How to choose courses
Visiting ERASMUS Exchange students can choose from a wide range of first, second and third year courses.
If you wish to take less than 60 credits per semester we will try and accommodate this where possible. Please tell us in your personal statement why you would like to take fewer courses. Please note that currently, the minimum number of credits you can take is 40 per semester and 80 over the academic year.
What can I study at Edinburgh?
The courses you will be considered for will depend on the Erasmus exchange agreement you are admitted under.
Subject-specific exchange
If you are on a subject-specific exchange, you are effectively swapping places with an Edinburgh student who has gone to study at your home university in the agreed subject area.
You should select the majority of your courses in the agreed subject area.
It may be possible to take one course per semester outside your subject area. If you intend to do this, please choose from our first and second year courses only.
We will aim to place you in your preferred courses but cannot guarantee this.
Modern language exchange
If you are applying under a Modern European Languages exchange, you will probably be studying English at your home university. You can take a variety of first and second year courses here in Edinburgh.
Erasmus students on a Modern European Languages exchange agreement are not guaranteed admission to any honours course; however, we will aim to place you in your preferred course.
If you want to be considered for enrolment in honours-level courses, you should have studied at least three courses in the appropriate subject area, and achieved grades B or above (or equivalent).
English language requirements
If you are applying for courses in the subject area of the Erasmus agreement, or for first or second year courses in other subjects, then you do not need to produce evidence of your level of English. However you should have an English language proficiency which will allow you to follow all your course lectures and to complete any course assignments and examinations.
If you are hoping to apply for honours level courses in other subject areas then you will need the following qualification: IELTS 6.5 (overall and in each component) or the equivalent. Alternatively you can sit a free English language test in Freshers’ Week at the beginning of the semester.
Honours (third year) level courses
As an Erasmus student you are welcome to select third year honours level courses in most subject areas. Please note that fourth year honours level and postgraduate courses are not available to visiting students.
All honours level classes have strict prior study requirements and in some subjects there are limited places available. For enrolment in honours courses, we require visiting students to have completed at least 3 previous courses in the relevant subject area (4 for English Literature and Politics/International Relations (IR)), achieving a grade B or above (or equivalent). Please note that this applies to all subjects, even those specified in your exchange agreement.
Honours courses in certain subject areas are very popular and there are limited places available. Third year courses in the following subject areas are particularly popular:
- English Literature *
- History
- History of Art
- Law
- Philosophy
- Politics & International Relations
* Places in English Literature honours courses are usually not available so we recommend that you consider our first and second year English Literature courses - which Erasmus students have, in the past, found to be interesting and sufficiently academically rigorous.
Entry to all other honours level courses will be managed by the Visiting Student Section in consultation with the individual departments.
Contact
If you have any queries regarding your courses, please contact the Visiting Student Office:
- Visiting Student Office
- College of Humanities and Social Sciences
- University of Edinburgh
- Third Floor
- David Hume Tower
- George Square
- EH8 9JX
- Work: +44 (0)131 650 3572 / 8268 / 4094 / 651 5125
This article was published on Mar 2, 2011