European Exchange

European Exchange

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. We are delighted that you are considering University of Aberdeen for your European exchange and can’t wait to welcome you, sharing all Aberdeen and the University has to offer!

From a wide range of study options to suit your academic interests, as well as a huge variety of social and leisure pursuits for you to take part in, one thing is for sure, your exchange at Aberdeen will pass in a flash of activity, enjoyment and adventure. The key information below is relevant for all incoming exchange students from European institutions and the Swiss-European mobility programme.

The University has welcomed visiting students since as far back as 1938, and has a dedicated team to assist you through the entire process.

Apply

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:

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

 

Courses

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 Literature 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
  • 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

 

Costs

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:

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

Accommodation

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.

 

Term Dates

Academic Calendar

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

Information Sheet

2024/2025

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

Contact Us

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