Scotland as a Study Destination
- Suzie Castello
- Mar 6
- 8 min read
Updated: Mar 19
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Scotland is an inviting destination for students from all over the world. It has a long tradition of quality English-language higher education - three of the oldest universities in the UK are in Scotland. Its flexible 4-year undergraduate degree structure influenced the system used in the US today. With a stable and evolved tradition of research funding, Scottish institutions produce cutting edge research and drive innovation. The Scottish celebrate their continuous contributions to the modern world, from refrigeration and penicillin, to innovations in AI, autonomous transportation systems and renewable energy solutions, influential architecture and design, not to mention the Enlightenment and modern Economics.
This blogpost will give an overview of the uniqueness of the Scottish system of higher education, life as an international student, and admissions practices, and other things I learned touring Scottish universities last month.
Why should international students study in Scotland?
Beyond high quality degree programs taught in English in world-class institutions, other reasons international students might choose to study in Scotland are:
Scotland is safe, friendly and inclusive.
Scotland is home to sublime natural beauty and fascinating natural history.
Like the rest of Europe, Scotland is steeped in history.
The largest cities in Scotland are easily managed with public transportation.
Its creative environment produces unique arts, culture and traditions.
It is an affordable study destination, in comparison to the US and other parts of Europe.
Housing options on the whole are more available than in many UK and European destinations. First year on-campus accommodations are often guaranteed.
Tradition
Scotland has a tradition of providing quality higher education dating back centuries. There are 19 accredited universities across the country, four of them being the among the oldest in the UK. The four-year Scottish system was the model for the first universities in the US.
Scotland’s ancient universities are the University of St Andrews, University of Glasgow, University of Aberdeen, and the University of Edinburgh. Living in them is living in history. Their students are surrounded by old libraries, collections, archives, and traditions. These universities are among the oldest in the English-speaking world, producing centuries of academic excellence. Degrees from these institutions hold high international respect. Strong alumni networks and connections command influence across industries. And, for what it’s worth, they look like Hogwarts.
Three of the ancient universities are in urban centers and successfully integrate their older and newer facilities. Students transition from centuries-old courtyards and chapels to modern student unions and research facilities, and the contemporary urbanity that surrounds them, as a normal part of life on an ancient campus.
The Scottish System
Those unfamiliar with Scottish higher education, might assume Scotland follows the practices of the rest of the UK. There are, however, distinct differences in the academic structure of undergraduate degrees.
The Four-year undergraduate degree
Undergraduate degrees in Scotland usually have a duration of four years.
In the first year of the bachelors, for many programs a student takes three modules, one of which is the course for which they applied. The other two are opportunities for the student to explore interests and follow their academic curiosity. The subhonors years (Years 1 and 2) give students the opportunity to develop and grow within their areas of interest. For some STEM-related areas students study two areas.
This video from the University of St. Andrews explains the four-degree structure. And this video from the University of Edinburgh shows students describing the benefits of the four-year degree.
The subhonors years give students time to figure things out in terms of their academic path. The structure provides the opportunity to focus on testing their understanding and measuring their deepening or waning interest in a chosen area, as they complete assignments with the goal of passing to the next phase. This phase often does not have the pressure to achieve a certain GPA, but merely the goal demonstrating sufficient preparation for the honors level. In most cases, only honors-level results (Years 3 and 4) count towards their degree classification. In as much, the structure of the education supports a period of discovery to build a sufficient foundation that prepares students for more focused research in Years 3 and 4 honors modules which usually include presenting a dissertation in the final year.
While the Scottish system is flexible in comparison to the three-year degrees offered at most other UK universities, and many undergraduate programs around the world where the student completes a chosen course of study, it is not as flexible as many undergraduate programs at liberal arts college programs in the US.
Let’s take a break to discuss terminology.
In the Scottish system, classes are called modules, “honors” is like upper-level or upper-class coursework, and the bachelors degree is sometimes called a masters.
For example, the University of St. Andrews offers two undergraduate degrees in psychology, the BSc(Hons) and the MA (Hons). The website describes the difference, “Students who have a background in the sciences or who wish to study Psychology alongside Science subjects at St Andrews should apply for the BSc. For those interested in studying Psychology alongside Arts subjects, the MA may be of interest instead.” Both are four-year undergraduate courses run by the School of Psychology and Neuroscience.
Post-graduate level study also uses the term “masters”, and there are two types: Taught Masters and Research Masters.
Other terminology that might confuse:
Subhonors: lower-level, freshman and sophomore years, prerequisite courses
Honors: major or course of study
Honors with: major and a minor
Joint Honors: double major
Intake: the time of year when the first semester of Year 1 (Freshman year) begins
Entry requirements: minimum requirements for admission
Contact hours: credit hours
College: often the word for a high school
Faculty: department or school within a university
Back to the Scottish System.
As a student progresses through subhonors, they focus their interests and winnow the subjects they deem less desirable to continue. A student might focus their energies on preparing to graduate in a single course of study, a course with an adjacent subject (like a major and minor), or double their energies for a joint honors degree, and in the rare case a triple honors.
The student who perhaps applied to Economics and studied Economics, History and French in year one has the opportunity to experiment with all three equally. They might find themselves very pleased with their experience in French and decide to pursue joint honors in Economics and French. Or another student with the same three modules in Year 1 might find that History is their calling and pursue that as a degree. The history-loving student might decide to add Anthropology in Year 2, and pursue a joint honors, or honors in History with Anthropology. The degree they are eligible to earn upon graduation needs to be one of the three modules of Year 1. But there are numerous configurations that can take place over the course of subhonors that will make them eligible later for honors-level (upper-level) study. University of St. Andrew’s, for example, claims 908 different possible configurations that lead to an undergraduate degree.
Student Life
Studying in Scotland is much more than fascinating traditions and architecture. At every campus I visited I saw state-of-the-art facilities and services for students.
Accommodation (housing) on-campus is quite common, especially for first year students. Many students move into apartments off campus in year 2 or 3. Athletics, clubs and societies are popular ways for students to gather, support interests and create community.
Student Visa (Study Permit) and Work Opportunities
Students coming from outside the UK will need a study permit. It allows students to work 20 hours a week during the academic terms, and full-time during holidays and summer vacation. International students who earn a bachelors degree can stay on to work for 2 years.
Costs
The cost of study varies depending on the course, institution and location. International students pay higher fees than UK students, and Scottish students study for free.
Merit-based scholarships are available. Some generous awards are from the University of Strathclyde, including a joint scholarship for the pathway programme at the International Study Centre and degree study at the University of Strathclyde worth up to £21000. The University of Glasgow awards the World Changers Global Excellence Scholarship as a tuition fee discount of £7,000 per year of study.
Unlike universities in the US, Scottish universities practice a system of opting-in for services like access to athletic fields and gyms, giving the cost-conscious student the option to keep overall costs lower by opting out of services they won’t use.
Living costs vary depending on location. Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee are not suffering from as much of a housing shortage as other parts of the rest of the UK and Europe. Still, it is recommended to secure housing options well in advance.
Admissions
Admissions is a holistic review of the transcript within the student’s high school context. Students apply to specific courses and admissions is often undertaken between the university admissions office and specific departments or faculties. Universities provide detailed information of entry requirements by course and one the whole are very transparent about their admissions procedures.
Scottish universities, like in the rest of the UK, use UCAS, and admission is to a specific course of study. Requirements vary by course. Universities also have their own direct admission procedures, and six are also on the Common Application.
Which platform to use depends on the applicant’s situation. For a student applying to multiple programs in the UK, International Recruitment Manager Bill Hoare of the University of Glasgow recommends applying through UCAS. One reason he mentioned is that the UCAS Personal Statement guides the applicant to reveal the kinds of information the admissions team is looking for. While, the writing found in Common App Personal Statement tends to reveal information that doesn’t support an application in the same way. In addition, UCAS is more practical for applying to more than one course in the UK.
If the applicant is applying to many programs in the US, and only one Scottish university that happens to use the Common App, such as the University of St. Andrews, the applicant does not need to apply through UCAS.
Limit UK applications to five, regardless of the application platform.
UCAS caps the number of applications to five. With the alternative platforms, Common App and directly applying to the university via their website, an applicant might try to use these options to apply to more than five UK programs. However, regardless of how the application arrives at the admissions office, institutions adhere to the 5-app limit.
Foundation
As the structures of secondary school around the world vary, and differ from that in the UK, not all students who graduate high school in their home country qualify for direct entry to UK undergraduate courses. To meet this need, many Foundation courses, pathways, or programs (programmes) are available. Some are geared toward helping international students improve gaps in academic and English skills. Some programs are integrated into a specific course of study, while others are stand-alone courses that prepare students to apply to direct study after completion.
Case-by-case
With increasing global awareness, some UK universities may be open to evaluate a student’s academic fit to their program on a case-by-case basis regardless of their high school curriculum. I found this to be the case with some Scottish courses. This opportunity might present itself for less selective programs, or programs without rigorous maths requirements. They may also be flexible with very academically strong candidates who come through Foundation and qualify to enter directly to Year 2, while other Foundation Programs might replace Year 1 study. For the student graduating from a high school curriculum that doesn’t qualify them for direct entry, it is worth researching university websites and contacting admissions representatives to understand their full range of options.
If you would like to find out more about Scotland as a study destination, please reach out to schedule a consultation.
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