European Exchange

Entry Requirements

In order to apply to us as a European exchange student, there must be an existing Inter-Institutional Agreement for study exchange in your subject area between your home university and the University of Aberdeen. Furthermore, 50% of a student's expected credit load must match the discipline area of the Inter-Institutional Agreement between your home institution and University of Aberdeen. 

We will also require the following documents in order to assess your application:

• An official academic transcript
• Evidence of English language proficiency for non-native English speakers

How to Apply

To apply, you must first be successfully selected by your home university for exchange at University of Aberdeen, and your details sent directly to the Go Abroad team. Your home university must submit your nomination by the deadlines stipulated below.

Nominated students will then receive a link to our online application form when the application opens (around one month prior to the deadline). 

Nomination Deadlines

• September entry: 15 April
• January entry: 15 September

Application Deadlines

• September entry: 15 May
• January entry: 15 October

As a European exchange student you must select 60 Aberdeen credits per semester, with at least 50% of these from the School of the Inter-Institutional Agreement between your home institution and University of Aberdeen (see list below). You may choose the remainder from our wide range of courses, subject to previous experience, availability and timetabling. You can access our online Course Catalogue for a full list of current courses.

Incoming exchange students would generally be guided to courses offered at Levels 2 and 3 and, exceptionally, Level 4. See below for restrictions. Please note that the University of Aberdeen uses a credit system which is double the ECTS system e.g. 5 Aberdeen credit points = 2.5 ECTS.

Course restrictions

While we accept students at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, exchange students are not permitted to take the following courses:

• Any level 5 courses.
• Courses in Clinical Medicine and Dentistry.
• Level 4 English or Linguistics courses.
• Level 3 Creative Writing Courses
• BM4501 - Biomedical Science Honours Project
• Engineering Project Courses (e.g., EG4578, ED251A)
• JB, JC, QB, QC, QI and QL coded courses
• Diploma in Legal Practice (DLP) courses, as identified by a ‘D’ in the second-to-last digit of the course code (e.g., LS55DA).

Additionally, students coming for Semester 1 only cannot take any Level 4 courses from the School of Medical Sciences (see list below for subjects covered), as these are all assessed in May.

Limited Course Availability

Please note that the following courses also have very limited availability, and so will be allocated via an electronic lottery system.

• Sixth Century courses
• Education courses
• Level 3 English courses - See here for available options
• Level 3 Linguistics courses
• Field courses (these will only be available to students, space permitting, where the course is mandatory for their degree)

Subject areas by School

Tuition

Students from universities which have an exchange agreement with the University of Aberdeen will not be charged tuition fees. Otherwise, students should consult our International Exchange & Study Abroad page for the latest tuition fee rates.

Living Costs

UK Visas and Immigration indicate that students spending the academic year should have a minimum of £1023 for each month that they will spend in the United Kingdom. Although no official advice is given for students only spending one semester, we suggest that semester students also budget for a minimum of £1023 per month for living expenses. A further breakdown of estimated costs can be found below:

Student Housing

University accommodation is provided to exchange and study abroad students as long as they apply by the stated deadline. Students will be emailed information on how to apply and the deadline for applications once they are accepted in to the programme.

Most exchange and study abroad students opt to live in Hillhead Student Village, which is mainly self-catered accommodation (ie no meal plan) . Adam Smith House has catered options, but students should be aware that these may not be as extensive as their own institutions meal plans, and so we recommend that students opt for self-catered accommodation. Accommodation normally consists of single study bedrooms with common areas which are shared with roommates.

You can find more information on University of Aberdeen housing here.

Academic Calendar

The University of Aberdeen's Academic Calendar, including term dates and exclusions, can be found here.

2024/2025

View our handy 2024/2025 Information Sheet with all our most pertinent facts and figures here.

Go Abroad Team

University of Aberdeen
University Office (Room 16)
Regent Walk
Aberdeen, AB24 3FX

T: +44 (0)1224 272041 or +44 (0)1224 272625
E: goabroad.incoming@abdn.ac.uk