Where

You can take your exams:

• on campus at the University of Aberdeen
• at another university or exam centre that is closer to you
• at your local British Council Office.

We can help you find a convenient location for your exams. You then make the arrangements and book them yourself.

We’ll contact you six to eight weeks before your exam date to confirm your chosen location. We recommend exploring your options well before then. Get in touch with our friendly enquiry team if you need any help with this.

When

Your exams will take place at the end of each term, during our official exam periods:

• For courses starting in January, exams usually run in early May.
• For courses starting in September, exams usually run in early December.

Your precise exam date will be made available nearer the time.

If you fail or miss an exam, you can resit it in the next exam period or during our summer resit period. This is usually end of June/start of July.

Exam support

If you have any disabled access or support needs for your exams, let us know as part of your online application. We will make sure the right support is in place for you. Find out about the wide range of exam support available.

You can contact a disability adviser anytime by emailing student.disability@abdn.ac.uk to discuss how we can help.

Exam costs

Sitting exams on campus at the University of Aberdeen is free.

Other universities, exam centres and British Council Offices may charge you for this service. This is an additional cost on top of your degree or course fee. You pay this fee to your chosen exam centre, not us.

Hours for taught courses

If you plan to study part-time, we recommend you take no more than 30 credits per term. Students typically take one or two 15-credit short courses per term.

15 credits

• Around 150 hours of study and assessment time to complete.
• You’ll study 8 – 10 hours per week per term, plus more at assessment times.

30 credits

• Around 300 hours of study and assessment time to complete.
• You’ll study 15 – 20 hours per week per term, plus more at assessment times.

This is an indicative guide to the time required for a typical student at this level to achieve the learning outcomes.

You can largely set your own study hours each week to cover the materials. MyAberdeen is available 24/7, so you can log in and study when it suits you.

There may be some activities scheduled at a fixed time, such as online meetings with your tutor or assessments with deadlines. But otherwise, you can access and work through each course at your convenience.

Hours for 60-credit projects and dissertations

A 60-credit project or dissertation is around 600 hours of study time.

This is around one term of full-time study.

You can dedicate a full term to your project or dissertation and work on it full-time. Or you can complete it part-time, spreading the hours you dedicate to it over two or more terms.

When you study with us, you can expect a first-class support structure so that you’re never alone in your studies.

But learning online does mean you have to motivate yourself and manage your own time.

Your most important commitment to your course will be time – the time to work through, reflect on and understand your teaching materials.

Before you start a course that involves a high degree of independent study, we recommend looking at the time you will be able to devote to your course each week:

• Be realistic
• Create a weekly schedule as a guide

If you have any questions about studying online, get in touch with our friendly team. We’re here to help. 

Our first-class support structure will ensure that you aren’t alone in your studies. You’ll have contact with your tutors via MyAberdeen and email. You can use social media and discussion boards to chat with your fellow students too.

We provide a wide range of services to support you in your studies and beyond:

• Careers and Employability Service – including one-to-one advice sessions
• Disability support
• IT support
• Library support
• Student Support Service – help with finances, stress, wellbeing and non-academic issues
• Student Learning Service – study support, with advice sessions available via phone or Skype
• Aberdeen University Students’ Association (AUSA) – run by students for students
• Toolkit – clever apps and free training that can make your study life easier

Wherever you are in the world, you’ll feel part of our very special Aberdeen learning community.

Pay as you go allows you to spread payments over several terms.

When you pay

You make a payment before the start of each term.

How much you pay

You only pay for the credits you want to study in the upcoming term.

It’s up to you how many credits you take each term. This gives you control over your costs and your workload.

• Taking fewer credits increases the length of your studies.
• Taking more credits reduces the length of your studies.

We break down the total cost of this qualification into cost per 15-credit course and your dissertation.

Costs for this degree, starting in academic year 2020/21

15-credit courses

• £925 in academic year 2020/21.
• £970 in academic year 2021/22.
• £1,020 in academic year 2022/23.

60-credit dissertation

• £2,900 in academic year 2021/22.
• £3,040 in academic year 2022/23.

Tuition fees typically rise a little each academic year. These quoted fees include our confirmed fee rise of 5% each academic year for 2020/21, 2021/22, and 2022/23.

This is an example payment schedule for tuition fees. It’s based on the typical route through the degree.

You can take more or fewer credits per term than is shown in this example.

Term 1) September – December 2020 | Academic year 2020/21

• Take two 15-credit courses @£925 each.
• Fee for term = £1,850.
• Payment due in September.

Term 2) January – April 2021

• Take two 15-credit courses @£925 each.
• Fee for term = £1,850.
• Payment due in January.

PgCert exit point

With 60 credits earned, you now have the option to exit with a PgCert.

Total fee for this route to your PgCert = £3,700.

Term 3) May – August 2021

• Summer break. There is no teaching in the first summer of your degree.
• No payment due.

Term 4) September – December 2021 | Academic year 2021/22

• Take two 15-credit courses @£970 each.
• Fee for term = £1,940.
• Payment due in September.

Term 5) January – April 2022

• Take two 15-credit courses @£970 each.
• Fee for term = £1,940.
• Payment due in January.

PgDip exit point

With 120 credits earned, you now have the option to exit with a PgDip.

Total fee for this route to your PgDip = £7,580.

Term 6) May – August 2022

• Embark on your 60-credit dissertation.
• Fee for dissertation = £2,900.
• Payment due in May.

Term 7) September – December 2022 | Academic year 2022/23

• Complete your dissertation.
• No further payment is due.

MSc complete

On passing your dissertation, you’ll have earned 180 credits and will be awarded an MSc.

Total fee for this route to your MSc = £10,480.

Exam fees

It’s free to sit exams on campus at the University of Aberdeen. If you sit your exams at another university, exam centre or a British Council Office, they may charge you for this service. This is a fee you pay directly to the service provider when you book your exam, not to us.

Learning resources

All essential lecture notes and resources are included in your tuition fee. They will be available online and you do not have to you buy your own copies. We also provide optional recommended reading lists. Many of these resources are available electronically through our library, although optional purchases may be required if you wish to read the full list.

Printing

You may wish to set aside a small budget for printing, depending on how you like to work.

There are several ways you may be able to get help funding your studies:

• Employer sponsorship – we accept full and partial fee payments from sponsors
• Student loans
• Scholarships – search our funding database for scholarships
• Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA)

Find out more about funding options.

Student card

All our students are entitled to a University of Aberdeen student card. This gives you access to a range of student discounts around the city and online.

20% Alumni discount

You’re entitled to 20% off our postgraduate taught degrees and short courses if you have a degree from the University of Aberdeen. View full details and eligibility criteria.

Discounts are applied during your application process.

Entry requirements

We welcome students from all over the world. You do not need a visa to study online with us.

See the minimum entry requirements above. If you do not have qualifications from the UK, check equivalent qualifications from your country.

English language requirements

Teaching is delivered in English.

We accept the following English language qualifications. You need to provide proof of your qualifications when you apply:

Duolingo English Test (taken from July 2019)

• 115 overall

LanguageCert International ESOL B2 Communicator (Written and Spoken)

• All skills – B2

IELTS Academic – 6.5 overall

• 5.5 for listening, reading and speaking
• 6.0 for writing

TOEFL iBT – 90 overall

• 17 for listening
• 18 for reading
• 20 for speaking
• 21 for writing
• TOEFL DI code is 0818

PTE Academic – 62 overall

• 51 for listening, reading and speaking
• 54 for writing

Cambridge English: B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency – 176 overall

• 162 for listening, reading and speaking
• 169 for writing

If you hold a degree from a UK university then evidence of proficiency in English may not be required.

For more information about language qualifications see our English Language Requirements page.

You apply through our online Applicant Portal. It allows you to upload relevant qualifications and documents.

Applying to the University of Aberdeen is always free.

What you need to apply for this degree

• Degree transcript
• Personal statement
• Degree certificate
• CV / Resume

You also need to apply on time

Apply as early as you can. Please apply at least two weeks before the degree start date. This is because we need time to review your application and get a decision to you. If you’re successful, we also want to enrol you before teaching starts.

Read our step-by-step guide to get started. It explains degree transcripts, what to write in your personal statement and more.

You will need access to:

A computer (PC, laptop or Mac) operating on:

• Windows 8 or later
• Mac OS 10.12 (Sierra) or later.

All our teaching materials are smartphone- and tablet-friendly. However, you’re likely to need a proper laptop or computer keyboard for completing assignments comfortably.

Reliable internet access

With reasonable download speed. We broadly estimate at least 2Mbps so that you can take part fully in live sessions.

Speakers or headphones

• A headset with built-in microphone and earphones is useful if you’re likely to study in an environment with background noise.
• A webcam may be desirable for some interactive sessions.

Software

We will give you access to Office365 applications. This means that you can use online versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and install these programs on up to five personal devices.

If your course requires any specialist software, then we’ll provide you with copies of this and a licence that lasts throughout your studies.

See our detailed IT requirements for more information.