University of Edinburgh Partnership

CHART Your Course
Find the classes you need fast with CHART. Our easy-to-use tool shows you classes recently taken by IFSA students.

View up-to-date course options on the University of Edinburgh’s class catalog.

To find courses that will give you a unique introduction to Scotland:

• Scottish History can be found in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology
• Celtic Studies can be found in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures

Credit Conversions
A full class load for one semester is 60 SCQF (University of Edinburgh points), or 15 U.S. semester credit hours. With most classes at the University of Edinburgh worth 20 SCQF each, most students will take three classes during a semester. However, some students may take a greater number of classes because some classes are worth just 10 SCQF, notably Informatics (Computer Science) and Mathematics.

1 SCQF credit = .25 U.S. semester credit hours

Academic Culture and Support

There are differences between the U.S. and UK higher education systems that you will notice during your time at the University of Edinburgh.

• There is a greater emphasis on individual learning in the U.K., with the university recommending that for every 1 credit you should aim to complete 10 hours of independent study.
• You may not have the same kind of personal access to your professor as you may be accustomed to in the U.S., instead connecting with a more junior faculty member and not the head lecturer. In addition, your grade may be based on a single final exam or final paper, or just a few assignments, instead of on a series of assignments, tests, and quizzes from throughout the semester. However, you will have full access to the university’s robust academic support system and resources, with every student being assigned an advisor to support them in academic matters. In addition, individualized support is provided by the IFSA staff on-site in Scotland who are on hand to assist you in navigating this new academic setting.
• Like in the U.S., a university degree in Scotland is normally four years in duration. However, Scottish students tend to specialize at an earlier stage and tend to have an extensive background in that area before beginning their university studies. Due to this, classes may be at a higher level than U.S. students may be accustomed to, even first-year classes.

Lab & Field Trip Fees
Please review syllabi and course materials when registering for direct-enroll classes. Certain classes may have a one-off lab or field trip fee disclosed in the syllabus or during the first meeting of the class. These fees are not included in your IFSA program fee. You will be responsible for these fees, whether they are billed and paid by IFSA or billed to you.

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

Due to high demand, many departments will only allow you to pre-enroll in a limited number of classes before arrival. If you wish to enroll in an additional class beyond this limit, you must wait until the class change period (typically the first two weeks of the academic semester) before making a request to add a class. Please be aware that there is no guarantee of available space for study abroad students.

Please know that students must meet all listed class prerequisite requirements prior to requesting to enroll in a class. This is different from in the U.S. where typically a student enrolls in their future classes while still completing classes that are prerequisite requirements for those future classes.

Archaeology
Students who wish to take any 2nd year Archaeology classes usually must have completed one Archaeology class at grade B or above. Students who wish to take any 3rd year Archaeology class must have completed at least three Archaeology classes at grade B or above. Students can only enroll in one 1st/2nd year and/or one 3rd year Archaeology class before arrival.

Biology
First-year classes require previous coursework in Biology and Chemistry. Second-year classes require previous coursework in advanced Biology and Chemistry, plus either Mathematics or Physics. Fourth-year Biology classes are typically not open to study abroad students.

Business
Students wishing to take 2nd year Business classes at Edinburgh will need to have already taken an introductory level business class and received a grade of B or better, and some classes may have topic specific requirements (e.g. Finance classes). Business School 3rd/4th year classes usually require at least four Business Studies classes at grade B, but most classes have additional topic-specific requirements.

Chemistry
First-year classes require previous coursework in Mathematics and Chemistry. Second-year classes require previous coursework in advanced Mathematics and Chemistry.

Classics & Ancient History
Students who want to take a 3rd year class in any Classics subject area must have completed three Classics or Ancient History classes at grade B or above. Study abroad students may only pre-enroll in two 3rd year Classics classes before arrival.

Computer Science/Informatics
Study abroad students may enroll in a maximum of 20 Scotland credits in this department per semester. First- and second-year Informatics classes require previous coursework in Mathematics.

Creative Writing
These classes are not open to visiting students.

Divinity
Study abroad students wanting to take a third-year Divinity class should have completed at least three Divinity/Religious Studies college-level classes and earned a B or higher grade by the time of submission.

Economics
Study abroad students must have an equivalent of at least 4 semester-long Economics classes at grade B or above for entry to Entry into 3rd year Economics classes at Edinburgh. This must include classes in Intermediate Macroeconomics (with calculus); Intermediate Microeconomics (with calculus); and Probability and Statistics. If macroeconomics and microeconomics classes are not calculus-based, then, in addition, Calculus (or Mathematics for Economics) is required. Some 3rd year classes have an additional requirement for at least one introductory level class in Econometrics at grade B or above.

Edinburgh College of Art
Students can take Architectural History, History of Art and Music classes at Edinburgh College of Art, but studio classes in Architecture, Art or Design are typically not open to study abroad students. Study abroad students may only pre-enroll in one 3rd year History of Art and/or Architectural History class before arrival, due to high demand. Spaces on Music classes are also limited, and students’ eligibility must be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Education
These classes are typically not open to visiting students.

Engineering (Chemical)
First-year classes require previous coursework in Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry. Second-year classes require previous coursework in advanced Mathematics and Chemistry.

Engineering (Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical)
First-year classes require previous coursework in Mathematics and Physics. Second-year classes require previous coursework in advanced Mathematics and Physics.

English Literature
Students who want to take third year classes in the English department must have taken four English literature classes 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 prerequisite. Study abroad students may only pre-enroll in one third-year English literature class before arrival, and cannot take more than two 3rd year classes total per semester.

European Languages and Cultures
Second year European Languages and Cultures classes (class codes ELCC08-) do not normally have any prerequisites, but students may only enroll in one class per semester before arrival.

Geosciences
First- and second-year classes require previous coursework in two of the following areas: Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Geography, Mathematics, or Physics.

Health
Study abroad students may only pre-enroll in one 3rd year Health class before arrival.

History
Students who want to take a 3rd year class in any History subject area must have completed three History classes at grade B or above. Study abroad students may only pre-enroll in two 3rd year History classes before arrival, due to high demand.

Language Sciences & Linguistics
Students who want to take a 3rd/4th year Language Sciences class must have completed three Linguistics/Language Sciences classes at grade B or above. Study abroad students may only pre-enroll in two 3rd year Language Science classes before arrival, due to high demand.

Law
These classes are typically not open to study abroad students. On the rare occasion that space is made available, it will only become available at the start of the relevant semester, and only students who have completed at least three Law classes at grade B or better will be considered.

Mathematics
First-year classes require previous coursework in Mathematics. Second-year classes require previous coursework in advanced Mathematic

Nursing
These classes are typically not open to study abroad students. On the rare occasion that space is made available, students can be pre-approved for only one Nursing class prior to arrival.

Philosophy
Third-year Philosophy classes are typically not open to study abroad students. On the rare occasion that space is made available, it will only become available at the start of the relevant semester, and only students who have completed at least three philosophy classes at grade B or better will be considered.

Physics
First-year classes require previous coursework in Mathematics and Physics. Second-year classes require previous coursework in advanced Mathematics and Physics.

Politics & International Relations
To be considered for 3rd year Politics or International Relations classes, students will need to have taken four previous politics or international relations classes and received grades of a B or better. Study abroad students may only pre-enroll in one Politics class before arrival.

Psychology
Third-year Psychology classes are typically not open to study abroad students. On the rare occasion that space is made available, only students who are majoring in Psychology and have completed at least three psychology classes at grade B or better will be considered. Students can be pre-approved for only one 3rd year (honours) Psychology class prior to arrival.

Sport Science
These classes are not open to visiting students.

New country, new way of learning!

Here’s what to expect at the University of Edinburgh:

• More emphasis on independent learning. The university recommends completing ten hours of independent study for each academic credit you seek.
• Less personal access to professors. Instead, it’s common to connect with more junior faculty members.
• More advanced instruction and material than you’d find in a class at the same level in the United States. Scottish students specialize earlier and have extensive background in that area before university studies.
• Final grades are often based on a final exam or paper, or on a small number of assignments.
• Full access to the university’s robust academic support system and resources, including an assigned advisor. IFSA local staff are also available for individual help.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Eligibility

• You must be at least 18 years of age. Students under 18 may be accepted on a case-by-case basis.
• You must be currently attending or recently graduated from a U.S. or Canadian community college, technical college, two-year college, four-year college, or four-year university.
• You must have completed at least one (1) full-time semester of study at your home institution before the beginning of the semester program or one (1) full-time year of study at your home institution before the beginning of the year program.
• Eligibility requirements can vary among host institutions. Please ask your IFSA Enrollment Counselor for specific information.

Recommendation Letter
Not required.

TRANSCRIPT
Upon completion of your program, IFSA will send an official Butler University transcript to your home university with your coursework converted to the U.S. semester credit hour system. You will also have access to an unofficial transcript in your IFSA Student Portal. The transcript reflects classes taken, credits attempted, and grades earned during your term abroad. This service is included in your study abroad program at no additional cost. See our Transcripts page for more information.