Degree Programme Transfers

If you are a new first year undergraduate student, you can apply to transfer to a different degree programme within the first two weeks of your programme start date. These early transfers are managed by the College Undergraduate Admissions team.  You need to contact them directly as soon as possible. 

Email CAHSS.UGAdmissions@ed.ac.uk 

Requests are considered on a first come first served basis. A successful application depends on you meeting the relevant admissions criteria and on there being places available on the new degree programme.  If your application is successful, you will be able to start the new programme immediately.

If you are thinking about applying to transfer degree programmes, we would encourage you to discuss this with a member of your School’s Student Support Team in the first instance.

Undergraduate students applying to transfer into a new degree programme after the first two weeks of the first year of their programme, and all postgraduate students wishing to transfer need to apply directly to the School that owns the new degree. Each School publishes their transfer process, deadlines and criteria for considering transfer requests on their webpages.

It is not normally possible to start a new programme after the first two weeks of semester 1. If your application to transfer is successful, you would generally be expected to move to the new degree programme at the start of the following academic year. The Student Support Team in the new School can advise you further.

To apply to transfer to one of our degree programmes, please complete the School’s degree programme transfer application form by the relevant deadline and email it to studentsupport-HiSS@ed.ac.uk.

If you have any questions, please contact our School’s Student Support team:

Please note, applications received after the deadlines will not be considered.

For the BN (Honours) Nursing:

Interviews take place in February. We therefore ask students to submit transfer applications by 5pm, 31 January 2025.

Applications receive after this date will be considered on a case-by-case basis until 5pm, 1 August 2025.

For the MA (Honours) in Health and Social Science:

Applications will be considered as they are received. It is therefore advisable to apply early.

The last date for applications is 5pm, 4 September 2025.

For postgraduate degree programmes:

It is advisable to apply early, but all applications will be considered.

It may not be possible to approve all applications. Places on programmes are limited. Applying students must meet the criteria to transfer. 

For transfers into the first year of an undergraduate programme:

• Students must either have passed all the compulsory courses for the new programme or meet the admissions criteria, including the offer threshold.
• For the BN with Honours in Nursing, transfers are also conditional on a successful interview.

For transfers into the second or third year of an undergraduate programme:

• Students must have passed at least 80 credits of courses to transfer into the second year of a new programme, or 200 credits of courses to transfer into the third year of a new programme.
• Passed courses must include all compulsory and required option courses for the first year of the new programme if transferring into second year, or for first and second years of the programme if transferring into the third year. 

It may be possible to offer a part-time or full-time repeat year to enable students to make up missing courses, or to take first and second year compulsory courses concurrently in second year.

In exceptional cases, a concession may be granted to substitute a compulsory or required option course with another course (or courses) with the same credit volume and SCQF level.

These options will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

No student will be permitted more than one additional full-time year of study in order to transfer degree programmes.

For postgraduate degree programme transfers:

• Applying students must satisfy the necessary academic criteria for the new programme, including entry requirements.

Applications will be considered by the relevant programme director and by the School’s Director of Learning and Teaching, or their nominated deputy. The School’s Director of Learning and Teaching is responsible for the final decisions on transfer applications.

Where transfer applications exceed available places, priority will be given to students on the grounds of academic achievement, personal statements, and interview performance where this is part of the admissions process.  Consideration will be given to relevant special circumstances.

Students will be informed of the outcome of their applications as soon as possible.

For first year undergraduate transfers where admissions criteria have to be met, it may not be possible to make a decision before May, which is when information on offer thresholds becomes available.

Some transfers may be approved conditionally, pending assessment results.

Changing degree programme may affect tuition fees, funding arrangements, and visa status. If you are applying to transfer, it is your responsibility to investigate the implications of a transfer. We will assume that you have done so before you submit your application.

Please consult:

• Fees and Student Support Team - fees@ed.ac.uk
• Scholarships and Financial Support Team - studentfunding@ed.ac.uk
• Student Immigration Service, concerning visas - StudentImmigration@ed.ac.uk
• Your own funding body.