Postgraduate Students

Heriot-Watt University offers a welcoming approach and a superb environment for postgraduate study and top-level research. Our web prospectus can guide you through our full taught course and research options with details of fees and financial support options and scholarships. You can complete your application online or print out a form to complete with the help of our guidance notes.

Taught courses at postgraduate level are either Masters courses, Postgraduate Diploma courses or Postgraduate Certificate courses. The difference between these is mainly in the duration of the course and to a lesser extent, in the depth of study. Our Course Finder tool will enable you to search for courses of interest to you. You can filter the results by School or subject area. Alternatively, you can browse the course list alphabetically.

Research degrees are either at Masters level (MPhil) or at Doctorate level (PhD, EngD or DBA). All research degrees involve independent study under the direction of a supervisor. Students are expected to attend short courses of study in order to acquire study and other transferable skills. Requirements vary between Schools and applicants are advised to obtain further details from the relevant School or Institute. Although taught courses are associated with specific Schools, research may be undertaken collaboratively and Heriot-Watt welcomes interdisciplinary research. Use our A-Z list to find research areas of interest to you.

At Heriot-Watt, the community of postgraduate students undertaking taught and research courses is 1,500 strong and has representation from around 100 countries. Around two thirds of the on-campus students are from countries outside of the UK. With this in mind there is huge opportunity for cross-cultural and interdisciplinary interaction. This opportunity has been recognised by the University through the creation of a new multi-million pound, purpose built Postgraduate Centre to be completed in 2008. This state-of-the-art building will provide a forum for postgraduate students and researchers of all disciplines to meet and share their ideas.

An on-campus student must complete the requirements for registration at the beginning of each academic year. Fees are payable at Registration. The full schedule of fees and a guide to likely living costs is available from Academic Registry. All fees are payable in advance.

Advice on entry requirements for taught and research programmes, guidance for completing and submitting an online or printed application form, and the acknowledgement and responses you can expect are explained here. If you receive an offer from us, please respond promptly. Information on registering as a student will be sent to you.

To apply to our Postgraduate Admissions Office, complete the online form or print and post a paper form. You will be asked to supply various documents including a copy of your degree certificate and relevant transcripts, proof of your ability in the English language if this is not your mother tongue, proof of how your tuition fee and personal maintenance costs are to be met, and two academic references.

A range of scholarships are available to cover all or part of an applicant's fees and living expenses. The scholarships available depend upon the applicant's country of residence and the course or research they wish to undertake. You are advised to check funding availability within the appropriate School.