Prospective undergraduate students

General admissions information for prospective undergraduate students.

The College of Humanities and Social Science offers excellent teaching in a wide range of subjects at undergraduate level.

Details of all our degree programmes can be found in the online Undergraduate Prospectus and you can search for courses using our degree finder.

Undergraduate study: degree finder

Admissions information

Specific admissions information is provided depending on whether you are a UK school leaver, mature student, international or from the EU, or planning to study for your degree part-time. Applications for Education programmes also have different requirements.

How to apply

All applicants, whether from the UK, EU or an international country, must apply via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

UCAS Apply

You can apply up to a year in advance. Application deadlines are as follows:

For UK and EU students the closing date is 15 January
For international students the closing date is 30 June

Full information on how to apply for undergraduate study at the University of Edinburgh and what happens next, including what to do if you receive an offer, can be found on the central University webpages.

Applications and admissions

Visiting and exchange opportunities

There are a range of opportunities available for students interested in spending a year or a semester studying in Edinburgh. Please check our visiting and exchange students website for details.

Visiting and exchange students

Open days and visiting

The College welcomes visits from prospective students and their families. Arrangements should be made with the Student Recruitment and Admissions (SRA) or you can attend one of the University's Open Days or student-led campus tours.

Feedback and appeals

There are a number of reasons why an application may not have been successful and we are always prepared to provide feedback to explain the reasons behind rejections.

If your application to study at the University of Edinburgh has been unsuccessful you can find information here which may help you understand why this decision has been reached.

Unsuccessful applications

Deferring entry

We support applicants who plan to take a gap year as a means of gaining valuable experience, either through work or travel, prior to commencing their studies. If you wish to consider taking a gap year you are strongly recommended to contact the College Undergraduate Admissions Office directly for further advice.

For most programmes we are only able to make a limited number of offers to deferred applicants and so may advise you to apply during your gap year rather than for deferred entry.

College Undergraduate Admissions Office