University of St Andrews
University of St Andrews - St Andrews, UK
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Overview of University
St Andrews is a unique combination of ancient and modern, local and global. Founded in 1413 we are the third oldest university in the English-speaking world. Once the centre of Scottish political and religious life, St Andrews retains many marvellous mediaeval buildings, juxtaposed with modern cutting-edge Science and Arts facilities. The city is quite small – the University accounts for approximately half the population – but it has a distinctly cosmopolitan air due to the presence of students, teachers and support staff from over a hundred countries, as well as the constant infusion of visitors coming to experience the spectacular scenery and famous golf courses. Most people who live here believe we have the best of both worlds.
Scholarships
St Andrews is committed to attracting the very best students, regardless of financial circumstances, which is why we offer a large number of bursaries and scholarships to students. These are designed to provide assistance to help students support themselves during their time at university and also aim to reward academic excellence.
The scholarships web pages hold a wealth of information in relation to the financial support offered by the University, statutory student support and information regarding external bodies who offer financial assistance. Some scholarships have early deadlines so it is well worth checking the web pages to ensure that you apply in good time. For our full list of awards and for more information on application deadlines and eligibility criteria, please go to:http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/scholarships/
In your country
Staff from Admissions travel extensively each year in their efforts to help and advise prospective students who are thinking about applying to study at St Andrews. Staff usually advertise their trips in advance and we invite individuals to book appointments wherever possible. For a full list of planned activities over the coming months please visit:http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/admissions/yourcountry/
Location
The town of St Andrews sits on a rocky headland overlooking the dramatic waters of the North Sea; a breathtaking position. 20,000 people, including students, live in this quaint town with its long, fascinating history. Many beautiful buildings still stand as monuments to the thousands of years it has been a focal point for bishops and kings, saints and martyrs. Wherever you walk you are reminded of a colourful and rich history. The university does not have a campus as you might first expect. Instead the wide streets contain buildings both ancient and modern separated by narrow ‘wynds’; academic buildings exist next to residential houses and students live in the heart of the town in halls of residence or flats. This all provides a unique location for a special university.
Facilities
As you might expect, the university has superb facilities and these are housed in a variety of buildings ranging from the ultra-modern new Medical laboratories on our North Haugh site, to the mediaeval grandeur of St Salvators Quadrangle where many lectures are held daily. Our town centre library has just been refurbished at a cost of £14 million and there are also plans for multi-million pound upgrades to be made to the Students’ Union, and to the University Sports Centre.
Accommodation
With nearly 4,000 study bed spaces and a fantastic variety of accommodation to match all tastes and budgets we are sure that we have something to suit everyone. We recommend that you visit Student Accommodation Services’ web pages for up-to-date fee information, and please take a few moments to familiarise yourself with the full range of facilities on offer in each residence, prior to making your online application:http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/accommodation/
Our residences range from beautiful stone-built listed buildings full of original period features, to stylish new apartments, built to high environmental and sustainability standards. Importantly, all of our accommodation adheres to government licencing requirements so you can be certain that we always meet a rigorous standard of accommodation maintenance and health and safety criteria
A range of catered and self-catered accommodation is available, with a choice of standard rooms with shared bathroom facilities or ensuite. Ensuite rooms include a toilet, sink and shower attached to the room for the sole use of the occupant/s.
Once you receive an offer of a place to study at the University it is time to apply. Please do not wait for your offer status to change, regardless of whether your offer is conditional or unconditional you need to apply by 30th June in your year of entry.
Student Life
Most students at St Andrews rate the St Andrews experience very highly. For the past six years the National Student Survey has placed us consistently as one of the top mainstream universities in the UK, and in the Times Higher similarly for the category ‘student experience’. While all individual experience of St Andrews varies, clearly we provide an environment which suits the broadest spectrum of tastes.
We have over 150 student societies – more than any other university in Scotland – focusing around anything from Debating and Hillwalking to Juggling and the Tunnock’s Caramel Wafers Appreciation Society! A full list is here: http://societies.yourunion.net/
The Sports Experience (60+ clubs available) is crucial and sees over 50% of the students signed up to the Sports Centre with many of our performance athletes competing all over the UK. A list of Sports Clubs is available through: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/sport/clubs/
Being a small university, students have a real chance to integrate and to feel a sense of belonging. They are active in politics, in volunteering locally and in playing a governance role in how their services are run. We celebrate our student diversity, with more international countries represented than any other Scottish institution.
Schools and Focus
Although undergraduates will apply for a specific degree programme, your admission will be to one of four Faculties (Arts, Divinity, Medicine or Science). You will belong to the same Faculty throughout your university career and most of the subjects you study will be offered by Schools or Departments within this Faculty. Information about choosing your degree is available here:http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/admissions/ug/choosing/
All undergraduates are assigned to an Adviser of Studies whom they must see at the start of each semester to discuss their choices and have them approved. Advisers are also available for consultation at other times and are always ready to discuss any academic and other problems that may arise. The Adviser will guide the student through the complexities of the modular structure to ensure that any desired degree pathways, or options, remain accessible.
At the end of your second year, if your work has reached the required standard, then you can make a final choice of Honours programme from the second year subjects that you have studied. It is in the final two years that you will be able to specialise and gain an intimate knowledge of your chosen subject(s). Modules are normally assessed in the semester in which they are taught. Assessment of modules is by examination, continuous assessment (coursework) or, in most cases, a combination of these.
Postgraduate students apply for a specific degree programme and work closely with a relatively smaller number of staff (compared to undergraduate students) during the duration of their programme. Each student is given a supervisor to act as their first point of contact where any problems arise or advice is needed.
Research Strengths
St Andrews is a research-intensive university and the benefit of this to all students is that they have direct access to staff who are likely to be at the forefront of research in their specific subject area.
St Andrews submitted more than 92% of its academic staff for consideration in the RAE 2008, making it one of the most research intensive universities anywhere in the UK. At this time, 94% of St Andrews' research activity was internationally recognised and 60% was judged to be world leading or internationally excellent. Full results are visible here:http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/research/quality/rae2008/
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 is the new system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions and St Andrews staff are currently preparing for the next submission of data. For more information please visit:http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/staff/research/quality/
Fees and entry requirements
Undergraduate entry to St Andrews is on the basis of 4 good Higher grades (AABB – AAAA), 3 good A-levels (AAB – AAA) or excellent IB scores (35 to 38 points). International students are welcome to apply to us on the basis of the exam system used in their country and our Admissions Officers assess individual applications on the basis of merit. Full details are available here:http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/admissions/ug/entryrequirements/
Postgraduate students are expected to have the equivalent of a UK 2.1 (2nd Class, upper division) degree from a recognised institution.
Fee information is on our website:http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/students/money/Tuitionfees/
St Andrews is committed to attracting the very best students, regardless of financial circumstances, which is why we offer a large number of bursaries and scholarships to students. These are designed to provide assistance to help students support themselves during their time at university and also aim to reward academic excellence.
International Partnerships
The University of St Andrews has a number of opportunities for undergraduate students to spend a full academic year in the USA or Canada as part of their degree programme (usually Junior Honours year), with new destinations being approved each year. St Andrews has three exchange partners in Canada and a further eleven partners in the USA, each offering a different student experience, from the University of California’s LA campus in the heart of Beverly Hills, to the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, founded in 1693 and the second oldest Higher Education institution in the United States.
Several Schools within the University have Erasmus links with other European institutions. The University currently sends around 40 to 50 students on European exchanges every year.
Several Schools have established exchange or study abroad programmes with partners outside Europe, and as a result there are also opportunities to study in Asia, Australia, the Middle East and South America. More details on all opportunities can be found here:http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/studyabroad/
Employability
From their first year, students are encouraged to use the Centre’s resources to guide them through career choices and on to detailed information about the whole range of options and occupations. The information covers vacation placements, internships and sponsorship opportunities, graduate employers and their vacancies, postgraduate study and funding, professional training, self employment, gap year activities and voluntary work in the UK and overseas. Enterprise activities and support for a possible entrepreneurial career are also offered through the Careers Centre.
At all stages, we aim to help students identify and achieve their career goals. The Careers Centre also offers a variety of workshops and events designed to help students develop the skills they need in order to have the best possible chance of getting into their chosen career. Facilities are complemented by the Careers IT Room, library and web pages, which contains a wealth of information and advice, together with searchable vacancy listings and useful links.
The Careers Centre also offers a Job Shop to assist students seeking part-time or casual employment during their studies.
Health centre
There is a full range of health facilities at the University of St Andrews with doctors, nurses and dentists. All students have full access to the health centre and all health care fees are fully covered by the National Health Service for full time students.