There are a number of restricted and/or competitive courses at the University of Edinburgh. A full list is available here.

• ENGLISH LITERATURE: Students who want to take third-year courses in the English department must be in their third year when they arrive and have taken four English literature courses for grades of B or better. Edinburgh does not count interdisciplinary, composition, creative writing, or comparative literature classes, workshops, or freshman year seminars toward this pre-requisite. 
• ECONOMICS: Visiting students should usually have an equivalent of at least 4 semester-long Economics courses at grade B or above for entry to Entry into 3rd year Economics classes at Edinburgh. This MUST INCLUDE courses in Intermediate Macroeconomics (with calculus); Intermediate Microeconomics (with calculus); and Probability and Statistics. If macroeconomics and microeconomics courses are not calculus-based, then, in addition, Calculus (or Mathematics for Economics) is required. It is not suitable for students to take this course alongside 'Economics 2'. (Some 3rd year Economic classes may also require Econometrics).
• EDINBURGH COLLEGE OF ART: Students can take architecture history, history of art and music courses at Edinburgh College of Art, but studio art classes are not open to study abroad students. 
• INFORMATICS: Visiting students may enroll in a maximum of 20 Scotland credits in this department per semester.
• PHILOSOPHY: To be considered for third-year philosophy courses, students will need to have taken at least three philosophy courses for grades of grade B or better. Students can be pre-approved for only two third-year (honours) philosophy courses prior to arrival. After arrival, students can request that the university consider them for a third course.
• BUSINESS: Students wishing to take first-year business courses at Edinburgh will need to have already taken an introductory level business course and received a grade of B or better.
• POLITICS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: In order to be considered for third-year politics or international relations courses, students will need to have taken four previous politics or international relations courses and received grades of a B or better.
• GEOLOGY: EASC09029 Geology 3rd Year Field Course has mandatory spring break travel as part of the course, so please don't make spring break plans if you take this course. Also note that this course has an additional fee because of the travel.
• SPORT SCIENCE: These courses are typically not available to visiting students.
• LAW: These courses are typically not available to visiting students.

After you return to the U.S., IFSA will send an official Butler University transcript to your home university with your coursework converted to the U.S. credit system. You will also have access to an unofficial transcript in your IFSA Student Portal. The transcript reflects courses taken, credits attempted, and grades earned during your term abroad. This service is included in your study abroad program at no additional cost.