University of St Andrews

The programme is designed to encourage in all students a desire to pursue learning with curiosity, integrity, tolerance and intellectual rigour, and to develop in them analytical skills as well as the ability to present their ideas lucidly and engagingly both in written and oral formats.

• The Bachelor of Arts, International Honours will be jointly awarded by both institutions and will carry the insignia of St Andrews and William & Mary.
• The curricula for the four available degree options:
• Economics
• English
• History
• International Relations

These have been carefully designed to combine the breadth of the liberal arts education offered by William & Mary with the depth of study characteristic of a St Andrews degree.

• Students will study for two of their four years at each of the participating institutions (see diagram below). They will spend the first year of the programme at one institution and the second year at the other. In consultation with their academic advisors they can then decide how they wish to allocate their third and fourth years

To see the full programme requirements for the BA (International Honours) please see the 2012/2013 Course Catalogue of study: BA International Honours (PDF, 90 KB). Full regulations for current students are also available at BA International Honours Regulations 2012-13 (PDF, 126 KB)

• Throughout the programme students will be mentored by a dedicated programme advisor who will help them to select their academic curriculum from a large number of optional courses and modules.
• Apart from studying within their areas of specialisation, students will be invited to enrol in courses drawn from a variety of disciplines or offering interdisciplinary perspectives.
• Learning will take place within a range of formats including small-class teaching, lectures, seminars, individual supervision and independent research assignments.
• In their fourth year all students will complete an Honours dissertation or comparable capstone experience.
• Students on this programme will specialise in one of four subject areas.
• The target enrolment for each of the subjects available on the Joint Degree programme is five students per year.

A good understanding of economics will allow an insight into a wide spectrum of social issues and problems, ranging from the most important and pressing that face the planet today, to every-day phenomena, central to the way society is organised, but that are often taken for granted.

Students of economics learn to:

• Develop theoretical models and apply them, in order to gain an understanding of the issues mentioned above as well as most other real world social phenomena.
• They gain a highly marketable set of skills. Having been trained in economics they will be able to think analytically, critically and strategically.
• They will have the knowledge required to reduce complicated problems to their important components, formulate solutions to these problems, and apply up-to-date theoretical ideas as a framework for understanding the real world.

BA International Honours (PDF, 90 KB)

The School of Economics and Finance at St Andrews

The Department of Economics at the College of William and Mary

The study of English Language and Literature at university develops techniques that enable students to read with close attention and to consider the ideas, human values, and historical forces that have helped to form English literature (and literature in English) and the English language.

• Students of English have the opportunity to read, to discuss, and to reflect with clarity on a wide variety of texts and to develop analytical, descriptive and evaluative skills.
• Students learn to communicate more fluently, lucidly, economically and persuasively. These skills are both intrinsically enriching and eminently transferable.
• Graduates will be familiar with a wide range of representative English-language texts (plays, novels, poems and short stories) from mediaeval, early modern, modern and contemporary periods.
• As part of an English degree, students are invited to engage with English, Scottish, Irish, American and other literature in prose, verse and drama; several modules involve film.
• Creative writing can also be studied.
• English graduates from the University of St Andrews and the College of William & Mary have built successful careers in fields as diverse as television and radio, journalism, publishing, teaching, acting, law, politics, the civil service, the religious life and many branches of commerce, industry and finance.

BA International Honours (PDF, 90 KB)

The School of English at St Andrews

The Department of English at the College of William and Mary

St Andrews offers one of the most highly ranked and prestigious History undergraduate programmes in the UK. William & Mary’s Department of History provides a similarly demanding programme at the undergraduate level, and is home to a world-leading programme in Colonial America at the graduate level. A degree programme jointly delivered by these outstanding institutions has unique strengths.

• St Andrews has great expertise in the study of medieval and early modern Europe, in the history of Scotland, England, the British Empire, and in Middle Eastern history.
• William & Mary has a strong concentration in the history of North America from the early colonial period to the 20th century as well as excellent provision in the history of Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia.
• In addition to benefitting from the complementary coverage of topics, areas and time periods offered by the two institutions, students will also profit from experiencing two quite different approaches to teaching. The broader lecture and discussion based courses at William & Mary dovetail neatly with the traditional approach of small seminar based courses at St Andrews.

BA International Honours (PDF, 90 KB)

The School of History at St Andrews

The Department of History at the College of William and Mary

This programme will involve the study of International Relations at an advanced, research led level. It will bring together the distinctive strengths of the two institutions, enabling students to engage with a range of issues, both thematic and regional in nature.

• Students will gain an understanding of how major features of the international system are understood to operate as well as of the major challenges it faces.
• These will include questions relating to development, international political economy, environmental politics, human rights, the various impacts of globalization, forms of contemporary political violence and conflict prevention and resolution, as well as regional concentrations on Africa, Central, East and South Asia, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union and the Middle East.
• At the same time students will benefit from the very different epistemological and methodological approaches characteristic of the teaching of international relations in the two institutions.

BA International Honours (PDF, 90 KB)

The School of International Relations at St Andrews

The Department of Government at the College of William and Mary

Admission to the programme will be highly competitive and entry requirements are:

Other international qualifications and entry requirements will be assessed at the equivalent level to the above.

For Admissions enquiries related to the BA International Honours degree please email international@st-andrews.ac.uk.

• The tuition fee for all students in the BA International Honours Programme regardless of domicile is the Sterling equivalent of $32,000 per year as converted on 1 June preceding the start of each academic year.  Offer holders will be notified on 1 June what the Sterling amount is.
• Students who commence their studies at the University of St Andrews pay tuition each year to the University of St Andrews regardless of which location they are studying at for that year.

Payment arrangements may be made with Finance.

The tuition fee does not cover the following:

• Accommodation fees and associated costs
• Air travel to and from Scotland
• Books, copying and printing fees
• Fines, reassessment of failed modules and other penalty fees
• Personal expenses
• Use of the Sports Centre
• Special instructional fees (musical instruments, evening language courses etc.)
• General Council and Graduation or Completion fee (payable by St Andrews home students only)

In Summary - Cost of Attendance 2012/13

*Please note this figure is calculated on an annual basis on 1 June preceding the start of each academic year and so the actual amount due could   change.

**It is expected that these fees will increase in line with all other tuition fees for 2013/4 entry and will be communicated in due course to all applicants  and students on the programme.

• Means-tested scholarships will be available for students who are domiciled in Scotland.

The application cycle runs from September to May and prospective students should apply to the institution where they intend to commence study.  Each institution will have a parallel admission process with each honouring the admission decision of the other.

Applicants can apply for the programme to one institution only.

The application cycle is between September to 1 May in year of entry.  Prospective students should apply to the institution where they intend to commence study.

• Applicants who believe that they are clssified as HOME/EU for fees purposes and wish to begin their study at the University of St Andrews can apply  through:
  • our own BA International Honours application form (available on the right-hand side of this page)

• Applicants who believe that they are classified as OVERSEAS for fees purposes and wish to begin their study at the University of St Andrews can apply either through:
  • our own International Direct application form (available on the right-hand side of this page)
  • the Common Application.

Applicants should specify which subject area they wish to apply for (Economics, English, History or International Relations).

• Students wishing to begin their study at the College of William & Mary should apply through the Common Application

Please note: applicants cannot apply through UCAS.

You can view a copy of our brochure for this programme to the right of this screen.   Alternatively, if you would like us to send you a copy  please email us with your full postal address to the International Office.

• What Financial Aid packages are available?

There are bursaries for Scottish-domiciled students only. Unfortunately, no other aid packages specifically targeted for this programme are available. For general scholarships please see Fees and Funding
Students from the US are not eligible for federal funding but can apply for a private loan through Salliemae. 

• Can I combine my majors with other subjects?

The International Honours Joint Programme is already a broadly based degree with a significant breadth component complementing the major. Other combinations - such as Joint Honours degrees - are not available, but students can take a substantial number of credits in another subject.

• Will I be guaranteed university accommodation throughout?

Yes - as long as your application for accommodation is received by the relevant deadline.

• Where will I graduate?

Half-way through their second year students can choose freely where they will spend their third and fourth years. Students will normally graduate from the institution where they spent their final year, but, if desired, arrangements can be made to graduate at the other institution.

• Can I transfer to another programme if I don't like the joint degree?

Yes, this is possible - as long as the criteria for the "receiving" programme are met.

• How soon after my application will I find out if I have been accepted?

You will have a reply from Admissions within 4 weeks of submitting a complete application.