The University of Aberdeen is a historic university located in Aberdeen, Scotland. Founded in 1495, it has 15,000 students including 3,000 graduate students studying across arts, social sciences, law, business, engineering, science and medicine. The university offers both Masters and PhD programs. Masters programs are 12 months and involve coursework and a dissertation while PhDs are 3-4 years focusing on supervised research. International students make up 32% of enrollment.

1. Graduate Study
Brian Hussey
International Officer

2. Key Facts
• Founded in 1495, the 5th oldest university in the English-speaking world
• 15,000 students
• 12,000 Undergraduate Students
• 3,000 Graduate Students
• 32% international (representing 120 nationalities)
• Over 70 majors spanning the Arts, Social Sciences, Law, Business,
Engineering, Science and Medicine
• Named in the Top Ten Most Beautiful Historic Universities in the UK by QS
Top Universities website

3. Location
Aberdeen
Edinburgh
Glasgow
Inverness
London
DundeePerth
Birmingham
Manchester
Travel Times
Edinburgh – 2hr 30 mins
Glasgow – 3hrs
Inverness – 2hr 15 mins
London – 1hr 20 mins
Paris – 2hrs
Amsterdam – 1hr 35 mins
Frankfurt – 2 hrs

4. Academic Structure
Arts and Social Sciences
• Business School
• School of Divinity, History and
Philosophy
• School of Education
• School of Language, Literature,
Music and Visual Culture
• School of Law
• School of Social Sciences
Life Sciences and Medicine
• School of Biological Sciences
• School of Medicine, Medical
Sciences and Nutrition
• School of Psychology
Physical Sciences
• School of Engineering
• School of Geosciences
• School of Natural and Computing
Sciences

5. Reputation & Rankings
• Ranked 137th in the world (top 1%), 2015-16 QS World
Rankings
• Ranked 85th in Europe, Times Higher Rankings, 2016
• Ranked 55th in the world for research impact, 2015
CWTS Leiden Rankings
• Ranked 23rd in the world in the Times Higher Education
World University Rankings of the best ancient universities
(over 400 years)
• Ranked 84th in the world for Life Sciences, 2015 THE
World University Rankings

6. Campus
• Located in the historic district of Old
Aberdeen – 20 minute walk from the centre of
the modern city.
• Sir Duncan Rice Library (2012), named
amongst the “20 Most Spellbinding University
Libraries in the world” by the Independent
newspaper.
• Sports Village and Aquatics Centre
• 7 Museum Collections

16. Academic Year 2016-17
Move In Weekend 3rd and 4th September
Term Opens 5th September (Orientation Week)
Teaching Commences 12th September
Exams 3rd – 16th December
Move In Weekend 7th-8th January
Term Opens 10th January (Orientation Week)
Teaching Commences 16th January
Spring Break 31st March – 24th April
Exams 29th April – 19th May
Research June - August

17. Masters Programmes
www.abdn.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/index.php
• Taught Masters - average of 8-10 hours in class
per week, combined with a large amount of you
independent study
• Core courses, with limited elective options,
including lectures, seminars, projects, lab work
and field work
• 12 months duration - 9 months coursework
followed by 3 months research dissertation
• September – August, while some programmes
also offer a January start option (Jan-Dec)

18. PhD Programmes
Website: www.abdn.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-
research/
FindAPhD: https://www.findaphd.com/search/latest-
phds.aspx?IID=2&CID=GB&LID=1147&Show=M
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programmes last 3 or 4
years
• Programme of supervised research
• May include some instructional courses, depending
on the discipline, but mainly consist of independent
research
• Assessment is based upon viva – oral defense of
your thesis

19. Graduate Entry Requirements
• Entry requirements vary by programme, though most require an
undergraduate degree equivalent to a British 2:1 or 2:2 degree.
• A GPA of 3.3-3.5 is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a 3.0 is
considered comparable to a 2.2
• GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT etc. not required
• Most programmes require a background in a relevant discipline, though
some are open to students form other academic backgrounds
• Personal statement - explaining your motivation for the programme
• Academic Reference and CV (Resumé)
• Research proposal (PhD applications only)

20. Research Proposal (PhD)
• Give a full, clear account of your proposed
research.
• Clearly identify your proposed research topic,
make clear what you think the significance of
the research is, and make sure you also reflect
on what data/sources you will need to gather.
• What methods you will need to use.
• If your research requires fieldwork, explain how
that fieldwork will be undertaken.

21. How to Apply
• Apply online at www.abdn.ac.uk/pgap/login.php
• No Application Fee
• Upload your transcripts, certificates and personal statement and
reference
• Application deadline: 10 weeks prior to the commencement date of the
programme
• Decision issued between 2 – 4 weeks on average
• PhD Applications – find a supervisor and discuss a research proposal
before submitting a formal application

22. Tuition
Entry 2017/18 £GBP (per year)
Postgraduate Arts-based Programmes & Select LLM Programmes £14,300*
Postgraduate Science-based Programmes £18,000*
Graduate Business School MSc & Select LLM Programmes £16,100*
Graduate Business School MBA Programmes
LLM with Professional Skills
£18,000
MSc Finance and Investment Management/Finance and Real Estate with CFA and MSc Real Estate (International Option) £19,800
Graduate Business School MBA Energy Management £19,500
Art & Social Science based PhD £14,200
Science based PhD £17,600
Average Room & Board and Day-to-Day Living Costs* £10,800**
*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.
Please refer to https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/international/tuition-fees-and-living-costs-287.php
**Includes food, housing, recreation, laundry, local transport, phone, utilities. Please note, students applying for a Tier 4 visa are required to
demonstrate access to £1,105 per month in order to comply with visa regulations. See www.gov.uk/tier-4-general-visa

23. Funding and Scholarships
www.abdn.ac.uk/funding/
• Alumni Discount (returning visiting students / partner universities)
• US Federal Aid (FAFSA)
• Canadian Student Loans
• GI Bill
• Saltire Scholarships (USA and Canada)
• James Blair Scholarship (USA and Canada)
• Distinguished Alumni Award (Law – Canada)
• Graduate Business School Scholarships
• Elphinstone Scholarship (PhD)
• Fulbright
• Marshall
• Research Council Awards
• Chevening Scholarship (Canada)

24. Aberdeen
• Population: 220,000
• Student City - 2 universities and 1
college
• Safest City in the UK
• Milder than you might think! - Average
January Temperature: 4ºC/ 39ºF
• Beach – 15 walk from campus

25. Aberdeen
• International Airport with direct flights to
London, Amsterdam, Dublin, and Paris
• Cosmopolitan – 1 in 6 born outside of the
UK
• Major international centre for the energy
industry, particularly oil, gas and renewables
• Known as “Castle Country”, Aberdeenshire
is home to over 300 castles, including
Balmoral Castle, the summer residence of
the British Royal Family

26. Aberdeen
• 10 Festivals (visual arts, music, literature,
and tech)
• Art galleries, theatres and museums
• Aberdeen Dolphinwatch
• Cairngorms National Park just 2 hrs drive
(including Ski resorts)
• Traditional Pubs, Live Music Venue and
Clubs

27. Student Life
• 55 Student Sports Clubs
• 100 Student Societies
• Volunteering Opportunities
• Aberdeen University Students' Association
(AUSA)
• Student Media (Aberdeen Student Radio and
The Gaudie Newspaper)

28. Careers Service
• 1-2-1 Appointments
• STAR Award
• Internships
• Career Mentoring Programme
• Professional Skills Programmes
• Graduate Careers Fairs
• Volunteering and part-time work

29. Housing
• Housing guaranteed for all new students
• Self-catered apartment-style units
• All students have their own single room
• Old Aberdeen (on-campus)
• The Spital, Elphinstone Road Flats, Kings Hall
• Hillhead Student Village
• Wavell House
• Private Accommodation (off campus)
• King Street, King Street Exchange, Trinity
Court
• Students with partners/children

30. Student Support
• Orientation
• Student Learning Centre
• Careers Service
• International Student Advisers (Visa advice)
• International Centre
• Counselling Service
• Chaplaincy
• Resident Assistants (RAs)
• AUSA Student Advice Centre

31. Student Visa
• TIER 4 Student Visa
• Apply for your passport!
• Apply 3 months before your programme
commences
• Entitlement to work (20 hrs per week during
term)
• Access National Health Service (NHS)
• Payment of Immigration Health Surcharge of £150
per year
• Free access to doctor (physician), prescriptions
and hospital care

33. Contact Us
Brian Hussey
Lead International Officer (Americas)
University of Aberdeen
t: +44 1224 272187
e: brian.hussey@abdn.ac.uk
w: www.abdn.ac.uk/international/
www.instagram.com/study_in_aberdeen/
www.studyinaberdeen.wordpress.com/
www.youtube.com/user/uniofaberdeen