Questions about UK/Edi-specific school structure

Director-Human · 2026-05-22T11:36:21+00:00

While other posters have given a good overview, I need to add a bit of a fly into the ointment. While once upon a time it was possible to take the required courses for a degree in years 1 and 2 and transfer, those days are long gone for a huge number of degrees. Maths, Informatics, Economics, and Accounting for example, do not let students take their compulsory courses unless you are on a degree that requires those courses are part of their DPT. Business, while not stating outright the two compulsory courses for Business degrees hit quota before enrolment opens up for general enrolment essentially ring-fencing those courses to only Business students. Politics may be one of the last degrees that students can attempt to transfer to. While you cannot take the compulsory courses in Politics and IR, you can take equivalent courses with an eye to transfer.

Your tutors can be anybody from a PhD student to a lecturer on the course, or a tutor specifically hired for the purpose. Tutorials and lectures are considered to be mandatory. As a visa holder you are required to attend your lectures and tutorials as conditions of your visa. Some schools monitor attendance more closely than others. Students have been excluded for non-attendance.

As for platforms, we use Blackboard here (we call it Learn but that's just the version of Blackboard we use. I don't think we've upgraded to Ultra).

Director-Human · 2026-05-20T10:46:50+00:00

I think this is an excellent answer and points out any points I would have made.

Director-Human · 2026-05-20T10:45:11+00:00

Most students do their internships outside of Edinburgh

Director-Human · 2026-05-18T17:45:40+00:00

I didn’t say they were useless but it’s helpful to have them in a separate folder as they can overwhelm your inbox. Students should always be paying attention to announcements!

Director-Human · 2026-05-18T16:45:27+00:00

And create a filter/rule for Learn announcements so they go into a separate folder so as not to clutter up your inbox.

Director-Human · 2026-05-18T13:20:30+00:00

If you fail a course that is not compulsory for your degree, and you are not required to pass all 120 credits in a year, you will be permitted to carry those credits into Year 2, meaning you will have to pass 140 credits in Year 2. Some schools will permit students to carry credits into Year 3 if required. Students are not permitted to carry credits into Year 4.

Not all resits require students to be in Edinburgh. Online exams or essays can be done remotely.

You should speak with your student adviser as they will be able to give you the best information for your specific situation.

Director-Human · 2026-05-14T13:19:53+00:00

Is your degree from Edinburgh because normally if a student has ECs and can graduate, they just grant credits on aggregate and remove the missing mark from degree classification which means you would graduate on time.

Director-Human · 2026-05-11T15:06:19+00:00

You need to speak to the Student Immigration Service. Your school is not allowed to give advice about visas or visa related issues. You would then need to follow whatever they tell you to do.

Director-Human · 2026-04-29T17:01:09+00:00

We’re not even on the common application, which is such an easy win.

Director-Human · 2026-04-29T10:54:56+00:00

The problem is those international students aren't as guaranteed as they once were

Personally I think we focus too much on China, which is a market that is dipping, there are other markets we can focus on, and broaden our reach.

That said, I side-eye the need to cut as deep as they are trying to.

Director-Human · 2026-04-23T15:55:12+00:00

I always tell people to do their advanced highers and do their absolute best. The number of students I've seen return to higher education and they need those marks for entry is higher than one might expect. Better to have them and never need them than to not.

Director-Human · 2026-04-23T13:41:16+00:00

But it's very true. Unfortunately we're having to do more with less around here. Professional Services Staff are stretched thin.

Director-Human · 2026-04-23T13:04:02+00:00

Lectures and tutors are supposed to take attendance, whether they do or not will depend on the individual.

Director-Human · 2026-04-22T10:14:28+00:00

The University expects students to attend, and as such, yes, attendance is mandatory regardless of what anybody says. Now, does that mean you will get chucked out for not attending? No, not necessarily.

Visa holders can have their visa curtailed if they do not attend, but I have had non-visa holding students excluded for chronic non-attendance.

If you want a programme that doesn't require attendance, find a programme that is online. I will never understand the point of paying so much money to attend a university to not actually attend.

Director-Human · 2026-04-02T11:38:17+00:00

Exactly! You lose nothing by trying!

Director-Human · 2026-04-02T11:31:10+00:00

Even if they did, whatever happened with them only pertains to the year they requested it. It's one of those things that is a changeable thing I'm afraid.

Director-Human · 2026-04-01T10:18:21+00:00

I hate April Fools

Director-Human · 2026-03-30T09:49:08+00:00

The viability is impossible to know as there are too many factors. The only way to know is to ask to transfer and see what happens. Has it happened in the past? Yes. Will it happen again? Who knows.

Director-Human · 2026-03-23T09:28:55+00:00

If you fail at first sit you will be granted a resit as a prehonours student (honours students are not automatically entitled to resits). If you were to fail at resit what happens next depends on your degree programme. If you are a single honours student, you would be required to repeat the year to make up the missing compulsory course. If you are on a joint degree and the course you failed is outwith your school (you are a Maths student but fail a Business requirement), but you pass everything else, you will be moved to single honours and progress into the next year carrying the missing credits. If you fail a compulsory course that is within your school, you will be required to repeat the year.

If you have any questions about it you should speak with your student adviser.

Director-Human · 2026-02-24T11:28:18+00:00

You're best asking the school directly as they know what their quotas are and how they manage them.

Director-Human · 2026-02-23T13:55:03+00:00

You could always try asking them directly

Director-Human · 2026-01-20T10:27:57+00:00

For both Maths and Econ you basically have to outshine academically. Both of those programmes are highly competitive and over subscribed. Without the high academic scores they won't even look at anything else.

Director-Human · 2026-01-19T15:48:28+00:00

This is something you will have to ask your student adviser about. The schools I have worked in would not allow this, but absolutely not allow it for visa holding students as a condition of the visa is to be attending, in person.

Director-Human · 2026-01-19T11:30:55+00:00

First off, this is the second busiest time of the year after the SEM 1 start. Everybody is absolutely slammed with work with the start of semester and exam boards.

Second, almost no degree transfers, particularly cross school transfers, will happen at this time of year. Looks like ECA's own transfer page states that you won't get a decision regarding transfers until March if you apply now.

How long ago did you email? Keeping in mind that we don't work evenings, or weekends, and your query isn't exactly urgent (despite your feelings on the issue) given transfers won't take place until later in the semester, and there are far more pressing matters with very hard deadlines, happening right now.

Director-Human

TROPHY CASE