University of Aberdeen

Overview

Founded in 1495, the University of Aberdeen is the fifth oldest uni in the UK. As it continues into its sixth century of operation it aims to deliver academic excellence to its students.

Aberdeen is a port city in the northeast of Scotland and is the third largest city in the country, behind Edinburgh and Glasgow. Well-known for its offshore petroleum industry, it was once the oil capital of Europe, and the industry remains very active there today.

The uni is spread mainly over two sites, Old Aberdeen and Foresterhill. The King’s College campus is the heart of the university and is located in Old Aberdeen, along with the main library and the departments of the arts, social sciences and physical sciences. Foresterhill is the home of the department of life sciences and one of the largest medical campuses in Europe.

On-site campus facilities at Aberdeen are extensive and include three museums with new exhibitions every few months and the Aberdeen University Students’ Association (AUSA) gives access to more than 200 associations and sports clubs. Both King’s College and Foresterhill campuses are a half-hour walk from the city centre but a free shuttle bus service and an AUSA bicycle hire scheme make access to town easy and quick.

Aberdeen is a characterful city with a lot to offer its students. You’ll find regular live entertainment, including music, comedy and theatre, in venues including the P&J arena and several more intimate venues, as well as well-known restaurant chains and independent eateries.

You’ll also have access to more than 50 golf courses and five ski centres, as well as Cairngorms National Park – a vast area of wildlife and wildlands, designated an area of outstanding natural beauty and twice the size of the Lake District.

Although the city is in the north of Scotland, it’s well connected to the rest of the UK with regular train, bus and ferry services and an international airport. 

There are just under 400 undergraduate courses available at the University of Aberdeen that can mostly be studied in a flexible and individual way.

The uni believes that you should be in control of your degree programme as much as possible, meaning you can mix and match different subject areas and switch if you find a new area of interest. This gives you more control over what subjects you learn about and what you eventually graduate in.

Although you’ll state a specific programme on your application, you’ll actually be admitted to the relevant degree programme as a whole, rather than a particular subject. This makes it easy to switch between subjects within your degree programme, e.g., a student who began by studying English may end up graduating with a degree in history or international relations.

In line with other Scottish establishments, undergraduate degrees at Aberdeen usually take four years to complete. In most cases, you’ll choose a few subjects to study in your first two years, before specialising in the final two years.

In general, the University of Aberdeen doesn’t usually ask for qualifications in specific subjects to get onto a degree programme. This is because of the flexible nature of the courses. Instead, the university looks for a good level of proven overall academic ability.

Aberdeen accepts several types of qualifications, including A-levels, Scottish/Advanced Highers, BTECs and the International Baccalaureate. You can find specific information about entry requirements online on the uni’s course search pages, but we’ve also given you an idea here of what you’ll need to study certain subject areas.

For example, to study a degree in the uni’s science programme, you’ll likely be asked for A-levels ranging from BBB–CCC or Scottish Highers of AABB–BBB (or equivalent qualification). You’ll be asked to show an overall academic ability, as well as strength in science or maths subjects. It should be noted that the uni accepts numerous subjects as science subjects, including computing, geography and psychology.

To study a degree in the arts and social sciences, you’ll likely need A-levels ranging from BBB–BBC or Scottish Highers of AABB–BBB (or equivalent qualification). Entry requirements for these courses are rarely subject-specific.

It should be noted that entry requirements can change so you should always confirm these with the university before applying. 

There are nine uni accommodations available for new undergraduate students, all of which are located in the Hillhead Student Village. The Hillhead complex sits on the banks of the River Don, near Seaton Park, housing 2,500 students. It’s a 15-minute walk away from the main campus and a regular bus service runs between the village, campus and city centre.

The majority of residences are on a shared bathroom basis, however, you’ll find en suite options in South House and New Carnegie Court. Likewise, all options are self-catered, other than Adam Smith House which is catered (meaning meals are provided as part of the contract).

A number of the residences are shared flats for 3-7 students, while some have a more traditional halls set up. Prices range from around £92 to £156 per week.

First-year students are guaranteed a place in uni or partner accommodation, as long as they’re eligible and apply before the deadline. Dedicated support and maintenance teams are available 24/7 to give you help and support and you’ll have access to on-site car parking and bicycle storage in most residences.

The University of Aberdeen’s Careers and Employability service is dedicated to improving the job prospects of its students and graduates. As a student at Aberdeen, the service will aim to connect you with jobs and other work experience opportunities, as well as improve the skills that are needed once you’ve graduated.

You’ll be able to book 20 and 30-minute appointments with professional careers advisers to get help with things like writing your CV and job applications, exploring different career paths and practising interview technique.

You’ll also be able to sign up for the various careers events that run throughout the year. You’ll find workshops that are tailored toward improving your employability skills, such as preparing for interviews, as well as careers events that bring together employers from different sectors. These are a great way to learn about different industries and start building your professional network.

Additionally, you can apply to the SME Santander Internship Scheme which offers a range of internships with small and medium enterprises, as well as the InternPlus and the Aberdeen Internship, which both offer an exclusive paid placement opportunity.

The University of Aberdeen offers a large number of scholarships and bursaries to undergraduate students. These are to help students who meet certain criteria support themselves during their time at uni, and to reward academic excellence.

Scholarships are often awarded based on academic and extra-curricular achievement, while bursaries are based on personal circumstances. This is additional funding that doesn’t need to be repaid.

For example, the Entrance Scholarships for students from England, Northern Ireland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland are available for students from those countries and are based on two criteria – access and merit.

Access scholarships are available if your household income is less than £20,360 per year and is worth £3,000 per year of study. Merit scholarships are based on academic achievement. If you achieve AAA at A-level, you could be entitled to a scholarship of £5,000 for one year of study. Grades of AAB or ABB would entitle you to £3,000.

There are other scholarships and bursaries available as well. You can find out about all the scholarships and bursaries available, as well as their eligibility criteria, by visiting the uni’s online funding pages.