Before you apply
Before you apply for any of our postgraduate programmes, you should check that you meet our entry requirements and you should have all your supporting documents ready.
Follow these steps to make sure you have everything you need before you submit your application.
Applying for more than one programme
The University of Edinburgh wish to admit well-qualified students with a deep and sincere interest in, and commitment to, the degree they have applied for. We understand that a student may find it difficult to choose between one or two related degrees, and we are prepared to consider more than one application in those circumstances. However, we cannot consider more than five applications from the same applicant and this number may be lower in high demand areas.
We recommend that applicants submit only one or two applications in order to have the best possible chance of receiving a positive outcome.
When to apply
We strongly recommend that you apply as early as possible so that we have enough time to process your application. As a general guide, we encourage you to apply at least one month prior to entry, or one month prior to the application deadline should your chosen programme have one.
Application deadlines
Each programme may operate differing application deadlines based on a number of factors.
Programme application deadlines in the College of Science & Engineering
You can find the application deadline for your chosen programme in our degree finder.
Degree finderIf you need a visa then you should apply even earlier to allow time for the visa application process. Further information on visas and immigration can be found on the International Students website.
International students - visas and immigration
If you are applying for financial support you will need to be aware of the relevant funding deadlines. You may need to have an offer in place from the University before you can be considered for some sources of funding, but you don't need to wait for examination results or the outcome of scholarship applications before you apply for your programme of study.
Supporting documents
Before you apply, you should make sure you have the correct supporting documents ready to submit with your application. You may need to upload some or all of the following:
- a personal statement outlining your academic history and experience
- copies of your degree certificates, if you have already completed your qualification, along with academic transcripts that confirm your final marks
- references, if these are required for the application to your chosen programme
- evidence of your competence in written and spoken English, if English is not your first language
- certified translations, if your original documents are not in English
- a research proposal, if you are applying for PhD study
To make sure your application is processed in the fastest possible time, you should upload your supporting documents to your application before you submit it. We can't make a decision on your application until we have received all your relevant documents.
Find out more about the different types of supporting documents we ask for:
Submitting a complete and accurate application
Before you submit your application, you should make sure that all your information is complete and accurate.
Find out more
If you wish to discuss your proposed programme and any special conditions that may apply to your studies, please use the degree finder to find the contact details for your chosen programme.
This is particularly important if you are interested in our research programmes because we need to make sure the appropriate facilities and expert supervision are available.