St Andrews – William & Mary joint degree
The University of St Andrews has partnered with the College of William & Mary in Virginia, USA, to offer a truly global undergraduate degree. The Bachelor of Arts (International Honours) degree combines the best of both historic universities to create this exciting international programme.
The joint degree allows you to spend two years at each institution for a total of four years, after which you will be awarded the BA (International Honours) degree by both universities.
For more information, see the BA International Honours brochure (PDF) .
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You will apply to the university where you intend to spend your first year, and then you will transfer to the other institution for your second year. After this, you can choose where to spend your third and fourth years of study. You will usually graduate from the institution where you choose to spend your fourth year, but if desired, arrangements can be made to graduate at the other institution.
From the outset, you will choose to specialise in one of the six subject areas offered by the BA (International Honours):
The BA (International Honours) is a broadly based degree, and other combinations – such as joint Honours degrees – are not available with this programme. However, during the programme you will have opportunities to study a range of other subjects offered by both institutions.
Once you have enrolled on the joint degree through St Andrews, it is not usually possible to transfer to a regular degree programme at the University, though exceptional cases may be considered.
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If you apply for the BA (International Honours) you will apply to study one of six subjects:
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Admission to the BA (International Honours) is highly competitive. The entrance requirements for all six subjects are:
• AAAB at SQA Higher
• AAA at A-level
• 38 IB pointsIt is essential that students applying to study History have a strong competency in a second language. Please also see the information in the Subjects accordion, above.
Other qualifications and entry requirements will be assessed at the equivalent level to the above listed examples.
Applicants will be asked to attend an interview as part of the admission process. Interviews will be conducted either virtually or in person, and arranged at a time to suit the candidate.
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The tuition fee for all students on the BA (International Honours) is the same regardless of domicile, and will always be the pound sterling equivalent of the US dollar amount per year, as converted on 1 June preceding the start of each academic year.
If you commence your studies at the University of St Andrews, you will pay your tuition each year to the University regardless of which institution you are studying at for that year. You should think about the payment options and arrangements available to you before taking up your study.
It is important to remember that the tuition fee covers tuition only, and does not cover accommodation, travel, books and printing, fines and other penalty fees, use of the sports centre, personal expenses, special instructional fees (for example, evening language courses) and the General Council and Graduation or Completion fee.
Cost of attendance
The US dollar tuition fee amount for 2019-2020 is $40,990.
The GBP tuition fee amount for 2018-2019 was £29,190, calculated using the exchange rate on 1 June 2018 (1 GBP = 1.37 US Dollars).
The cost of attendance in 2018-2019 can be found in the table below. Please be aware that most of these figures are estimates, and the precise cost of your living expenses will depend on many factors.Element GBP sterling US dollars Tuition fees 29,190 39,990 Catered residence fees 9,156 14,192 Travel (based on two trips per year) 2,000 3,100 Personal living expenses (based on 37 weeks) 3,330 5,161 General Council and Graduation or Completion fee 50 78 Total 43,726 62,521
The tuition fee figure in GBP is calculated on an annual basis on 1 June preceding the start of each academic year.The US dollar tuition fee amount for 2020-2021 will be set in August 2019.
Funding
For 2018 entry, there is a Scholarship of Excellence available. There will be up to three awards of $6,000 per recipient per year by way of a fee discount plus one award of over $6,000. This is open to students from anywhere in the world. The Scholarship of Excellence is for students undertaking the BA (International Honours) programme only and is not transferable to any other degree programme. The scholarship application will open on 2 November 2017, and full details are available on our scholarships pages.
Students from the US are not eligible for federal funding but can apply for a private loan through Sallie Mae. Please note that the BA International Honours programme is not eligible for Veteran Affairs funding through the GI Bill.
The BA International Honours is a unique programme and students are not eligible for tuition fee funding or loans or maintenance loans from either the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) or the Student Loans Company (SLC).
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Applications for the BA (International Honours) are not sent through UCAS. The application cycle runs from September to the end of June in the year of entry, and prospective students should apply to the institution where they intend to begin their studies.
You can apply for the programme to one institution only, and each institution will honour the admissions decisions of the other. You must specify which subject area you wish to apply for on your application form.
If you wish to begin your studies at the University of St Andrews, you can apply through the St Andrews direct application form or the Common Application form.
If you wish to begin your study at the College of William & Mary, you should apply through the William & Mary Common Application form.
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Lincoln (New Hampshire, USA)
"I’ve found that the programme’s greatest challenge is also its greatest opportunity: changing places. As students of a joint degree, we have the difficult task of locating ourselves in two distinctly different environments and ways of life. We must learn to become comfortable with foreign experiences and to grow from them. But by the end of these four years, with considerable effort and help along the way, we leave knowing how to assess new scenarios and adjust accordingly—knowledge that will surely serve us well, wherever we go next."
Mariana (Belo Horizonte, Brazil)
"The most important thing about the program is going into it open-mined. At first, it can be hard to transition back and forth between schools, leave your friends, your favorite professors, the cozy spots on campus and the life you have created there. But if you embrace all of the opportunities and new horizons that studying at both schools opens up, you will find that this unique experience will shape you in ways that are otherwise unimaginable. Just let yourself adapt, learn, and enjoy!"
Layal (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)
"I spent the summer of 2018 before my arrival in St Andrews reminiscing on fleeting memories from my year spent at William and Mary and experiencing waves of excitement, longing, and fear. Looking back now, having spent an exhilarating semester in St Andrews, I would welcome those moments of nervousness and fear all over again. The duality of this program is truly remarkable in that it pushes you to leave behind the comfort of a familiar academic system and group of friends only to encourage you to adapt to a new academic environment and to forge new, genuine friendships."