History
Founded in 1583, extraordinary is just something our community has always done.
Working together, for more than 400 years, we’ve influenced the world in extraordinary ways – expanding the depth of human knowledge and improving the lives of people worldwide.
Research conducted here led to the discovery of chloroform anaesthesia, the Higgs boson particle and in-vitro fertilisation.
Education
The latest report from the Quality Assurance Agency awarded us the highest rating possible for the quality of the student learning experience. We offer more than 300 taught masters programmes and 180 research areas and over 70 online programmes.
Joining the University as a student provides you with a unique opportunity to work with some of the most influential academics in your chosen field. At Edinburgh, you will develop your specialist skills, deepen your understanding and gain new insights and perspectives to equip you for your career ahead.
As host to more than over 45,000 students from across 156 countries, we’re a wonderfully diverse mix of people of all kinds and minds.
Research
We're one of the world’s top research-intensive universities, ranked 4th in the UK for research power (Times Higher Education, Overall Ranking of Institutions), with 90% of our research activity classified as world leading or internationally excellent in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.
We are proudly open to everyone, bringing people with new outlooks and perspectives together in an international community that is establishing the data capital of Europe, tackling climate change and paving the way for new fertility treatments.
As a leading global university, we’re confident education will play a vital role solving the problems of tomorrow too.
Career
We're ranked in the UK’s top 10 universities for the employability of our graduates* and our graduates are ranked 26th in the world by employers**.
We are committed to embedding employability into your teaching and learning experience. From offering access to volunteering schemes, to providing support via our sector-leading Careers Service, the University provides many opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and experience, giving you the edge in a competitive job market. We also offer a free service to students who are looking to set up their own business, through Edinburgh Innovations.
*Times Higher Education, Global Employability University Ranking 2021
**QS World University Rankings 2024
Distance Learning Courses
- Ph.D. Advanced Care
- MVetSci, PgDip Advanced Clinical Practice (Online Learning)
- PgDip, PgCert Anatomical Sciences (Online Learning)
- Short Course Animal Behaviour and Welfare
- Short Course Animal Welfare in the Clinic
- PgCert, PgProfDev Applied Medical Image Analysis (Online Learning)
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert Cancer Biology and Precision Oncology (Online Learning)
- PhD, MScR Cardiovascular Science
- Ph.D. Child Life and Health
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert Clinical Animal Behaviour (Online Learning)
- Ph.D. Clinical Brain Sciences
- Ph.D. Clinical Education
- MSc, PgCert, PgDip Clinical Education (Online Learning)
- MSc, PgProfDev Clinical Management of Pain (Online Learning)
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (Online Learning)
- DClinPsychol Clinical Psychology
- MSc, PgCert, PgDip, Clinical Trials (Online Learning)
- MVetSci/PgDip/PgCert Conservation Medicine (Online Learning)
- PgCert, PgDip, MSc Critical Care (Online Learning)
- Ph.D. Dentistry
- MSc, PgCert, PgDip Epidemiology (Online Learning)
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert Equine Science (Online Learning)
- Short Course Football - More than a Game
- Ph.D. Genetics and Genomics
- Ph.D. Geriatric Medicine
- Ph.D. Global Health
- PgCert, PgProfDev Global Health Challenges (Online Learning)
- PgCert, PgProfDev Global Health Studies (Online Learning)
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert Global Health and Infectious Diseases (Online Learning)
- Ph.D. Health in Social Science
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert Imaging (Online Learning)
- Ph.D. Infection and Immunity
- Ph.D. Inflammation
- MSc, PgCert, PgDip Internal Medicine (Online Learning)
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert International Animal Health (Online Learning)
- Short Course Law and Medical Ethics
- Ph.D. Medical Informatics
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert Neuroimaging for Research (Online Learning)
- Ph.D. Nursing Studies
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert One Health (Online Learning)
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert One Health (Online Learning)
- PgCert, PgProfDev PET-MR Principles and Applications (Online Learning)
- MSc, PgCert, PgDip Paediatric Emergency Medicine (Online Learning)
- Ph.D. Pathology
- MSc/PgDip/PgCert Patient Safety and Clinical Human Factors (Online Learning)
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert Planetary Health (Online)
- Ph.D. Psychiatry
- MPH, PgCert, PgDip Public Health (Online Learning)
- Ph.D. Regenerative Medicine
- Ph.D. Reproductive Health
- Ph.D. Respiratory Medicine
- PgProfDev Restorative Dentistry (Online Learning)
- PgCert, PgProfDev Simulation Based Clinical Education (Online Learning)
- Short Course Sit Less, Get Active
- Ph.D. Surgery
- Short Course Sustainable Global Food Systems
- Short Course Understanding Brain Health - Preventing Dementia
- Short Course Understanding Obesity
- MSc, PgCert, PgDip Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia (Online Learning)
- Ph.D. African Studies
- Short Course Animal Behaviour and Welfare
- Ph.D. Archaeology
- Ph.D. Chinese
- MSc, PgCert, PgDip Circular Economy (Online)
- Ph.D. Counselling Studies
- Ph.D. Cultural Studies
- MSc, PgCert, PgDip Epistemology, Ethics and Mind (Online Learning)
- Ph.D. French
- Ph.D. German
- Postgraduate Certificate Global Development Challenges (Online Learning)
- Ph.D. Global Health Policy
- Ph.D. Health in Social Science
- Short Course Introduction to Social Research Methods
- Ph.D. Italian
- Ph.D. Japanese
- Ph.D. Korean Studies
- Short Course Nitrogen A Global Challenge (Bhutan)
- Ph.D. Psychology
- DPsychotherapy Psychotherapy and Counselling
- Ph.D. Russian
- Ph.D. Scandinavian Studies
- MSc, PgCert, PgDip Science Communication and Public Engagement (Online Learning)
- Ph.D. Scottish History
- Ph.D. Social Anthropology
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert Social Justice and Community Action (Online Learning)
- Ph.D. Social Policy
- Ph.D. Socio-Cultural Studies
- Ph.D. Sociology
- Ph.D. South Asian Studies
- Short Course The Role of Social Sciences in Nitrogen Research
- Short Course The Sharia and Islamic Law - An Introduction
- Short Course Understanding Brain Health - Preventing Dementia
- PhD, MPhil Architectural History
- Ph.D. Classics
- Short Course Climate Solutions Malawi (English)
- Ph.D. Comparative Literature
- Ph.D. Creative Music Practice
- Ph.D. Creative Writing
- Short Course Data Ethics, AI and Responsible Innovation
- Ph.D. English Literature
- MSc, PgCert, PgDip Epistemology, Ethics and Mind (Online Learning)
- Ph.D. European Theatre
- Ph.D. Film Studies
- Ph.D. History of Christianity
- Short Course How to Read a Novel
- Short Course Intellectual Humility - Practice
- Short Course Intellectual Humility - Science
- Short Course Intellectual Humility - Theory
- Short Course Introduction to Philosophy
- Ph.D. Italian
- Short Course Law and Medical Ethics
- Ph.D. Medieval Studies
- Ph.D. Philosophy
- MSc, PgCert, PgDip Philosophy, Science and Religion (Online Learning)
- Ph.D. Religious Studies
- Ph.D. Science and Religion
- Ph.D. Scottish History
- Ph.D. Systematic Theology
- Short Course The Role of Social Sciences in Nitrogen Research
- Short Course The Sharia and Islamic Law - An Introduction
- Ph.D. Algebra
- Ph.D. Analysis
- PgDip, PgCert Anatomical Sciences (Online Learning)
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert Applied Conservation Genetics with Wildlife Forensics (Online Learning)
- Short Course Breeding Programme Modelling with AlphaSimR
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert Cancer Biology and Precision Oncology (Online Learning)
- Ph.D. Chemistry
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (Online Learning)
- Ph.D. Genetics and Genomics
- Ph.D. Geometry and Topology
- Ph.D. Mathematical Physics
- Ph.D. Mathematics Education
- Ph.D. Medical Informatics
- Short Course Nitrogen A Global Challenge (Bhutan)
- Short Course Observing Earth from Space
- Ph.D. Psychiatry
- Ph.D. Statistics
- Short Course Statistics - Unlocking the World of Data
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert Stem Cells and Translational Neurology (Online Learning)
- Short Course The Discovery of the Higgs Boson (Coursera)
- Short Course The Discovery of the Higgs Boson(Future Learn)
- Short Course Code Yourself - An Introduction to Programming
- Short Course Data Ethics, AI and Responsible Innovation
- MSc, PgCert, PgDip Data Science for Health and Social Care (Online Learning)
- MSc, PgCert, PgDip Data Science, Technology and Innovation (Online Learning)
- MSc. PgDip, PgCert Data, Inequality and Society (Online)
- Short Course Delivering Research Data Management Services
- MSc. PgDip, PgCert Future Governance (Online)
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert High Performance Computing (Online Learning)
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert High Performance Computing with Data Science (Online Learning)
- Ph.D. Medical Informatics
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert Narrative Futures - Art, Data, Society (Online)
- Short Course Research Data Management and Sharing
- Short Course Statistics - Unlocking the World of Data
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert Applied Conservation Genetics with Wildlife Forensics (Online Learning)
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert Biodiversity, Wildlife and Ecosystem Health (Online Learning)
- Short Course Climate Change - Carbon Capture and Storage
- Certificate Climate Change Risk in Finance
- Short Course Climate Solutions
- Short Course Climate Solutions (Coursera)
- Short Course Climate Solutions - Egypt
- Short Course Climate Solutions - India
- Short Course Climate Solutions - Mexico (English)
- Short Course Climate Solutions - UAE
- Short Course Climate Solutions - UAE (English) (Coursera)
- Short Course Climate Solutions Malawi (English)
- PhD, MPhil Geology and Geophysics
- Postgraduate Certificate Global Environment Challenges (Online Learning)
- Short Course Learning for a Sustainable Future
- Short Course Learning for a Sustainable Future - Live at COP28
- Short Course Nitrogen - A Global Challenge
- Short Course Nitrogen-related field measurements
- Short Course Observing Earth from Space
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert Sustainable Lands and Cities (Online)
- PhD, MPhil Architectural History
- MPhil, PhD Architecture
- Ph.D. Architecture by Design
- MPhil, PhD Art
- MMus Composition
- Ph.D. Creative Music Practice
- MPhil, PhD Design
- Ph.D. European Theatre
- Ph.D. Film Studies
- Short Course Fundamentals of Music Theory
- MPhil, PhD History of Art
- Ph.D. Intermediality
- MPhil, PhD Landscape Architecture
- Ph.D. Music
- Ph.D. Musical Composition
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert Service Management and Design (Online)
- Certificate Climate Change Risk in Finance
- Short Course Delivering Research Data Management Services
- MSc, PgCert, PgDip Digital Education (Online Learning)
- Short Course Digital Footprint
- Certificate Digital Marketing Fundamentals (Online)
- Short Course Digital Marketing Strategy
- Certificate Future is FinTech
- Short Course Future of Marketing
- Short Course How to Create Video for Online Courses
- Short Course How to Create an Online Course
- Short Course Introduction to Marketing
- Short Course Introduction to Social Research Methods
- Ph.D. Management
- Short Course Research Data Management and Sharing
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert Service Management and Design (Online)
- MVetSci, PgDip Advanced Clinical Practice (Online Learning)
- Short Course Animal Behaviour and Welfare
- Short Course Animal Welfare in the Clinic
- MSc/PgDip/PgCert Applied Poultry Science (Online Learning)
- Short Course Breeding Programme Modelling with AlphaSimR
- Short Course Chicken Behaviour and Welfare
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert Clinical Animal Behaviour (Online Learning)
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert Equine Science (Online Learning)
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert Food Safety (Online Learning)
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert International Animal Health (Online Learning)
- Short Course Nitrogen-related field measurements
- Short Course The Truth About Cats and Dogs
- MSc, PgCert, PgDip Digital Education (Online Learning)
- Ph.D. Education
- MSc. PgDip, PgCert Education Futures (Online)
- Short Course How to Create Video for Online Courses
- Short Course How to Create an Online Course
- Short Course How to Read a Novel
- Short Course Introduction to Social Research Methods
- Short Course Making Blended Education Work
- Ph.D. Mathematics Education
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert Narrative Futures - Art, Data, Society (Online)
- PgCert, PgProfDev Simulation Based Clinical Education (Online Learning)
- Short Course Introduction to EU Law
- Ph.D. Law
- Postgraduate Certificate Law (Online Learning)
- LL.M. Law (Online Learning)
- Short Course Law and Medical Ethics
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert Social Justice and Community Action (Online Learning)
- Short Course Climate Change - Carbon Capture and Storage
- Ph.D. Engineering
- Short Course Learning for a Sustainable Future
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert Sustainable Lands and Cities (Online)
- MSc, PgDip, PgCert Food Safety (Online Learning)
- Ph.D. Social Work
- Short Course Sustainable Global Food Systems
- Short Course Football - More than a Game
- Short Course Sit Less, Get Active
- Ph.D. Film Studies
- Ph.D. Translation Studies
Student services
All our postgraduates benefit from our inspiring research culture. The academics involved in your teaching and learning are leaders in their fields and although the emphasis at postgraduate level is very much on independent study, support from our teaching staff is always on hand.
You will be supported by a combination of academic and professional student experience and administration staff, who will provide you with academic and wellbeing guidance and support.
International students will be supported with events and information to settle in and with activities designed to support your experiences as a student.
Housing services
Our students travel from all over the world to study here and we aim to provide the best range and standard of accommodation possible.
Accommodation for postgraduate students is all self-catered and can be found across a range of convenient locations within easy reach of most key University buildings and Edinburgh’s city centre.
University accommodation benefits:
- Inclusive bills
- Key locations in the City
- Free Wifi
- Access to laundry facilities
- 24/7 welfare and support service
- Share with your friends
- Payment plan options
- No deposits and no references required
Library services
At Edinburgh you will have access to 10 libraries, including the third largest academic library in Europe, millions of printed and online volumes and access to 700,000 electronic journals and databases.
ICT services
You’ll benefit from 30 open-access computer labs with 24-hour access across key locations. Free laptop loans are available from our libraries and there is almost 100% WiFi coverage in our buildings.
We also support various methods of remotely accessing university services, computers and file stores from outwith the campus, allowing you to work off-site and still stay secure.
Medical services
The University Health Centre is an independent NHS partnership of general practitioners who rent premises from the University. It offers a full GP service to patients who live within the practice area.
Our Health and Wellbeing Centre - a dedicated hub for students, houses the Student Counselling Service and Disability Services, the University Health Centre and the University Pharmacy.
Campus life
The University is at the heart of the city of Edinburgh. Regularly voted one of the most desirable places to live in the world, Edinburgh is large enough to offer something for everyone but small enough to feel like home. It is a modern, sophisticated and beautiful European city, with a diverse multicultural community and is ranked 2nd best student city in the United Kingdom, 5th best student city in Europe and 10th in the world*.
* QS Best Student Cities 2023
Sports facilities
We’ve long been recognised as one of the UK’s leading sporting universities, consistently finishing in the top four of the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) rankings.
Our facilities include:
- Outdoor sport at Peffermill Playing Fields
- Climbing/bouldering walls
- A range indoor sports from badminton to ultimate Frisbee
- Eleiko Training Gym – the first any UK Higher Education facility
- 25 metre six-lane swimming pool
- FASIC Sport & Exercise Medicine Clinic
- Fitness classes including the Les Mills range, yoga, dance and Martial arts classes
If you enjoy being active, or just want to try out a new sport, our Sports Union offers over 60 sports clubs in which to get involved.
Student clubs
Edinburgh University Students’ Association has more than 290 societies covering a diverse range of interests, so you’re sure to find something of interest. If not, we can help you set up your own. Societies provide a place to meet like-minded people, indulge in a hobby, or simply socialise.
The Students’ Association also offers opportunities for volunteering in the community, so you may find yourself volunteering as a tour guide at a local heritage centre or playing football with local kids. These rewarding experiences will develop your skills and enhance your employability.