Scotland Edinburgh City 110641373

API invites you to study abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland at Heriot-Watt University. Heriot-Watt has been selected as "Scottish University of the Year" by the Sunday Times on multiple occasions, and has earned a strong academic reputation both within the U.K. and globally. Heriot-Watt specializes in a variety of science and engineering subjects, but is also recognized as a leader in subjects such as brewing and distilling, business, fashion, design, and textiles.

Enroll in classes alongside students from Scotland and across the world, earn valuable academic credit toward your degree, and experience life in spectacular Edinburgh, with its stunning architecture and its vibrant cultural scene of live music, performing arts, festivals and sporting activities!

What's Included?

Highlights

Pre Departure Services

Advising

APIConnect Platform

Orientation Materials and Resources

Access to International Phone Plans

API Alumni Network

Social Networking

Scholarships

On Site Services

Airport Reception

On-Site Orientation

Housing

Resident Director

Tuition

Medical and Life Insurance

Excursions

Social and Cultural Activities

Welcome and Farewell Group Meals

Historic Scotland Tourism Card

Re-Entry Services

Re-Entry Materials and Support

Post-Program Evaluation

Transcript

Alumni Network and API Ambassador Program

View all opportunities and amenities

Application Requirements

  • 3.0 G.P.A.
  • Open to freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors
  • Completed API Application
  • University Approval Form
  • Official transcript
  • Copy of passport
  • Entry requirements: valid passport with supporting documents
Session Program Dates Program Cost Application Deadline Extended Application Deadline Payment Deadline
Spring Jan 6, 2024 - May 4, 2024 $20,500 Oct 17, 2023 No Extension Dec 1, 2023
Fall Sep, 2024 - Dec, 2024 $22,900 May 15, 2024 No Extension Jun 14, 2024
Academic Year Sep, 2024 - May, 2025 $41,900 May 15, 2024 No Extension Jun 14, 2024

API students participate in excursions designed to help familiarize them with the culture and surrounding areas of their host city and country. The following is a listing of potential excursions for API Edinburgh programs. API may need to modify the excursions offered in a given term due to travel restrictions or health and safety concerns.

  • Loch Katrine & the Trossachs

    The Trossachs refers to the romantic area of sparkling lochs, crumpled hills, sleepy forests and welcoming villages east of Loch Lomond and west of Stirling. It is sometimes known as the “Highlands in miniature”. It is packed with interesting corners for us to explore in Scotland’s great outdoors! The group will take a bike ride around beautiful Loch Katrine (weather permitting), and learn the process of making whisky at Glengoyne Distillery!

  • Isle of Skye & Loch Ness

    Our two-night/three-day excursion to the Isle of Skye is bound to be a highlight of your time in Scotland! Just like the folk song, we will be heading “Heading Over the Sea to Skye” where we will have the chance to explore some of the island’s most iconic spots. We will also be venturing through the Scottish Highlands with an opportunity to spot Nessie on the banks of Loch Ness. With plenty of photo stops along the way, I hope you are ready for an adventure!

  • Glasgow

    As Scotland’s largest city, a visit to Glasgow is not to be missed! This is a city with striking architecture, contemporary art spaces, fascinating museums, and one of the best shopping destinations in the UK. We will start our visit with a walking tour with a local expert to show us the main sites and introduce us to some of Glasgow’s famous murals. You will have free time in the afternoon to grab some lunch and explore on your own, before we return to Edinburgh.

  • Hadrian's Wall and the Borders

    Having conquered most of what is modern day England, the Romans decided that the Scots were simply too ferocious to do battle with. They retreated south and built the infamous Hadrian’s Wall – which runs close to the modern day England-Scotland border. Nowadays sections of the wall still remain intact, as do the ruins of many of the forts the Romans built along the wall’s length to defend themselves. This visit is an amazing opportunity to step back in time and imagine life in Roman Britain!

    Students will also have a chance to explore the Scottish Borders, a region covering about eighteen hundred square miles. Rolling hills and moorland and lush agricultural plains characterize this sedate and peaceful part of the country. It is home to several beautiful ruined abbeys and imposing stately homes.

  • Oban and Isles of Mull and Iona

    Although perhaps not as famous as some of Scotland’s Inner Hebrides which include Mull & Iona are not to be missed. Mull is the largest of these islands and features a variety of landscapes including the rolling hills of Glen More and stunning bays visible from the arrival on the ferry. And of course, what would a Scottish island be without a few castles thrown in for good measure as well?

    Iona lies to the southwest of Mull. With a population not even hitting triple figures, it might not seem like much but the island is of great importance to the history of Christianity and is thought to be the birthplace of the religion on the British mainland. The island is surrounded by crystal blue water and covered in lush green grass. It is an ideal peaceful and tranquil getaway from the hustle and bustle of Scotland’s mainland.

    All this is accessible from the idyllic coastal town of Oban – a seafood lover's paradise and home to unique local wildlife. Students are bound to fall in love with this part of Scotland!

  • Stirling

    Stirling is the ancient capital of Scotland, laying at the heart of the nation’s history and linked to two of its best-known heroes, William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. Occupying a strategic position in the cultural heartland of Scotland, it is surrounded by glorious countryside and yet under an hour away from both Edinburgh and Glasgow. The cobblestoned streets of the Old Town wind upwards towards the Castle, set on a craggy outcrop 250 feet above the surrounding landscape. Past activities have included, Stirling Castle or the Wallace Monument.

  • Hadrian's Wall and the Borders

    Having conquered most of what is modern day England, the Romans decided that the Scots were simply too ferocious to do battle with. They retreated south and built the infamous Hadrian’s Wall – which runs close to the modern day England-Scotland border. Nowadays sections of the wall still remain intact, as do the ruins of many of the forts the Romans built along the wall’s length to defend themselves. This visit is an amazing opportunity to step back in time and imagine life in Roman Britain!

    Students will also have a chance to explore the Scottish Borders, a region covering about eighteen hundred square miles. Rolling hills and moorland and lush agricultural plains characterize this sedate and peaceful part of the country. It is home to several beautiful ruined abbeys and imposing stately homes.

  • Loch Katrine & the Trossachs

    The Trossachs refers to the romantic area of sparkling lochs, crumpled hills, sleepy forests and welcoming villages east of Loch Lomond and west of Stirling. It is sometimes known as the “Highlands in miniature”. It is packed with interesting corners for us to explore in Scotland’s great outdoors! The group will take a bike ride around beautiful Loch Katrine (weather permitting), and learn the process of making whisky at Glengoyne Distillery!

  • Isle of Skye & Loch Ness

    Our two-night/three-day excursion to the Isle of Skye is bound to be a highlight of your time in Scotland! Just like the folk song, we will be heading “Heading Over the Sea to Skye” where we will have the chance to explore some of the island’s most iconic spots. We will also be venturing through the Scottish Highlands with an opportunity to spot Nessie on the banks of Loch Ness. With plenty of photo stops along the way, I hope you are ready for an adventure!

  • Oban and Isles of Mull and Iona

    Although perhaps not as famous as some of Scotland’s Inner Hebrides which include Mull & Iona are not to be missed. Mull is the largest of these islands and features a variety of landscapes including the rolling hills of Glen More and stunning bays visible from the arrival on the ferry. And of course, what would a Scottish island be without a few castles thrown in for good measure as well?

    Iona lies to the southwest of Mull. With a population not even hitting triple figures, it might not seem like much but the island is of great importance to the history of Christianity and is thought to be the birthplace of the religion on the British mainland. The island is surrounded by crystal blue water and covered in lush green grass. It is an ideal peaceful and tranquil getaway from the hustle and bustle of Scotland’s mainland.

    All this is accessible from the idyllic coastal town of Oban – a seafood lover's paradise and home to unique local wildlife. Students are bound to fall in love with this part of Scotland!

  • Stirling

    Stirling is the ancient capital of Scotland, laying at the heart of the nation’s history and linked to two of its best-known heroes, William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. Occupying a strategic position in the cultural heartland of Scotland, it is surrounded by glorious countryside and yet under an hour away from both Edinburgh and Glasgow. The cobblestoned streets of the Old Town wind upwards towards the Castle, set on a craggy outcrop 250 feet above the surrounding landscape. Past activities have included, Stirling Castle or the Wallace Monument.

  • Glasgow

    As Scotland’s largest city, a visit to Glasgow is not to be missed! This is a city with striking architecture, contemporary art spaces, fascinating museums, and one of the best shopping destinations in the UK. We will start our visit with a walking tour with a local expert to show us the main sites and introduce us to some of Glasgow’s famous murals. You will have free time in the afternoon to grab some lunch and explore on your own, before we return to Edinburgh.

What You’ll Study

TOTAL CREDITS - 15 credits per semester

Students who choose to study abroad in Edinburgh at Heriot-Watt University with API will enroll in courses with Scottish and other international students. You can select from a wide array of courses in the fields of science and engineering, brewing and distilling, business, fashion, design, and textiles.

TRANSCRIPTS

API students receive their transcript from Heriot-Watt University upon completion of their program.

  • Kelly Kennedy

    Kelly Kennedy

    Kelly Kennedy will be your Program Coordinator and will help prepare you for your API program!

    (she/her/hers)

  • Madison Rolls

    Madison Rolls

    Madison will be a great resource for you while you are in Scotland!

    (she/her/hers)

Click Here to Find Classes

COURSE OFFERINGS

Students should use online course listings when completing the course preregistration form for the API application. Students are allowed to choose courses from the first, second and third year classes. Not all courses are offered every semester or every year. The course selection may vary, and no course is guaranteed. Some courses may have prerequisites, and some courses may require additional fees for labs, equipment, etc.

Registration takes place upon arrival; however, we recommend that students have 6-8 courses approved by their home university prior to departure (of which they will enroll in 4), in order to allow for scheduling conflicts and the possibility that certain classes may be unavailable.

CREDIT INFORMATION

Heriot-Watt University award credits based on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). Students should aim to take 60 SCQF credits per semester. Each course is normally worth 15 SCQF credits, meaning that students would take 4 courses per semester. Each course is roughly equivalent to 3.75 U.S. semester credits (if students are taking 30 U.S. semester credits in an academic year).

Courses at Heriot-Watt University

For the most up-to-date course availability on this program, explore our Class Finder. Sort courses by term, area of study, and more!

Click here to find courses, syllabi, and more!

Courses at Heriot-Watt University

For the most up-to-date course availability on this program, explore our Class Finder. Sort courses by term, area of study, and more!

Click here to find courses, syllabi, and more!

Courses at Heriot-Watt University

For the most up-to-date course availability on this program, explore our Class Finder. Sort courses by term, area of study, and more!

Click here to find courses, syllabi, and more!

Highlights
  • Classes taught in English
  • Ranked 13th in the U.K. and 2nd in Scotland (Guardian)
  • Top in the U.K. for Chemistry and Civil Engineering (Guardian)
  • 1st in U.K. for Chemical and Electrical Engineering (National Student Survey)
  • Top 10 in the U.K. for Accounting & Finance, Building and Town & Country Planning, Business, Management & Marketing, Physics, Chemical Engineering, Mathematics (Guardian)
  • Named “Scottish University of the Year” 2012 and 2013
  • Top ‘100 under 50’ 2014 – (Times Higher Education World University Rankings)
  • Honored with “Scottish Student Union of the Year”
  • Great location for S.T.E.M. and business students

Accommodations for Heriot-Watt University students are conveniently located on campus just minutes from class and 40 minutes from central Edinburgh. API students are accommodated in one of four different halls of residence on campus. The rooms are individual rooms with ensuite bathrooms and all are self-catered. The study bedrooms are grouped around community lounges and kitchens shared by 4-6 students. The kitchen/dining areas are furnished but students need to provide their own cooking utensils, crockery, and cutlery. Each room has a telephone, university network, and broadband internet connections. Laundry facilities are available, and student wardens at each residence hall are available to help students adjust to life on campus and to settle in. Basic cleaning/housekeeping services are provided.

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