Telephone: 0131 451 3376 Website: http://www.hw.ac.uk
Fax: 0131 451 3630 E-mail: -
Applications: UCAS Students: Total full-time 5500. Male/female ratio 2:1. First degree students 4500 (700 from overseas; 1300 mature on entry). Postgraduates 1000.
Staff: 1000 full-time, 100 part-time. Student enquiries: Admissions Officer/Education Liaison Officer.
Broad study areas: Management, accountancy & economics, engineering, building & architecture, science, textiles, languages, art & design. Accommodation: All first years housed who require it.
In brief: Research-led university. Location: Edinburgh, central Scotland. UCAS points on entry: 18.6.
Background: Founded: 1821, granted charter in 1966. Site: Modern campus at Riccarton, 6 miles from central Edinburgh; Scottish Borders Campus (textiles) in Galashiels. Access: Bus from central Edinburgh. Structural features: Faculties of environmental studies and art & design are based at Edinburgh College of Art (you can look it up separately). Academic features: Most courses on modular system. Combined studies degrees offer scope for choice and flexibility. Unusual specialist degrees eg brewing & distilling, interpreting and translating, actuarial mathematics. Awarding body: Heriot-Watt University. Main undergraduate awards: MA, BArch, BEd, BA, BEng, BSc, MChem, MEng, MPhys. Length of courses: 4 years; 3 years for some ordinary degrees; 5 years for some MEng. Library & information services: 150,000 volumes, 2500 periodicals; on-line information system. Separate library at Galashiels, 18,000 volumes, 300 periodicals, 80 study places. Annual expenditure on information provision, £100 per (FTE) student. Access to IT facilities 24 hours/day; IT support in open access computer centre. Other learning facilities: Television centre, computer-based learning. At Galashiels, handloom weaving workshop, studios, textile and clothing workshops; special collections of fabric samples and shawls. Study abroad: 3% of first degree students (plus language specialists) spend a period abroad. Large number of formal exchange links in EU, some allowing an additional qualification from partner institution. Some industrial placements abroad. Careers: Information and advice service; close links with employers. Student support: GP and dental services. Counsellor, tutor/mentors, university chaplains, nursery. Amenities: Purpose-built SU at Riccarton. Student/staff social club, shop at Galashiels. Sporting facilities: Excellent sports centre on campus. Sports hall at Galashiels.
Accommodation: All new students who require it in university accommodation, 40% of all students. 2000 places available (70% ensuite): £35-£55.65, contracted meals (min 7 meals per week charged at £2.60 per meal); plus 200 places in flats on campus, 100 off campus. Most students live in privately owned accommodation for 1-2 years, rents average £200 per month. 12% of first degree students live at home.
Hardship funds: Government access funds.
Tuition fees: Scottish and EU students pay no fees during course; other UK home students up to £1075 pa for first degrees; overseas students £6500 (classroom), £8500 lab/studio).
Student view: Main campus. A single campus built on a leafy estate, but with striking features and plans for some student friendly changes. Travel from Edinburgh city centre by bus or train. Accommodation good and everyone offered places on campus: full board and self-catering flats and self-catering halls (5 with ensuite facilities and extra laundries): all halls have phone and internet connections in rooms. All blocks are mixed with no visiting restrictions. University leases flats of various sizes from private landlords; mostly reasonable. Campus can be quiet at weekends, but has advantage of being close to one of the most exciting cities in Europe. Many students are from overseas, predominantly from SE Asia and Scandinavia, and Europeans on exchanges; many are mature students. Most home students are school leavers. Main sport facilities on campus, open 7 days a week, well used by students, staff and local community. Other facilities on campus include shop (open all week), travel shop, bank, bookshop and hairdressers. Library (also 7 days) is well used. Renowned technological institution; courses predominantly science and engineering; new Edinburgh Business School on campus. Strong workload and specialised vocational courses. Transfer to general degree easiest in first 2 years; good safety net for those who made the wrong choice or wish to keep their horizons broad. Courses are modular; assessment by exam and project work. There is much scope for further study and research. Union building offers drop-in advice and support centre, bars, catering and a club. Entertainments range from live bands, comedy network, drinks promotions to regular club nights. Many active student societies, from clubbing and hip hop, to kite flying and brewery-run beer festivals, sports competitions, pub crawls. Edinburgh a good student city: many pubs, cinemas and theatres offer student deals; reciprocal use of other unions. City's famed international festival and fringe in summer and best New Year's celebration (Hogmanay) which tends to last about a week! Heriot-Watt provides the pleasant combination of city night life and a peaceful campus.
Student life: Housing: Most live on campus for 2 years. Careful reading of adverts in papers may yield bargains off campus; also help from uni and union. Drink: Union provides cheapest pint (£1.55 a pint); other good pubs offer local brews (eg Belhaven). Eats: Meal on campus about £2. Residences' food is fair. Union cheap meals and snacks. Student deals in some pubs. Nightlife: SU has many local and up-and-coming bands and local pubs often have free bands midweek. Several 'alternative' theatres and cinemas. Good variety on club scene. Locals: Okay; some dodgy areas but most fine. Sports: Several good sports centres in city including ice rinks, swimming pools (incl Commonwealth Pool and Leith Waterworld) and all-round complexes. Hardship funds: Access funds. Students' Association can make small loans (usually up to £75). Jobs: Much bar work. Holiday jobs harder to come by but many departments help with course-related jobs. Best features: Leafy campus; centralised services. And worst: The winter. More info? Ring SU on 0131 449 5111.
Alumni: Sir Russell Fairgrieve MP, Lord Sanderson of Bowden, Sir Alan Smith.