll be eligible for entry to many of our 1 2021 study from 1 September 2020. design and fine art; degrees in our College of Arts, Humanities We recommend you apply as soon as & Social Sciences. • sit an admissions test, such as the isit possible. You must apply before the edauundergraduatedegree e at University Clinical Aptitude Test relevant deadline: uaiiatin u (UCAT) for medicine; Immigration International students normally need i need t get in • 15 October 2020 – deadline for all • provide evidence of relevant work a visa to study in the UK. We offer applications to study medicine or ind the seifi subet or voluntary experience, and meet online guidance to help explain which veterinary medicine. nd grde reuireents fitness to practice standards, for immigration permission you need: for your degree • 15 January 2021 – deadline for all professional programmes. www.ed.ac.uk/immigration/ 2 other UK and EU applicants. do-i-need-a-visa You’ll also need to provide evidence of ind ut t a • 30 June 2021 – deadline for all your English language skills. We accept a ed our dvie on isit edauundergraduatedegree other international applicants. range of qualifications that demonstrate Our terms and conditions If you apply to the University and are everything you need to We recommend you apply by 15 your English language competency no inuding erson offered a place to study here, please read January 2021 if possible as we may including SQA National 5, GCSE, and IB stteents referenes our Terms and Conditions of Admission have to close applications before Standard Level English. For international nd dedines online before you accept our offer: this final deadline. applications, we will also accept: IELTS; 3 www.ed.ac.uk/terms-conditions TOEFL – iBT; IGCSE English, First or Second Language; CAE or CPE; Trinity isit edauundergraduatea ISE; and others: Our privacy statement r e undertanding Before you apply, you can read our ur entr reuireent www.ed.ac.uk/english-requirements Privacy Statement online for information r i u ant ind ur about how we will use your personal data uaiiatin Our entry requirements from your application and who we will Please check the specific subjects and 2 ed our guidne on the ide share it with: www.ed.ac.uk/studying/ grades we require for entry to the degree rnge of U nd interntion admissions/privacy-statement you are interested in. You can look at the uifitions e et detailed entry requirements online: ae ur aiatin Contact us www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/ If you would like to speak to someone ou i y onine isit edautudingundergraduate degrees about admission to a specific degree vi U entrreuireent We accept lots of different qualifications and how to apply, you’ll find our contact from around the world. Again, full details information on page 48. are available online: www.ed.ac.uk/ 4 undergraduate/entry-requirements Please also see the information on page 16 isit ua for widening participation applicants. 20 www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/fees-finance Undergraduate Guide 2021 The University of Edinburgh 21

Financial peace Examples of available funding of mind Access Edinburgh The Access Edinburgh scholarship is for full-time undergraduate students who live in the UK. Awards are worth up to £5,000 depending on your circumstances and household income. Any student from a lower income We appreciate that studying here is a significant financial household or who is care experienced commitment and are dedicated to helping students of or estranged will receive an Access Edinburgh scholarship. Your award will be all ages and social backgrounds enter higher education, automatically assessed, based on your household income when you apply for regardless of your financial situation. SAAS or Student Finance , or Northern funding. We offer one of the most generous Working while you study Fees at a glance financial support packages in the UK Working whilst studying is a great way What you pay and the assistance you may Lloyds Scholars for students from the lowest household to earn extra money, take time out of receive depend on where you live. The If you’re a UK student from a below incomes, as well as a number of University to meet others and learn new following information offers an overview average income family, a number of Lloyds scholarships awarded on the basis of skills. However, it is important that you of indicative fee levels and funding for Scholarships worth up to £6,000 each academic merit. only take on work that will not interfere 2020. Please check online for up-to-date over four years are available. Scholars with your academic priorities. As a thriving information for 2021: After fees, living costs will be your main also receive mentoring and internship with a year-round tourist opportunities and must undertake expenditure so it’s important to know you • Scotland – for eligible students, fees season, Edinburgh offers a wide range of can afford a life outside the lecture theatre will be paid by Awards community volunteering work. job opportunities for our students. enjoying Scotland’s inspiring capital city. Agency Scotland (SAAS). Our award-winning Careers Service Undergraduate Mathematics If you’re a student from the UK, you may • England, Wales and Northern offers an online portal that includes Scholarships be eligible for living costs support from Ireland – £9,250 a year reviewed on an part-time job opportunities. They also The School of Mathematics provides a your regional funding body in the form of annual basis. Eligible students receive have a dedicated adviser who can number of scholarships worth £5,000 to loans, bursaries or grants. When preparing a government-funded loan for fees that assist international students looking for maths students of outstanding ability from a budget for starting at university, it is isn’t repaid until they are in work and employment – if you have a full UK Tier 4 countries outside the EU. important to understand what you expect reach an earnings threshold. visa, you can work up to 20 hours a week the cost of your necessities to be and during the academic year. • – for eligible The Royal (Dick) School of ensure you will have enough money to The rest of the EU students, fees are currently paid by Veterinary Studies International pay for them. Use our online budget SAAS but this may change depending Scholarship planner and money-saving tips to help on the timing and terms of the UK’s exit There are two scholarships, each of £5,000 you plan ahead: from the European Union. a year, available to international students www.ed.ac.uk/students/living-costs studying BVM&S Veterinary Medicine. • Outside the EU – international students pay a fixed annual fee starting at £20,950 a year. Laboratory- and Use our online tool to search for more studio-based degrees cost £27,550 funding opportunities available to you: a year, veterinary medicine fees are www.ed.ac.uk/student-funding £32,850 a year, and medicine fees are £32,100 in Years 1–3, then £49,900 in Years 4–6. Check your fee status online: www.ed.ac.uk/student-funding/ fee-status 22 www.ed.ac.uk/about Undergraduate Guide 2021 The University of Edinburgh 23

Stand on the For more than 400 years, shoulders of giants our students and staff Our notable alumni include: have been influencing and changing the world for the better. Now it’s your turn. Sir J.M. Barrie Julia Sebutinde Viscount Palmerston JK Rowling Sir Sir Sir Sir Winston Churchill Kirsty Wark Anneila Sargent Sir The work done at the University is Our community has long enjoyed a spirit Sophia Jex-Blake constantly expanding the depth of of innovation and continues to do so Alexander human knowledge and improving the today. Working with our partners and lives of ordinary people. building on our strengths in data science, Sir we’ve set out to establish our region as The University has laid the foundations James Clark Maxwell the data capital of Europe. We’re also of modern economics and sociology, working towards other historic firsts the , geology, including new treatments for major English literature, , Dame Elizabeth Blackadder diseases such as multiple sclerosis, electromagnetism, , Peter Higgs motor neurone disease and cancer; antiseptic , nephrology and the Piers Sellers and doing innovative work to tackle theory of . Sir climate change. William Rankine It has led to the discovery of carbon Join us and you’ll do more than follow Dame dioxide, latent and specific heat, in the footsteps of Nobel laureates, anaesthesia, SARS (Severe Pulitzer prizewinners, Olympic Acute Respiratory Syndrome), and medallists, revolutionary thinkers and Academic prizes the Higgs boson particle, and it has scientific pioneers. You’ll have the Pulitzer developed the Hepatitis B vaccine, the Play opportunity to lead – to transform your One Pulitzer Prize winner hypodermic syringe, the kaleidoscope, education here into your own mark on the vacuum flask, the ATM, the diving Turing our shared history, forging your path chamber and in-vitro fertilisation. Three winners to the groundbreaking discoveries and It has advanced the public innovative research that will influence Nobel your understanding of how our behaviours tomorrow’s world. There are 19 Nobel Prize winners who affect ageing, protected forest are alumni of the University or have been ecosystems, and helped bring members of academic staff here. part broadband to remote communities. 24 www.ed.ac.uk/about Undergraduate Guide 2021 The University of Edinburgh 25

1687 1754 Acquisition of Sir Alumnus and Isaac Newton’s lecturer Joseph 1500 Principia for the Black first discovers 1900 University library. ‘fixed air’, which This great work is still we now know as 1996 held in our Centre for . Research Collections Sir Ian Wilmut clones to this day. O 1964 the , the world’s first mammal Peter Higgs first cloned from an adult C proposes the O O somatic cell. 1583 existence of the University founded. The sixth oldest CC Higgs boson. university in the UK. O O O 1600 1960 1980 1969 Sir , Sir Ken Murray, Head of Chair of Surgical Molecular Biology, develops a 1776 1750 – 1800 Stephen Salter and , Science at the genetically engineered vaccine US Declaration of Scottish Enlightenment. Edinburgh alumni in the University’s Department University, performs against Hepatitis B. Independence. including Adam Smith, James Hutton, David of Artificial Intelligence, develop the UK’s first Alumni James Hume, Joseph Black and the first automated industrial successful kidney Wilson and John lead an era of radical thought and invention assembly robot. transplant. Witherspoon are making the city a ‘hotbed of genius’. signatories. 1700 1999 1958 Graduation of Sir Journalist 1707 – 1726 1813 Chris Hoy (Applied and war hero Sport Science) who Elizabeth First founding of the faculties of law (’07), Our first goes on to become Wiskemann arts (’08) and medicine (’26). black the UK’s second most made the graduate, 2003 1800 decorated Olympic first female Caribbean medallist. professor at the Alumnus Zhong Nanshan student University. discovers the SARS 1876 William Coronavirus. Alumnus makes Fergusson the first telephone call, telling his gains his assistant: “Mr Watson. Come here. I want MD. to see you.” 2017 2019 Ambitious plans to Work begins to install £79m supercomputer ARCHER2 1869 make Edinburgh the at the University, boosting the UK’s capacity to run 1855 2000 data capital of Europe massive research simulations and remain at the The become the first female students announced. forefront of science and technology innovation. Wong allowed to matriculate at any UK university. Fun gains his MD, believed to be the first 1884 Chinese Alumnus Sir John Murray, 1865 graduate the father of modern 2018 Alumnus and lecturer Joseph Lister first of any , establishes the In a world first, Professor Evelyn Telfer uses an antiseptic treatment of carbolic European UK’s first marine laboratory in grows human eggs in the lab paving 2025 and beyond acid to prevent infection. university. Granton, Edinburgh. the way for new fertility treatments. Over to you to play your part and write the next chapter. 26 www.ed.ac.uk/news Undergraduate Guide 2021 The University of Edinburgh 27

The University has been influencing the world In the news In the lab since 1583. We have a of Art fashion students brought A heart monitor which attaches to the back of a their cutting-edge collections to the catwalk with a smartphone or tablet could save the NHS time and long history of making runway show that transformed the National Museum money after research showed it was up to five times a difference but it isn’t of Scotland’s Grand Gallery into a slick fashion venue. more effective than standard tests. one we take for granted. An innovative layout ensured everyone in the audience Around 300,000 patients a year attend UK hospitals with had a front row seat, making the fashion show inclusive heart palpitations. These are usually harmless but can To this day, we strive and accessible to all. be caused by serious, difficult to detect, underlying heart rhythm disorders. to deliver excellence Our fashion graduates have gone on to work for leading industry names including Balenciaga, Gucci, Stella The AliveCor® KardiaMobile, a smartphone and help address McCartney, Vivienne Westwood and Calvin Klein. electrocardiogram, can be activated by someone experiencing a palpitation to record their heart rhythm tomorrow’s greatest and send it electronically to their doctor. challenges, as these In the first controlled trial, funded by the British Heart recent highlights show. Foundation and Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland, researchers led by the University and NHS found the device contributed to quicker and less expensive diagnoses. “This is an easy, cheap way to diagnose heart rhythm problems that usually see people attending emergency departments several times. For those with harmless palpitations, this can quickly give reassurance whilst for those with serious underlying heart conditions it can act as a lifesaver.”

Dr Matthew Reed Emergency Medicine Research Group Image shown for illustrative purposes only

In culture

Our team pipped St Edmund Hall, , to the title, becoming the first Scottish university to win a series of the popular television quiz show since 1983. Students Matt Booth, Marco Malusà, Max Fitz-James and Robbie Hewson took a close fought and thrilling To victory over the series favourites by 155 points to 140. “It’s a huge tribute to the students involved to have beaten off very tough competition from some of the sharpest minds in UK universities and won the final. Everyone this associated should be justifiably proud of what the team has achieved.”

Professor Peter Mathieson day… & Vice- 28 www.ed.ac.uk/news Undergraduate Guide 2021 The University of Edinburgh 29 In business In practice

Student-launched startup company Touchlab History graduate Nick Doman is working “In under a year of selling bottles, we have has developed a human-like electronic with partners in Haiti, the Philippines, funded collection of ocean-bound plastic skin (e-skin) for robots that will allow them Indonesia, and Brazil to spearhead the equivalent to more than 26 million plastic to ‘feel’ a range of sensations including clean-up and recycling of plastic from their bottles and hope to be collecting three texture, slippage and pain. This could allow waterways and coastlines. billion a year by 2025.” such robots to more effectively work on the He co-founded Ocean Bottle, a International Space Station or build habitats Nick Doman company that produces sustainable, on other planets before human colonization. MA (Hons) History reusable drinks bottles from stainless Co-founder of Ocean Bottle Laura Garcia Caberol, a product design steel and ocean-bound recycled postgraduate at , and plastics then directly funds the collection Zakareya Hussein, a PhD student in the School of ocean-bound plastic and the creation of of Engineering, can wrap their e-skin around recycling infrastructure. any robot, whether its surface is hard and rigid For each bottle Nick Doman sells, a or soft and squishy. contribution to the company Plastic Their technology will allow robots to detect Bank ensures 11.4kg of ocean-bound and respond to a range of tactile sensations plastic – equivalent to more than 1,000 from light stroking to the ‘pain’ of sharp discarded bottles in weight – is collected objects. They now aspire to send e-skin on a for recycling. This partnership puts a value future mission to Mars. One possibility for this on plastic waste, supporting local jobs is to equip NASA’s Valkyrie robot, currently by paying collectors up to three times being tested at the University, with e-skin on market rate and exchanging gathered its hands and elsewhere. plastic for products, medical insurance and even education. In sports

World-class rower and alumna “I didn’t pick up an oar until my first year Maddie Arlett claimed her first world at university. When I went to freshers’ fair championship medal for Team GB, having I made a beeline straight for the rowers. started as a total novice when she took up They didn’t even properly look at me the sport at university. because I was short and they were looking out for tall people but I went for the sign- Lightweight sculler Maddie has become a up sheet and that was that!” regular for Team GB since her senior debut at the 2017 World Cup regatta, where her Maddie Arlett team won a doubles bronze and silver in BSc (Hons) Applied Sport Science and the lightweight quad class. MSc Strength & Conditioning graduate Her solo bronze medal win in the lightweight single scull class at the 2019 World Rowing Championships saw her hold her nerve to move through the field over the final kilometre. 30 www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate Undergraduate Guide 2021 The University of Edinburgh 31

Our worldwide reputation for teaching Edinburgh Imaging is one of Europe’s “Edinburgh is renowned for biomedical and research helps attract some of the foremost clinical research imaging international research community’s facilities. It sits alongside one of the UK’s research and I like that lecturers incorporate sharpest minds, which in turn means largest state-of-the-art teaching hospitals the latest developments into their teaching world-class teaching for you. and the world-leading MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, where we’re You’ll learn from people who are leaders in studying stem cells and developing new material. It keeps you up to date with what their fields, who conduct groundbreaking treatments for cancer, heart disease, research with global implications and issues are facing scientists today.” liver failure, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, use it to directly inform the teaching Parkinson’s and motor neurone disease. Lewis Green you receive. Join us and be part of our BSc (Hons) Medical Sciences enthusiastic community of pioneers, Our new Bayes Centre brings visionaries and scholars, studying the together world-leading mathematical, latest developments in your subject with computational, engineering and natural the prospect of working on life-changing sciences expertise in a data science and research yourself. artificial intelligence innovation hub to work across disciplines applying data Your studies will take place in our technology to solve real-world problems. cutting-edge facilities and remarkable historic buildings – an invigorating environment in which ideas can be Facilities at a glance • State-of-the-art laboratories and researched, tested, developed and world-leading analytical facilities refined. Here are a few highlights: including a 1.5km deep subsurface Our Main Library is one of the largest biology laboratory and an Eco and most important academic libraries Diamond HK36 small aircraft for in the world and is open to you 24 hours measuring trace gases at 3,000 metres. a day, seven days a week. In total, our 10 • £100m invested over the last five years libraries hold more than two million printed on our Easter Bush campus, creating volumes and provide access to almost a European centre of excellence in 700,000 electronic journals and databases. animal services and food security. Our Centre for Research Collections • The and is unique, bringing together more than Tent Gallery, which host public 400,000 rare books, from Shakespearean contemporary art exhibitions first editions to oriental manuscripts, throughout the year. as well as six kilometres of , and museum-standard collections of • Small animal, large animal and equine art and artefacts. hospital facilities at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary studies, which Our unique FloWave Ocean Energy was founded in 1823. An inspiring Research Facility is the world’s most sophisticated simulator of wave and tidal • Our Institute for Astronomy, based current interactions. Its 25-metre diameter at Edinburgh’s historic Royal circular tank holds 2.4 million litres of water. Observatory, is one of the UK’s major centres of astronomical research, with community St Cecilia’s Hall, built in 1762, is special strengths in survey astronomy, Scotland’s oldest purpose-built concert cosmology, active galaxies and the hall. It now houses our Collection of formation of stars and planets. You can’t plan on changing the world without Historical Musical Instruments – one of the world’s most important collections • The University’s Anatomy Museum, starting small. It takes inquisitive minds and of musical heritage with 5,000 objects first opened in 1884, has a wealth of curious natures. It takes stimulating teachers spanning 500 years. unique anatomical objects. • One of the UK’s 10 Wellcome Trust who have the passion and enthusiasm to light clinical research facilities. the fire of a subject in your mind. It takes the confidence to challenge and be challenged instead of just accepting the status quo. 32 www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/employability Undergraduate Guide 2021 The University of Edinburgh 33

94/100 High score Shape Our employer reputation rating in the QS World University Rankings 2019

If you consider yourself something of an entrepreneur, you’ll be interested to know this is an entrepreneurial city, home to two your of the UK’s $1 billion-valued unicorn companies. We boast one th of the most entrepreneurial student bodies in the UK and have 15 helped students launch nearly 100 startups in the last two years. Targeted High Fliers research ranked us the 15th One in five of those startups was a . Edinburgh most targeted UK university by top career Innovations (EI), our commercialisation service, embodies our employers’ graduate recruiters. strong enterprise culture providing free, confidential advice and a programme of support during your studies and for up to two years after graduation:www.edinburgh-innovations.ed.ac.uk All this combines to form an approach that has seen us ranked 95% in the top 10 in the UK and in the top 100 in the world for the Employment employability of our graduates*. Employers from all sectors have Six months after graduating, 95 per cent the confidence to consider the University an excellent training of our students are in employment or ground for graduates with the intellectual ability and high level postgraduate study. attributes needed to succeed and thrive in the global job market.

Our graduates are highly employable and Open to the world “I’d recommend students get We reach out to partners worldwide, collaborating in fields as we can help you stand out in a competitive diverse as e-science, engineering, life and medical sciences, involved with Edinburgh job market. and arts and culture. Our global engagement plan ensures Innovations. They offer practical world-class experiences are available to you as you study while support to make your business a You’ll need to take full advantage of the development our partnerships ensure the teaching and research we deliver reality. My sound design software, benefits communities worldwide. Our current partnerships with opportunities open to you, both academically and beyond the Dehumaniser, is now used by University. Your future employers will look for more than just leading universities include: a qualification – they’ll expect you to have the skills, personal • industry professionals, including qualities and mindset to thrive in the working environment. • California Institute of Technology Hollywood film studios.” That means studying here is about laying the foundations for • your future success, whatever shape that takes. • University of Orfeas Boteas • University College MSc Sound Design graduate We offer career-enhancing opportunities for you to develop new EI supported the development of his company • ETH Zurich skills and abilities, learn more about yourself and your working Krotos: www.krotosaudio.com practices, and boost your confidence. We invest in your future • beyond the end of your degree, helping you to develop a unique • set of graduate attributes that will be fundamental to your • University of development and long-term success: • KU My story • University www.ed.ac.uk/graduate-attributes “The Careers Service supported each “This self-belief gave me the confidence • stage of my development, provided me to pursue my masters with institutions Our award-winning Careers Service provides tailored advice, • National University of Singapore with confidence when I needed it, and that I was interested in. When it came to individual guidance and personal assistance, internships and • facilitated a change in career. By helping applying for graduate jobs, the Careers networking opportunities with employers from local SMEs to top • University of Pennsylvania me understand what employers are Service and the resources provided were multinationals, and access to the knowledge and experience of • Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile looking for and decode job descriptions, invaluable. They continued to help me our worldwide alumni network. • I was able to tailor my CVs and cover letters refine my CV and I was able to secure a job A lot of what you do outside university also contributes to your We’re a member of the global research network to particular roles. A key skill they helped straight after graduating! I recommended development as a more rounded individual. This might include and of the European networks , UNICA, LERU, me develop was self-reflection – to draw the Careers Service to friends who also extra-curricular activities such as running a or society night, and UNA Europe. We have five regional centres in Latin America, from my past experiences and apply it to received invaluable help. I would advise volunteering or part-time work. The Edinburgh Award is our way Southeast Asia, South Asia, North America and East Asia that future roles. Through this I was able to gain students to go and try it out.” of recognising, certifying and demonstrating to employers the support engagement with students, academics and alumni. two internships. skills and attributes you’ve gained from your extra-curricular Olivia Sweeney activities: www.ed.ac.uk/edinburgh-award *Times Higher Education Global Employability University ranking 2019 MEng (Hons) Chemical Engineering 34 www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/student-life Undergraduate Guide 2021 The University of Edinburgh 35

Open your heart to “It is one of the most hauntingly beautiful places in the world.” Sporting5 firsts The birthplace of modern golf in the 15th J.K. Rowling century, Scotland also hosted the world’s Scotland Best-selling author and alumna first international association match, against England, in 1872. From its highlands and islands to its lowland borders, Scotland is a country of breathtaking natural beauty.

For a country of its size, there is great variety Diaspora4 in Scotland’s terrain from towering mountains Scotland’s population is 5.2 million. to dense woodland glens. Even if you’ve lived There are as many people of Scottish here all your life, it may surprise you to learn heritage living in North America as that Scotland has more than 6,000 of there are in Scotland. coastline, almost 800 offshore islands and more than 31,000 freshwater lochs. This is a country steeped in history yet firmly focused on the future – a modern, dynamic, European where the life sciences, creative industries, digital technology, energy and renewables, financial and business services, and, yes, tourism now drive our economy. 3Water Ness alone contains more water than all the lakes of England and Wales combined. At 310 metres, Loch Morar is Europe’s third deepest body of freshwater.

Famous2 beasts Nessie grabs all the attention but Scotland’s national animal is the Unicorn.

Climate Scotland’s climate is temperate World1 beating and oceanic with variable weather. In 2019, Rough Guides readers Average temperatures range from 5oC voted Scotland the world’s most in January to 19oC in August. beautiful country. 36 www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/student-life Undergraduate Guide 2021 The University of Edinburgh 37

Ranked second in the UK Sometimes known as ‘the of Open your heart to the North’ because of its stunning, historic and seventh in Europe in the architecture, Edinburgh is home to two QS Best Student Cities 2019. UNESCO World Heritage Sites and was the world’s first UNESCO . Edinburgh Large enough to offer something for everyone, but small enough to feel like home, Edinburgh is a modern, sophisticated and beautiful European city Scotland’s inspiring capital will with a diverse multicultural community. be the backdrop to your studies. Well known for its friendly people, its safe, green environment and its compact size, One of Europe’s great cultural hubs Edinburgh is easy to get around and get out of – wherever you are in the city you and a stimulating place to study, are never far from open countryside. Edinburgh is an irresistible blend Edinburgh’s location is perfect for of history, natural beauty and adventurers with diverse and readily accessible opportunities from modern city life. snowboarding to surfing. A single day could see you hillwalking in the morning, lazing on the beach in the afternoon, and enjoying the treasures of the medieval lanes or Michelin-starred restaurants by night.

“Edinburgh is one of Europe’s most beautiful cities, draped across a series of rocky hills overlooking the sea.”

Lonely Planet 38 www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/student-life Undergraduate Guide 2021 The University of Edinburgh 39

A student city Around 100,000 students call Edinburgh home, giving the city a unique buzz and ensuring you’ll be in good company. The friends you meet, places you discover and the lasting memories you create will contribute as much to your university experience as your formal learning. In the summer months the pace of city life accelerates as Edinburgh’s world-famous annual festivals get under way. The city hosts 30 festivals each year, which attract almost four million visitors to the city, and many of them take place either on campus or near to the University making for a vibrant addition to student life. Edinburgh’s festivals include: Getting here. Getting around International Science Festival Edinburgh’s International Airport puts the city within reach of the rest of the world International Film Festival thanks to direct flights from most major cities in Europe – is just an hour and Jazz and Blues Festival a half away – and a host of destinations International Festival worldwide. and Festival Fringe Within the UK, Edinburgh is easy to reach Art Festival and makes an ideal location from which to explore. is just four hours away The Royal Edinburgh by train while a two-hour jaunt north puts Military Tattoo you at the heart of the Scottish Highlands. International Book Festival Within the city limits, Edinburgh is one of the UK’s greenest cities with an extensive Edinburgh Mela cycle route network (and bikes for hire) Edinburgh’s plus reliable bus and tram services. Its compact size makes Edinburgh ideal for exploring on foot too!

Edinburgh regularly receives high satisfaction ratings for safety and security in the International Student Barometer survey. 40 www.eusa.ed.ac.uk — www.ed.ac.uk/sport-exercise — www.eusu.ed.ac.uk Undergraduate Guide 2021 The University of Edinburgh 41 Welcome on campus

Your student union As soon as you join the University, you’ll be welcomed into the Edinburgh University Students’ Association, which works on your behalf to ensure you have the best possible experience during your time here. The Students’ Association is led by five elected student sabbatical officers and supports a Student Council which all students can participate in. You will be represented by elected school and programme representatives, and by black and minority ethnic, disabled students’, LGBT+, trans and non-binary, and women’s officers. The Students’ Association supports more than 290 student-led societies and volunteering groups, from the A Cappella and Business societies, to the Yoga and Zoology societies. Their facilities include a thriving centre for student activities at the iconic Pleasance complex, which includes dance studios, a multipurpose performance space, TV and radio production facilities and a cafe and bar. Students’ Association venues deliver award-winning food and drink and hundreds of events throughout the year; from language cafes to silent discos and from ceilidhs to food fairs. , opened in 1889, is the oldest purpose-built students’ union in the world. It sits in the Central Area, next to the unique, domed, Potterrow venue. On the King’s Buildings campus, King’s Buildings House offers shops, study and meeting spaces, a cafe, a bar and a gym. 42 www.eusa.ed.ac.uk — www.ed.ac.uk/sport-exercise — www.eusu.ed.ac.uk Undergraduate Guide 2021 The University of Edinburgh 43

Open to getting active: Train: something for everybody Perform: compete at the Play. Train. Perform We have some of the UK’s best sport and highest level Whether you’re a recreational gym-user fitness facilities: Our Performance Sport Programme is or a performance athlete going for gold, one of the most highly regarded in the • Sport Complex and our world-class sport and fitness offer UK. It enables athletes to achieve a Gym, our main indoor sport and caters for you. We’ve long been recognised world-class degree and perform to fitness hub, offers more than 20 as one of the UK’s leading sporting the best of their sporting ability. Our gym and sport spaces including a universities, consistently finishing in the top-class coaches, facilities and services 102-station cardiovascular gym, top four of the British Universities and are currently supporting more than cycling, rowing and class studios, Colleges Sport (BUCS) rankings. 350 students. We offer exceptional extensive free and fixed weights areas, team-specific programmes in rowing, sports halls and dedicated spaces swimming, hockey, women’s fencing, Play: club and for squash, dance, boxing, grappling, archery, orienteering, rugby and women’s recreational sport archery and shooting, as well as With more than 60 sports clubs made basketball. These are led by dedicated indoor climbing and bouldering. up of more than 200 teams, we offer performance coaches, with specialist something for everyone. Our clubs offer • A 25-metre, six-lane pool, free weights conditioning, medical and advisory regular coaching, training, tips and gym and multi-activity sports halls at back-up. Support is also offered to athletes competition, both locally and nationally, St Leonards Land. competing in other sports through our with opportunities to participate Individual Performance Programme. • Peffermill Playing Field, one of and/or compete most days of the week. Scotland’s leading outdoor sports Performance athletes have access to We run Scotland’s largest intramural facilities, with international-standard, our state-of-the-art facilities, including sports programme, offering informal floodlit, water-based artificial hockey our dedicated performance gym for leagues, tournaments and fun events, pitches, 3G football/rugby facilities, sports-specific and strength and alongside a pioneering ‘EDex’ come and try Sporting success 3G five-a-side pitches, artificial conditioning coaching. We also offer programme in an array of sports. We also Our students and alumni have claimed: cricket nets, a 100-metre training dedicated elite sports accommodation deliver sports-related volunteering and track and a Scottish Football for first-year students, sports science and skills development opportunities through Association-approved football arena. flexible studying, mentoring and academic our Coaching and Volunteering Academy. support, lifestyle and nutritional advice, • Firbush Outdoor Centre, on the banks and access to the world-renowned FASIC of Loch Tay in the Highlands, offers Sport & Exercise Medicine Clinic. There tailored activities and services, from is also access to funding opportunities & windsurfing to mountain leadership 22 45 through the Winning Students network. training, with fully-accredited, Olympic Commonwealth We now boast an elite athlete access and experienced instructors and all medals Games medals scholarship policy to support applications specialist equipment. to study at the University from talented We also offer one of the country’s best sports performers. fitness and wellness programmes, with “The best gym flexible and affordable membership we’ve ever used.” packages, a year-round programme of more than 100 weekly exercise classes, Dr Nick Gill fitness challenges and sports participation Head of Strength and Conditioning, events. Our Active Lives programme helps New Zealand All Blacks Rugby you get started on your fitness journey “If I hadn’t gone and stay active, offering one-to-one support, beginners’ groups and advice for to Edinburgh I’d a healthy active life. never have taken up rowing. I’d never have had the life I’m currently living.”

Katherine Grainger Olympic champion rower and Edinburgh law graduate 44 www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/accommodation Undergraduate Guide 2021 The University of Edinburgh 45

Pollock Halls provides catered accommodation for around 2,000 students. You will typically live in a single study-bedroom, more than half of which have en suite facilities, with shared common rooms. The meal plan included in your rent provides breakfast and dinner every weekday, with brunch and dinner at weekends, in our award-winning restaurant. We were the first university in Scotland to win the Food for Life and Food for the Brain awards. Our range of self-catering flats and houses is a convenient alternative that costs less than catered options and still delivers a sociable and supportive environment. Most residents have a single study-bedroom with an en suite or shared bathroom and shared kitchen facilities. Flats are typically shared with four to six other students. All our students have access to our Residence Life team, Residents’ Assistants and Wardens who live with you in your accommodation. They offer a full range of events and activities to help you settle in to life in Edinburgh and to create a supportive and inclusive community in A home away which to live. from home...

We realise you need more than just a place to live. The University is an integral part of the “It can be hard to fit in at first city. You’ll be learning, and living, just a but people here are so friendly. You need an environment in which you can thrive. short walk or bus ride from the city centre of one of Europe’s most vibrant capitals. They are literally from all over That’s why we guarantee accommodation for as Our undergraduate accommodation the world – I’ve met someone many new undergraduates as possible. If you’re typically includes: from all six inhabited continents from outside Edinburgh, intending to study for • all heating, hot water and electricity at Edinburgh – and from all walks costs; the full academic year, and apply by the deadline, of life. You learn a lot outside the • wi-fi in your study-bedroom and in classroom about where people are our accommodation guarantee is open to you. common areas; from and their home cultures. We also aim to provide accommodation for as • contents insurance; I can’t even begin to describe how it many students as possible who are studying for • secure bike storage; and feels to wake up in such a beautiful • laundry facilities. city surrounded by people from so just part of the year with us. many different cultures.”

Elizabeth Lund MA (Hons) Scandinavian Studies & History 46 www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/support Undergraduate Guide 2021 The University of Edinburgh 47

“University life in Edinburgh is not just about lectures; every Individual moment becomes an avenue for support self-motivation to learn more, We appreciate that coming to University, do more, inspire more and often living away from home for the first discover the best of yourself.” time, can seem overwhelming and we’re committed to helping you and making Omar Kanyi it easy for you to access consistent BEng (Hons) Mechanical & Electrical Engineering information, guidance, care and support whenever and wherever you need it. Our new Health and Wellbeing Centre provides a welcoming central hub for the services that support and care for our University community. We’re currently reviewing exactly how we provide student support to you to ensure we offer the best service possible. Below is an overview of our plans but we encourage you to go online for the most up-to-date information possible as it develops: www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/support The School in which you study will be your first point of contact for your teaching and academic support. You will have a named academic lead and there will be a peer support network and a professional student experience team in your School. This will include a named adviser who will proactively provide advice, guidance or wellbeing support. On campus and online student helpdesks will provide straightforward access to key services including student administration, disability services, finance, and the library and IT services. In addition, Edinburgh University Students’ Association supports numerous student-led peer learning and support schemes across the University to help you settle in to your studies. The Association provides professional, independent and confidential advisory support to students on money matters, accommodation, academic issues and much more through the Advice Place. 48 www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate Undergraduate Guide 2021 The University of Edinburgh 49

To the A1 General enquiries St Andrew’s Bus Station Q Train Station u Queen Street A1 Student Recruitment & Admissions A90 route to e e n What’s sfe George Street Palace A1 If you have a general enquiry about applying to the University rr y S A7 and North tre et Scottish or about several degrees in different colleges: Lothian Road Art galleries ) al Pleasance (Roy A6106 High Street Holyrood Campus +44 (0) 131 650 4360 Nicolson Street Old College Buccleuch Street [email protected] Q New College Holyrood Road u e Centre for Sport Place e Park www.ed.ac.uk/student-recruitment n Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) ’ & Exercise next? A700 s A1 Central Drive Edinburgh Dental Institute Commonwealth Pool Area Edinburgh Global Melville Drive Road n Low sto Edinburgh Global ing Causewayside dd If you are an international student with specific questions Du S cienn Pollock Halls Road es Click about your application: Road accommodation +44 (0) 131 650 4296 A702 A7 Road There’s far more information online. University building [email protected] Mayfield Gardens Visit: www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate 5-minute walk Mayfield Road 5 Pe 15-minute walk M 9 ffer Castle Road www.ed.ac.uk/studying/international 0 mill Road o 6 A

r Alternatively, skip straight to our degree finder and choose n Blackford Ave

i University of Road n g International students can ask us a question: Road Morningside Edinburgh your perfect programme: s Royal ide Pk Playing Fields global.ed.ac.uk/ask-us-a-question Peffermill www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees Edinburgh Lady Road A7 Hospital ens A6106 Clu Gard W. The Royal Infirmary ny The Royal Mains Road ad of Edinburgh Observatory o Visit R

Contact admissions y r Visiting us is the best way to experience what studying at the Observat o Our College admissions teams can advise you about The King’s Edinburgh BioQuarter A702 University would be like and decide for yourself whether life in Colinton Road Buildings A772 A7 Old A701 Liberton Road Dalkeith Road admission to specific degrees: Drive Edinburgh is for you. We run three Open Days a year and you’re Campus College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences: welcome to come alone or bring family and friends for a valued

[email protected] second opinion. A7 College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine Medicine, Medical & Biomedical Sciences: [email protected] Open Days in 2020 B701 Oral Health Sciences: [email protected] Monday 15 June Saturday 26 September Veterinary Medicine: [email protected] A772 Agricultural Science: [email protected] Saturday 10 October B701 B701 Road

College of Science & Engineering: Don’t worry if you can’t make an organised Open Day. A702 A rgh Bypass 7 We offer guided and self-guided tours of our campuses and Edinbu B701 0 City of 1

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A7 d 20 Th www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/visiting e City of Edi nburgh Bypass Get social twitter.com/applyedinburgh

A701 Straiton Road facebook.com/applyedinburgh youtube.com/edinburghuniversity instagram.com/applyedinburgh Edinburgh

A702 Biggar Road Where A703 Seafield Moor Road we are

Bush Loan Road London Easter Bush Campus Detailed maps can be found at: www.ed.ac.uk/maps 50 www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/xxxx Visit us: Undergraduate Open Days 2020 15 June, 26 September, 10 October www.ed.ac.uk/opendays

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© The University of Edinburgh 2020 No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the University. We have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information in this guide before going to print. However, please check online for the most up-to-date information: www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate

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This publication is available online at www.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate and can be made available in alternative formats on request. Please contact [email protected] or call +44 (0) 131 650 2252.

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