How to apply for the BA International Honours

The BA International Honours degree programme is highly competitive. We are looking for the leaders of tomorrow who, as well as being highly academically able, will fully realise the potential of this unique educational experience.

You can apply to the BA International Honours programme through one of the following:

Students applying for other programmes through UCAS can apply for the BA International Honours using our direct application form or the Common Application, as the BA International Honours courses are not available on UCAS. 

The deadline for applying to the BA International Honours programmes is 1 May 2026. However, as there is limited availability on this programme, applications will close when the programme is full. We strongly encourage applicants to apply early. 

You can apply for the programme to one institution only (either St Andrews or William & Mary). Each institution will honour the admissions decisions of the other. You will study your first year at the institution you apply to.

You must specify which subject area you wish to apply for on your application form.

If you have questions about making an application, you can email bajointdegree@st-andrews.ac.uk or join an upcoming BA International Honours online event.

Entry requirements

St Andrews uses a contextual admissions process which is in place to ensure we offer a fair and transparent admissions process to all applicants, regardless of background.

UK-based students should use the entry qualification indicator to see whether they will be required to meet standard or minimum academic entry requirements.

Students based outside of the UK will be required to meet the standard academic entry requirements.

We always list requirements for SQA Highers, GCE A-Levels and the International Baccalaureate on course pages, but accept a broad range of qualifications from around the world. To find out what you will need to achieve, please look at the entry requirements by country.

Find out more about academic entry requirements.

Standard

  • AAAAB at SQA Highers
  • AAA at A-Levels
  • 38 (HL 6,6,6) IB points

Applicants to the English course will require A (Highers or A-Level) or HL6 (International Baccalaureate) in English. Applicants to the History course will require A (Highers or A-Level) or HL6 (International Baccalaureate) in History.

Minimum

  • AABB at SQA Highers
  • ABB at A-Levels
  • 36 (HL 6,5,5) IB points

Applicants for English will require A (Highers or A-Level) or HL6 (IB) in English; applicants for History will require B (Highers or A-Level) or HL5 (IB) in History.

What we are looking for

When looking at applications for these courses, we focus on the following areas:

  • the grades and qualifications that you have already achieved or are predicted to achieve
  • the context in which your qualifications have been, or will be achieved; this could include your age, whether any resit exams were taken, and other extenuating factors
  • your personal statement (see more details in the section below)
  • your academic references
  • relevant work or other experience, where appropriate
  • English language ability, where appropriate

Personal statement

Your personal statement should explain your personal reasons for applying to your chosen subject and why you would like to study this as part of the BA International Honours joint degree programme between the University of St Andrews and William & Mary. Our Admissions officers are looking for someone who is passionate about their subject, shows a clear understanding of the programme and is motivated to study across two universities.

The personal statement is an important part of your application. Most students who apply to the University are well qualified, so decisions on who receives offers are often determined by the quality of the personal statement. You are encouraged to spend time drafting and re-writing your statement so that it is organised and well written.

In your personal statement, provide some relevant background information about yourself, your interests, and especially your reasons for choosing your course. You may want to highlight relevant activities or experiences that show your commitment to your chosen subject, such as coursework you have undertaken in school or college, or independent study that has allowed you to dive deeper into your areas of interest. If you have an idea of what your career choice might be in the future, and how your studies as part of the BA International Honours programme would support that, you may wish to include this as well.

Because this programme is offered by both the University of St Andrews and William & Mary, you should also explain what appeals to you about both universities and highlight anything you are particularly excited to explore as part of this programme.

Contact us

If you have questions about making an application you can email bajointdegree@st-andrews.ac.uk or join an upcoming BA International Honours online event.