Academic matters

An exchange is an integral part of your degree programme, so it's important you understand exactly what the academic requirements and implications will be.

Watch our short video about courses, credits, and other academic matters related to going on a study exchange.

Academic requirements in detail

The specifics of what you will be expected to achieve while on exchange depend on what you're studying. Your School's Exchange Coordinator is your key academic adviser, so make sure to consult with them to ensure you understand what you need to achieve while you're abroad. 

The following key questions are addressed on these pages but if you need further information, your Exchange Coordinator should be able to advise:

  • How many credits do you have to take? 
  • What types of courses can you take?
  • If you're a joint honours student, how should you balance both subjects?
  • How will your work be transferred back to your Edinburgh degree?

Please bear in mind that your Exchange Coordinator may change so it's important to check via the link below before getting in touch with them. If you’re a joint honours student, you may have two Exchange Coordinators.

Find your exchange coordinator

Eligibility to go on exchange

Remember, to be permitted to go on exchange, you must pass all your second year courses at first sitting before the start of your exchange. If you have not passed a full 240 credits upon the receipt of your exam results at the end of the May exam diet of your second year, you will not be permitted to proceed with your exchange. 

The Study and Work Away Service will contact Exchange Coordinators after the May exam period to identify students who are (in)eligible to proceed with their exchange.

The following FAQs should help you understand the academic requirements of a study exchange:

Yes. Providing that you successfully complete your exchange, the work that you undertake at your host institution will be credited towards your Edinburgh degree.  Precisely how this happens may vary depending on whether the exchange period is a mandatory or optional part of your Edinburgh degree programme.  

Mandatory exchanges (including Modern European Languages)

If your study abroad period is a mandatory part of your Edinburgh degree programme, grades obtained whilst on exchange may count towards your degree. Ensure that you know how many credits you need to return to Edinburgh and how your grades will be translated.

Some programmes, such as Modern European Language programmes, may not require students to take a full credit load at the partner institution if credits are gained through courses assessed in Edinburgh.

Please speak with your Exchange Coordinator who will be able to advise on the specific course and credit requirements of your programme and how your year or semester abroad will impact upon your Edinburgh degree.

Optional exchanges

Students undertaking study abroad as a non-mandatory (optional) part of their degree programme will transfer only credit to their Edinburgh degree. Grades for courses taken whilst on exchange will not be included in the calculation of your degree classification and will not be listed on your University of Edinburgh transcript.

On returning to Edinburgh, presuming you pass your year abroad, you will proceed to your fourth (or final) year of study. Your degree will normally be classified only on the basis of the work you complete in your fourth year at Edinburgh.

If you are undertaking a five-year programme of study, you should check with your School as to how your degree classification will be calculated.

Research placements or PhD

If you’re doing a research placement at your host institution (rather than taking courses) or you are a PhD student you should check with your School how your credits/grades will be awarded.

Find out more about Progression


While you are abroad, you are expected to take equivalent courses to those you would have taken had you remained in Edinburgh, and which will allow you to meet the outcomes of your degree programme.

  • Not all of our partners offer courses in all subject areas, so it is very important that you research the different options available to you before you apply.  You can do this by exploring the websites and course catalogues of your proposed host institution(s). You should check that there are enough courses offered in your subject area and that these look appropriate in terms of content and level. 
  • When looking at courses, ensure you can also see 'back-up' courses for any that you are interested in. You may not be guaranteed access to all of the courses you want and it is useful to check there are alternatives. Some courses may not be running when you arrive for exchange so ensuring the institutions you select have a good selection of courses is essential.  

Read Partner Guidance Notes for our partner institutions

Your Exchange Coordinator will help you to ensure that your course selections satisfy requirements for your degree programme here at Edinburgh. ​​​​​​ They will be best placed to inform you of your requirements and any restrictions or compulsory courses for which you may need to find equivalents at your host institution.​​​ If you are a joint honours student, you should contact your Exchange Coordinators to enquire into how your school/degree programme would like you to split your courses whilst on exchange.

Subject-specific exchanges provide a degree of certainty with regards to availability of courses in your subject area, as each School has specifically established these exchanges for their students.  You should therefore be able to enrol on sufficient courses to meet your academic requirements.

However, course offerings vary from institution to institution and from year to year, so before applying, you should do some research to check there are plenty of courses on offer that you are interested in and that you meet any pre-requisites, including language skills.  

If your host institution does not yet offer a course catalogue for the year you plan to go, have a look at the course catalogue from the previous academic year to help inform your application for exchange.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you select institutions where appropriate courses are available.

Find out more about course choices on our Learning Agreement page


You are normally expected to undertake and pass the equivalent of 120 Edinburgh credits for the year (60 per semester) in order to progress to your final  year at the University of Edinburgh.  

Although requirements may vary slightly depending on your degree programme (and you should always check with your Exchange Coordinator), in general you should normally take whatever constitutes a full academic credit or course load at your host university.  Your course selections should be relevant to your subject area.  

European Languages students should liaise with their School for information about their credit and course requirements.

In order to calculate how many courses constitute a full course load at your host institution, you may need to be aware of the credit system your host university uses.

International exchanges

Credit systems will vary from institution to institution. To find out the required credit/course load requirements for your host institution, please use the sheet linked below. 

Academic Credit Requirements for International Destinations 

If your host institution has a term/quarter system rather than a semester system, you will be able to see how many credits you should take per term/quarter.

European exchanges

Most European institutions use the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), awarding credit which is comparable and equivalent throughout Europe. A standard annual course load at most institutions is 60 ECTS credits - this equates to 120 Edinburgh credits.


No. Going on exchange gives you the opportunity to experience a different academic system. This means that the teaching style may not be the same as what you are used to here at UoE. 

Some institutions may be more academically challenging and rigorous with a greater emphasis on academic study, coursework, and contact hours. This may impact the level of free time you have or whether you can take on employment. 

Classes and/or exams may be arranged on a more ad-hoc basis. Attendance rules may be stricter. You should also bear in mind​​​ special circumstances procedures / support services may not be as comprehensive as at Edinburgh and there may be more limited office hours.

You should also reflect on the style in terms of class participation and assignments – in North America, for example, it is common to have more continuous assessment on a weekly basis and smaller seminar style classes. 


No. University of Edinburgh policy requires that in order to proceed with your exchange in third year, you must pass all your second year courses at first sitting, before the start of your exchange. Students who have not passed a full 240 credits of courses at the end of the May exam diet will not be permitted to proceed with their exchange. 

The basis for this is primarily supportive. Participation in a year abroad is a significant undertaking which requires considerable resilience. The University has a duty of care to ensure that students travelling abroad are sufficiently equipped both academically and individually to succeed while studying away from campus.

If you know that you have failed an exam it is important to notify your relevant exchanges team and your exchange coordinator as soon as possible so we can look into the impact this may have on your ability to proceed with your exchange.  

Where students nominated for exchange have had special circumstances approved, please contact your Exchange Coordinator, who will consult with the College and SWAY regarding the feasibility of proceeding with your exchange plans. Please note, as this credit requirement is a degree regulation, any exceptions have to be granted by the College and cannot be made by SWAY.  We can only take into account special or exceptional circumstances which have been applied for and approved through the official channels.

Unfortunately, the timeline for exchanges will not allow for resits during the August exam diet.​​​​​​


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