Preparing your students for St Andrews
Our student accommodation
St Andrews guarantees accommodation to incoming undergraduate exchange and study abroad students provided we receive their applications before our accommodation deadlines: 31st May for September entry and December for February entry.
There are ten halls of residence available to undergraduate students. We do not have a specific international residence; all of our residences are available to graduating and non-graduating students from the UK, EU and worldwide. Further information about all of our residences is available on our accommodation pages.
UK immigration
International students who will study in the UK for six months or more are required to obtain a visa before entering the UK. The University provides full guidance on the process for applying for a visa to study at St Andrews; please encourage your students to read this information carefully. Collaborations & Study Abroad will issue students with a CAS number well in advance of their arrival date. However, it is essential that we have all of the data necessary to do so – students must check their email regularly to ensure a speedy process.
International students who will study at St Andrews for less than six months, and who are 'Non-Visa Nationals', will be issued with a letter of support from us which they should use to enter the UK as a Student Visitor. International students who are 'visa-nationals' WILL require a full Tier 4 visa. Further information can be obtained on the UKBA website.
Our academic structure and culture
St Andrews operates two semesters. Semester one runs from September to January (see below for details of semester one alternative assessments) and semester two runs from February to May. See our Semester dates for more specific information.
Exchange and study abroad students have access to modules in three of our faculties: Arts, Divinity and Science. Within each faculty, academic disciplines are grouped into Schools. Admission to our exchange and study abroad programmes is by faculty so students should consider their course choices and requirements and stipulate on their application whether they are seeking entry to Arts, Divinity or Science. This does not prevent students from studying modules in other faculties as well. Please note that students on subject-specific exchange programmes are usually expected to take at least one module per semester in the subject of exchange.
A normal credit load at St Andrews is 60 credits per semester (30 ECTS). Modules are worth 10, 15, 20 or 30 credits. Modules at first and second-year Level (1000 & 2000) are known as 'sub-honours', while modules at third- and fourth-year Level (3000 & 4000) are known as 'Honours'. The Undergraduate Course Catalogue has information about each module, including credit value, semester availability, method of asssessment and a summary of content.
Entrants are sent information about pre-advising for modules before arrival at St Andrews, but module choice is confirmed when new students arrive in St Andrews and meet with an academic Adviser. The Adviser will check the student's suitability for selected modules and discuss options. Entry to Honours level modules is dependent on requisite background knowledge - for most subjects this means prior study at university level. Many subjects will also have specific pre-requisites and students should check these carefully. While many of our 1000 level modules are suitable for beginners, please note that some modules, especially in Science, require several years of background study at school. Please contact CSA if you have specific questions about module suitability.
Class sizes vary from subject to subject. First and Second level classes are larger than more advanced classes in most subjects. Teaching methods include traditional lectures, small group tutorials and seminars, laboratory work and fieldwork. Emphasis is also placed on independent reading and research and students are expected to complement their class contact hours with further private study.
Assessment of modules is by examination, continuous assessment or a combination of these. Typically two or three pieces of assessed coursework may be required for a module over the course of a semester. Students are advised to plan ahead to maximise their study time early in the semester. The research and analytical skills developed through undergraduate study at St Andrews are valuable tools in preparing students for graduate programmes.
Alternative assessments
As our first semester examination diet takes place in January, we have agreements with a number of partner institutions to allow students to take alternative assessments in December, during the last week of teaching. Alternative assessments are available to semester one students only. Full year students are expected to attend the January examination diet.
If you would like your students to be eligible for alternative assessments, please email us with your request and we’ll make arrangements with our Examinations Officer.
Our grading scheme
St Andrews operates a 20 point grading scale, see Common reporting scale. Non-graduating students are advised to discuss how St Andrews grades are converted with their home institutions. However, you may find it helpful to check how we convert grades from other institutions into St Andrews grades when our students return from abroad. St Andrews grade conversion tables are available here.
Transcripts
CSA sends transcripts to students’ home institutions after the end of the examination period. Transcripts for first semester only students are sent to partners in February and transcripts for second semester and full year students are sent to partners at the beginning of July.
The St Andrews student experience
You may wish to direct your students to our exchange and study abroad student profiles. If your students have specific student experience questions, we can put them in touch with our CSA Student Ambassador, who will be happy to help.