Undergraduate programmes

Your UCAS application is completed in 10 steps:

1. Registration: create a UCAS Hub account and click the 'Start Application' button
2. Personal details: your name, address, date of birth, contact details, nationality, residential status and an outline of any disabilities
3. Additional information (UK applicants only): additional details about any non-examination-based activities you have taken in preparation for higher education
4. Choices: a list of the programmes, and the universities and colleges that you are applying to
5. Education: details of where you have studied and which qualifications you are taking/have taken
6. Employment: details of your work history and employers
7. Personal statement: a statement that tells us why you are applying for the programme(s) you've chosen and why we should want you as a student
8. Reference: a reference from a tutor, careers adviser or other professional who knows you
9. Declaration: confirming that the information you've given is correct and agreeing to use the UCAS application service.
10. Pay and send: paying the application fee online using a credit or debit card.

If you need help with your application you should contact UCAS Customer Services on 0371 468 0468 (within UK) or +44 330 3330 230 (outside the UK).

• The UCAS institution code for Heriot-Watt is H24
• The programme codes you will need for your application are listed against each programme
• Programmes based at our Edinburgh Campus do not have a Campus Code
• Programmes based at our Scottish Borders Campus have the Campus Code S.

Once you've completed your application you can use the tracking service on your UCAS Hub account to keep up-to-date with your progress and reply to your offers.

We aim to make decisions on applications submitted on or before 29 January 2025 by the middle of May, typically around 14 May. Whatever our decision you will be able to see this on your UCAS Hub account. That is also where you can accept our offers.

UCAS will email you to advise if there has been a change to your application and ask you to check your UCAS Hub account. Please ensure that you have access to the email address which you have used on your UCAS application, throughout the summer so that you can receive any important emails from your chosen universities.

You should notify UCAS if you decide to change your email address throughout the application process.

If you have not already submitted an application in this current cycle you can do so by creating a UCAS Hub account and submitting an application.

Alternatively, if you have already used all five choices on your UCAS application this year but are not currently holding any offers, or if you choose to decline your offers or withdraw your choices, you will be eligible to apply through UCAS Extra. Where we can no longer accept applications through UCAS Extra due to high demand we will publish this on the UCAS website.

International applicants (including EU)

All our undergraduate programmes are open to International applicants.

Applicants from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland

All our undergraduate programmes are open to applicants from England, Wales, Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland who are classed as Rest of UK (RUK) for fees purposes.

Scottish applicants

Places for Scottish applicants are limited due to Scottish Government limits on the number of funded places available. In line with our commitment to widening access to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, priority will be given to Scottish applicants whose home address falls within the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) 20% most deprived areas or those with care experience.

We recommend you check with us for more information about the availability of places as this may be subject to change.

All applications to Heriot-Watt University are carefully considered. We take into account your personal statement and reference as well as your grades. We will make one of the following responses to you through UCAS:

• an unconditional offer, (you have achieved the entry requirements). In other words, if you accept this offer, you have a place at Heriot-Watt.
• a conditional offer (you need to achieve specified entry requirements before you are accepted). If you accept this offer, and get the results we've asked for, you have a place at Heriot-Watt.
• no offer - we will inform you that your application has been unsuccessful this time. This does not prevent you from applying again in a subsequent year.

Responding to our offers

The deadline for you to respond to your offers will be displayed on your UCAS Hub account. Please ensure that you respond by the deadline stated.

If you have already applied and are now unable to start your studies as planned, you can request to change your start date. Our Deferral Policy provides guidance as to when and how deferrals can be requested and the rationale for accepting or declining this request.

Due to the specialised nature of some of our programmes e.g. British Sign Language or Textiles and Design programmes, applicants may be invited to attend an online or in person interview to further assess their suitability for the programme they have applied to. 

Applicants who have received an offer from us will be invited to visit the University (usually between January and April), in order to find out more about their chosen programme and about the University more generally.

It is also possible to visit us outside of the dates offered – our Student Recruitment team would be pleased to arrange informal visits to the university for applicants and potential applicants on request. Alternatively you can attend one of our open days.

• Heriot-Watt University is committed to widening access to students from disadvantaged backgrounds and uses a contextual approach in our admissions procedures to enable us to select applicants with the greatest potential to succeed.
• As part of our Fair Access Admissions Policy, students who are care experienced or whose home address is within one of the Scottish government's priority postcodes (commonly referred to as SIMD20) are guaranteed an offer if they have the ability to meet our minimum entry requirements. Please see our Coming from School page for more information.
• In addition to our guaranteed offer above we will also look to make a contextual, or amended, offer to other groups of students depending on their background. Find out which groups of students are eligible.
• This initiative is aimed at further increasing the number of students who reside in key areas of underrepresentation in higher education taking up a place of study at the University.
• Find out more on how we support Wider Access students.