Founded in 1495, the University of Aberdeen is the fifth oldest university in the English-speaking world. Situated in the stunning historic neighbourhood of Old Aberdeen, the University is today known as a centre of excellence in the Humanities, Law, Energy, Health Sciences and Environmental Studies.
Undergraduate students enrolled at a recognised international college or university can spend a semester or year at the University of Aberdeen. With over 70 undergraduate majors on offer across the University, you will find a great choice of classes to take at Aberdeen and will be able to tailor your selection to suit your individual requirements.
The University has welcomed visiting students for over four decades and has a dedicated team to assist you through the entire process.
The University of Aberdeen is fully semesterised, which means you can study at Aberdeen for the fall semester (September-December), spring semester (January-May) or a full academic year.
- Apply
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Entry Requirements
To study at Aberdeen as a visiting study abroad or exchange student, the University requires:
- A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or equivalent (on a 4.0 scale) or better
- An official academic transcript
- Evidence of English language proficiency for non-native English speakers
How to Apply
To apply, you simply need to complete our online exchange and study abroad application form. If you are a student from a partner university, you will be provided with a link to the online application form after your home university nominates you to us. If your home university does not have an agreement with the University of Aberdeen, please email goabroad.incoming@abdn.ac.uk and you will be provided with the link.
The deadlines for receipt of completed applications are as follows:
- First Semester: (September - December) 15 May
- Second Semester: (January - May) 15 October
- Academic Year: (September - May) 15 May
- Courses
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Most of our undergraduate courses are available to incoming study abroad and exchange students. As a large research-intensive university with over 600 degree programmes, students easily find courses that match their academic interests and fulfil requirements of their home university.
Particular strengths are the University’s undergraduate courses in medical sciences and engineering. Study abroad and exchange students may also conduct research in history and/or chemistry while at Aberdeen.
Current courses can be found on our course catalogue. Additionally, the course guides/syllabi for our undergraduate courses in the School of Medical Sciences, Medicine and Nutrition can be found here.
Most semester courses are 15 credits, which equates to 3-4 US credit hours, depending on your home university. The normal course load is 60 credits per semester, or approximately 15 US credit hours. Study Abroad and exchange students are examined alongside our full time degree-seeking students. Most classes are examined through a combination of continuous assessment, mid-term assignments and an end of semester examination.
Course restrictions
While we accept students at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, study abroad and 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
Biological Sciences
Biology, Ecology, Environmental Sciences, Plant Science, Zoology Business
Accountancy, Business Management, Economics, Finance, Real Estate Divinity, History, Philosophy and History of Art
Divinity & Religious Studies, History, History of Art, Philosophy Education
Counselling Skills, Education Engineering
Engineering Geosciences
Archaeology, Geography, Geology & Petroleum Geology, Marine & Coastal Resource Management Law
Law Language, Literature, Visual Culture & Music
Arabic, Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies, English, Ethnology & Folklore, Film & Visual Culture, French, Gaelic, German, Hispanic Studies & Spanish, Language & Linguistics, Latin, Mandarin, Music, Scandinavian Language Medical Sciences
Anatomy, Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences, Biotechnology, Developmental Biology, Genetics, Health Sciences, Immunology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Pharmacology, Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, Sports Science Natural & Computing Sciences
Chemistry, Computing Science, Mathematical Sciences, Mathematics, Physics Psychology
Psychology Social Science
Anthropology, Politics & International Relations, Sociology Independent and Interdisciplinary subjects
History & Philosophy of Science, Professional Development, Sixth Century Courses, Statistics - Accommodation
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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 university's meal plans. Therefore, 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.
- Costs
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Tuition and Costs 2024/25
Semester: £10,400
Full year: £20,800EU National Students: Discounted tuition fee for a single semester is £7,900.
Students from universities which have an exchange agreement with the University of Aberdeen will not be charged tuition fees.
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:
Costs
Monthly £
Rent*
412-712
Mobile
40
Food
300
Travel Expenses
60
Personal
220
Books / Computer Equipment / Printing**
50
Total
1082-1382
* Based on available University of Aberdeen accommodation
** Subject to requirements of discipline
The McNeil Scholarship (Drexel University Students)
Students from Drexel University who wish to spend the academic year on exchange at the University of Aberdeen are eligible for the McNeil Scholarship. Please contact Drexel's Education Abroad office for further details.
The BUTEX Scholarship (North American Students)
BUTEX (British Transatlantic Exchange Association) offers scholarships worth £500 to undergraduate students at US or Canadian institutions studying short term programmes in the UK. Please refer to the BUTEX website for further details or email butex_enquiries@msn.com
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Programme
The Gilman International Scholarship Program offers scholarships for U.S. students studying abroad. This program is aimed at students of limited financial means and includes awards of up to $5,000.
- Term Dates
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Academic Calendar
The University of Aberdeen's Academic Calendar, including term dates and exclusions, can be found here.
- Information Sheet
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2024/2025
View our handy 2024/2025 Information Sheet with all our most pertinent facts and figures here.
- Contact Us
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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