How to apply
Find out how to apply for an exchange place at one of our international partner institutions in 2024/25.
2024/25 exchange applications are now closed
All applicants will be contacted in due course regarding next steps.
Application process
The following steps outline the University of Edinburgh's process for applying for an exchange place at one of our international partner institutions.
Please note that the application process is very competitive and no student is guaranteed an exchange place.
You should be aware that to proceed with your exchange, you must pass all your courses in second year at first attempt. As per University regulations, you must have achieved 240 credits before for participating in your year abroad.
Industrial action
For 2024/25 applicants, your credits might have been impacted by industrial action. For University-wide exchanges, information about how this will be taken into consideration when allocating places is provided in the Application Guide (see Step 3 below). For School-specific exchanges, you can contact your school for more information on the academic requirements for your exchange.
Before submitting an application, you should research prospective host institutions thoroughly. You can do this via the host institution's website. You should find out about the courses they offer and how they will tie in with your University of Edinburgh degree, as well as learning about assessment, accommodation, and semester dates.
View our Exchanges Destinations Guide on our Where can I go? page:
Guidance notes for many of our university-wide exchange partner universities are also available. Though these documents provide a useful guide you are also encouraged to refer to the partner institution’s website to obtain the most current information available.
Read through our 'Things to Consider' guide for some prompts about considerations to make before deciding to apply for an exchange.
Read the Application Guide that relates to your application, in full. This document will guide you through all the procedures and requirements specific to your preferred exchange programme.
For University-wide exchanges:
For Subject-specific exchanges:
2024/25 applications are now closed. All applicants will be contacted in due course regarding next steps.
The University-wide application route includes a peer-marking element which all applicants must complete in order to for their application to be considered.
Each applicant will be randomly assigned five anonymised personal statements to grade via Learn, and in turn, their own personal statement will be assigned to five other students for grading. Each personal statement will then be given an average score, after careful moderation from the SWAY team.
Further information on the peer marking scheme is available in the University-wide application guide above and will also be covered in our pre-application sessions.
Timeline
| October 2023 | Exchange pre-application information sessions |
| 1 November 2023 (12 noon, GMT) | Exchange applications open |
| 16 November 2023 (12 noon, GMT) | Application deadline |
| 20 November 2023 (12 noon, GMT) | Deadline for submission of personal statement to PebblePad (University-wide applications only) |
| 22 - 28 November 2023 (12 noon, GMT) | Peer marking process opens (University-wide applications only) |
| 11 January 2024 | Places offered to successful applicants |
| 18 January 2024 (12 noon, GMT) |
Deadline to accept or decline offer Note: applicants to University of California have earlier deadline of 4 January 2024 |
| Late January - April 2024 | Reallocation of any remaining available places |
| Late January - June 2024 |
|
| June - October 2024 |
Depart on exchange * |