Ecological and Environmental Sciences with Management BSc (Hons)

Level: Undergraduate

Subject: Ecological and Environmental Sciences

Year of entry: 2027 (show 2026 entry)

Key facts

UCAS Code

CN12

Award

BSc (Hons)

Duration of study

4 years

Delivery

Full-time

Study location

Multiple campuses

Start date

September 2027

School

School of GeoSciences

College

College of Science and Engineering

Study abroad

Available

Placement

No

Open days and events

About the degree programme

If you are passionate about the environment, curious about the relationship between humans and nature, and concerned about our impact on the planet, then Ecological and Environmental Sciences may be for you.

Our world is suffering from:

  • rapid climate change
  • the degradation of natural habitats
  • the over-exploitation of natural resources

To address these challenges, we need ecological and environmental scientists who understand both living systems and the physical environments they depend on.

What is Ecological and Environmental Sciences?

Ecological and Environmental Sciences combines two complementary areas of study that help us understand and manage the natural world. On this degree, you will explore:

Ecological sciences

Ecological sciences is the study of how organisms interact with each other and their physical, chemical and biological environments.

Environmental sciences

An integrated science which applies biological, chemical and physical sciences to understand the natural environment and how it is changing.

Together, these disciplines provide a complete picture of how natural and managed ecosystems function, so we can learn from the past, understand the present and how we can protect them for a sustainable future.

Throughout your degree, you will also benefit from the wide range of research interests of our academics – many at the forefront of their field – making it easy for you to tailor your studies and research dissertation to suit your interests.

By the end of this degree, you will gain sought-after analytical, field and computational skills that employers value, including how to conduct environmental impact assessments, collect and analyse qualitative and quantitative data, and develop advanced critical thinking skills.

These skills prepare you for careers in sustainability, ecological and environmental consultancy, environmental research and beyond.

What does "with Management" mean?

BSc (Hons) Ecological and Environmental Sciences with Management is ideal if you are interested in:

  • policy-making
  • environmental consultancy
  • natural resource management

We provide a tailored pool of optional courses from the Edinburgh Business School that allow you to explore aspects of business management and economics alongside your core compulsory courses in Ecological and Environmental Sciences.

Why study Ecological and Environmental Sciences at the University of Edinburgh?

We are living in a rapidly changing world with a growing population. This is putting pressure on our ecosystems. With a BSc in Ecological and Environmental Sciences with Management, you can discover how we can be sustainable in our interactions with the environment. Dr. Sebastian Hennige discusses what you will study, our field trips and the career paths you can take.

How long it takes to complete this degree programme

This programme is studied over 4 years.

A key benefit to studying a 4-year degree programme is that you have the flexibility to study a range of subjects, outside your chosen degree programme, in Year 1 and Year 2.

This allows you the opportunity to study other courses that interest you or enhance your degree. By the end of Year 2, you can decide which of these subject areas you want to focus on in the honours years of your programme.

How long it takes to complete our degree programmes

How a joint degree programme works

A joint programme allows you to gain a well-rounded learning experience. You will have more exposure to different disciplines, allowing you to expand your knowledge and expertise.

Teaching on joint programmes is split across the two subject areas, and teaching will take place in locations associated with both subjects.

You will gain a different perspective through studying more than one subject and have a wider skill set that is highly attractive to future employers.

Programme rankings

  • 7th in the UK for environmental sciences in QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026
  • 4th in the UK, and world's top 30 universities for natural sciences subjects in QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026

Programme benefits

  • Flexible first and second years. Explore a range of courses before specialising in areas that inspire you most
  • Get hands-on experience. Connect theory with real-world scenarios through fieldwork throughout each year of study
  • Benefit from combining your scientific study with management, and explore the intersection of these two subjects
  • Build future-ready skills. From data analysis to environmental impact assessments, graduate with skills employers and policymakers need to tackle complex global issues
  • Edinburgh and Scotland are your living classroom. From coastal ecosystems to Scottish highlands, our programme provides access to unique landscapes
  • Join one of the UK’s largest communities of geoscientists. Learn from leading ecologists and environmental scientists working in the fields of conservation, data science, sustainability and ecosystems science - from the tropics to the poles

Learning hands-on in nature allowed me to connect my in-class knowledge to the local environment. It was a real sense of achievement to do field experiments collecting our own data. Also the social aspect of these were fantastic, each one brought our year group together, creating the sense of community I noticed on my Open Day.

Alison Stewart BSc (Hons) Ecological and Environmental Sciences, graduated 2021
Alison Stewart, BSc Ecological and Environmental Sciences graduate

Find your entry requirements

Use the dropdowns to find out your entry requirements.

  1. Select the country or region where you are studying or where you studied your qualification.
  2. Select the qualification you are studying or studied.
United Kingdom,

Tuition fees for BSc (Hons) Ecological and Environmental Sciences with Management

View the tuition fees for one academic year of BSc (Hons) Ecological and Environmental Sciences with Management.

Tuition fees for this programme

Additional costs

The School of GeoSciences does not charge extra fees for compulsory field trips or field courses.

Costs of travel, accommodation and general upkeep on compulsory field trips are covered by the programme, thanks to the continued support of our generous alumni community.

However, you are responsible for any incidental/personal expenses. This may include suitable outdoor clothing and footwear for compulsory fieldwork, for which you may wish to budget approximately £100 to £150.

For more local excursions, you may occasionally be asked to make your own way there using public transport.

Dissertation costs

There may be some costs associated with your dissertation research project, including field costs. You can design your dissertation project to reduce costs.

The School of GeoSciences also provides a £150 allowance for using facilities to support your dissertation project.

Costs for an optional year abroad

If you study abroad in Year 3 through the University's study exchange programme, you will need to pay related costs. These include:

  • tuition fees
  • accommodation and living costs
  • country-specific expenses like travel, visas and insurance

You can use our budget calculator to help estimate your costs.

Find out more about costs for studying abroad

You can also use a tool like Numbeo to compare the cost of living abroad to Edinburgh or your hometown or city.

Numbeo

If you are away on exchange or placement, you may receive a reduction in your tuition fees for the year. This depends on:

  • the type of placement you are on
  • how long you are away

As an indication, you can see the reductions for students studying away in 2026-27. These are reviewed annually and are subject to change.

Study away fees for 2026-27

Accommodation and living costs

You need to cover your accommodation and living costs for the duration of your programme.

We estimate that a single student can potentially spend £1,023 to £2,043 each month on living costs, depending on your accommodation.

This estimate covers the costs of:

  • accommodation
  • food
  • utility bills
  • travel within Edinburgh
  • health and wellbeing costs

See a breakdown of living costs

Scholarships and funding

Funding information

You can find detailed information on financial support available, based on where you are living, in our funding section.

Funding

What you will study

We will teach you how to:

  • design strategies for sample collection
  • understand ecological and environmental issues
  • make ecological and environmental measurements
  • critically evaluate ecological data sets using modern statistical analysis
  • understand the science to contribute to difficult management questions and policy
  • measure progress and efficiency of conservation and environmental management plans
  • use enhanced planning and management skills to develop solutions to environmental problems
  • understand conflicts between humans and the natural world and how human pressures are changing our planet

Our programme has a strong focus on data-driven innovation and computational analysis. Demand is growing for these data skills across many employment sectors.

The exciting nature of your degree means you will have a diverse learning experience during your years with us. One of the highlights of our degree is the opportunity to conduct fieldwork. You could be discussing animal adaptations to habitat in a tutorial one day, or you could be in a Scottish forest collecting plant samples the next.

Management courses

Through this degree, you will study management courses from:

  • School of Economics
  • University of Edinburgh Business School
  • Schools across the College of Science and Engineering

Because of this, your additional option courses are limited. Many of your option slots are replaced with management courses.

You can find details for individual courses through the 'Programme Structure' link below.

Option courses

You have the opportunity to take courses outside your degree in Years 1 and 2.

You can choose courses related to your degree, or you can try something different and new to you.

Although we try to provide a wide range of option courses to choose from, these can be subject to change or cancellation at short notice. Places on option courses can be limited due to course capacity and timetabling constraints. It may not be possible to guarantee every student their top choice of option courses.

Future programme changes

This programme is undergoing changes which will impact this programme from September 2028 onwards. Details of these changes can be expected in Spring 2027. 

As a result, it is not possible to apply for deferred entry for this programme. If you are planning to apply for deferred entry, please contact us at futurestudents@ed.ac.uk to discuss alternatives. 

These upcoming changes are not expected to impact you if you are applying for entry in September 2027. 

We will introduce you to fundamental aspects of ecology and environmental science, involving both theoretical and practical studies. You will explore the diversity of living organisms and the evolutionary forces that created them. You will also gain confidence in applying scientific methods and engaging with global environmental challenges. 

You will start to develop essential academic abilities in:

  • data handling
  • critical thinking
  • communication and teamwork

Half of your courses will be in ecological and environmental sciences on the BSc programme. On the management side, you will study two compulsory courses related to business, economics or management.

You can choose one other course from the options offered.

Find courses

The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.

You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.

Find Year 1 courses (2025-2026 academic year)

Year 2 deepens your understanding of ecological and environmental systems, focusing on biodiversity, ecosystem dynamics, and the application of statistical and analytical methods.

You will learn how aspects of nature are connected, and we will provide insights into the diversity, distribution and abundance of life on planet Earth.

You will also be introduced to applied practical skills, such as:

  • programming languages such as R or Python
  • species identification and habitat observation
  • statistical techniques, including the ability to analyse uncertainty in environmental data
  • designing and writing research projects, including hypothesis formulation and methodological planning

Your communication and collaboration skills are further developed through structured academic writing and presentations.

Additionally, you will study two compulsory courses related to business, economics or management from the Edinburgh Business School or the School of Economics from a pre-selected list.

As in Year 1, you can choose one other option course.

Find courses

The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.

You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.

Find Year 2 courses (2025-2026 academic year)

In Year 3, you will apply specialist knowledge and independent judgment to evaluate the environmental impacts of human activity on biodiversity, pollution and ecosystem health.

You will start Year 3 with a week-long summer field course. Through fieldwork, you will learn different measurement and evaluation techniques, including statistical methods to analyse complex ecological and environmental data.

Your coursework will focus on specialised aspects of your degree, learning at the cutting edge of different ecological and environmental disciplines.

You will also further advance your professional and academic skills in:

  • ethical reflection
  • research-led learning
  • advanced data analysis
  • critical evaluation of evidence
  • independent and group project work
  • research communication and presentation skills
  • digital research tools to collate, manage, and synthesise scientific literature

You will also choose courses related to business, economics or management.

Find courses

The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.

You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.

Find Year 3 courses (2025-2026 academic year)

The main focus will be on your dissertation. This is an independent, original piece of research in your chosen specialist field:

  • Most students will do outdoor field data collection as part of their project
  • You will receive individual supervision from an academic with experience in your chosen subject area
  • Often, dissertations are undertaken in partnership with companies or UK research centres, including SRUC and UKCEH

Here are some recent honours dissertation titles to give you an idea of what you can do:

  • Does cacao drive deforestation in Amazonian Peru?
  • Competition interactions in a neotropical cloud forest
  • Plant detritus decomposition in a Mediterranean lagoon
  • Carbon payback times of wind farms on the Isle of Lewis
  • A critical review of land reform policies in devolved Scotland
  • Investigating the relationships between the European otter and the invasive signal crayfish
  • The effect of speed bump presence on potentially toxic element concentration in road dust in Edinburgh
  • How does charcoal production influence wealth and natural resource use in Mabalane District, Mozambique?

You will also continue to study compulsory ecology and environmental science courses. This includes a week-long summer residential field course.

We will help you develop skills in designing and conducting your own field experimental project.

Find courses

The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.

You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.

Find Year 4 courses (2025-2026 academic year)

Study abroad

There are exciting opportunities to study abroad as part of the University's exchange programmes. We also currently offer a subject-specific exchange with the University of Sydney.

Many of our students spend Year 3 abroad in Europe or further afield. A year abroad can give you invaluable academic and life skills.

What are my options for going abroad?

Field trips

Field trips are at the heart of this programme.

We know that getting out in the world is essential for understanding how it works. We will take you beyond the classroom so that you can apply your learning to real-life situations.

Our hands-on approach to learning helps build your confidence and gives you practical field skills valued by employers.

Our compulsory field trips or field courses are free, including travel and accommodation.

What do you do on a field trip?

Our field courses and day excursions are challenging and fun. Often, they will provide some of your most memorable moments.

For example, you could be:

  • splashing through rivers, counting insects
  • applying your skills to field conservation in wild and remote areas
  • trekking through the forest, measuring trees and taking leaf samples
  • learning how people manage land for conservation, forestry and agriculture

We also want you to gain valuable skills by using as many types of field equipment as possible. With our range of tools and high-tech equipment, you can obtain and interpret ecological and environmental measurements. For example:

  • collecting water samples
  • detecting water stress in plants
  • estimating carbon stocks of forests
  • assessing biodiversity and water quality
  • taking climate and trace gas measurements
  • calculating and measuring rates of photosynthesis
  • evaluating the influence of soil chemical properties on vegetation

You can also find our blog posts and videos about fieldwork experiences on the School of GeoSciences website.

School of GeoSciences field trips

What do you do on a field trip?

Field trips are hard work, loads of fun and always memorable! On this featured field trip, Ecological and Environmental Sciences students brave the Scottish weather to learn to gather data in the field, accessing various plant species.

Fieldwork and Scottish biodiversity

Studying in Scotland offers a unique opportunity to explore diverse environments close to home.

Our fieldwork makes the most of Scotland’s rich natural diversity, using its landscapes as living laboratories for understanding climate change, restoration, and rewilding. By studying locally, we will reduce our carbon footprint while developing a deeper sense of connection to the places and environments that shape our shared future.

Fieldwork opportunities include:

  • rare arctic plant communities in the UK
  • engagement with restoration and rewilding projects across Scotland
  • freshwater ecology, including visits to lochs using boats and underwater cameras

Living Labs

Undergraduate students on the ‘Ecological Measurement’ course in the School of Geosciences, led by Dr. Claudia Colesie, experienced the benefit of a Living Lab opportunity by working on the Forest and Peatland Programme site, Barvick Burn Wood. Students collected valuable baseline plant survey data from the area, where woodland creation is soon to take place.

The Forest and Peatland programme

Accessibility on field trips

We are committed to making our degree as accessible and inclusive as possible. If you cannot attend all trips or only some of them, we will provide alternatives with similar learning outcomes where necessary.

Disclaimer

We are currently reviewing our fieldwork courses. This review focuses on improving the inclusivity and accessibility of our fieldwork courses, whilst delivering sustainable and low-carbon experiences, and maintaining pedagogical excellence. 

As a result, our field course locations may vary year to year, but will always align with your course learning outcomes.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

You will learn from a wide range of experienced academics at the forefront of their field. Our research-led, industry-informed teaching draws on the latest developments.

The types of teaching styles depend on the courses you choose and the nature of the topics explored.

Teaching can be through a mix of:

  • lectures
  • tutorials
  • workshops
  • project work
  • practical classes
  • computer practicals
  • day field trips and residential field courses

You will also design and carry out your project dissertation in Year 4.

Assessment

You will be assessed in different ways, depending on the courses you choose and the nature of the topics explored.

Assessment can be through a mix of:

  • posters
  • coursework such as essays
  • laboratory reports and field project reports
  • individual or group projects and presentations
  • practical evaluation in the field or field notebooks
  • written or practical exams, including multiple-choice exercises

Below is a sample timetable for a Year 1, Semester 1 BSc (Hons) Ecological and Environmental Sciences with Management student. It is intended to give you an idea of how your time might be spent in your first year. Please note, timetables may differ on a weekly basis.

Monday

11:10 to 12:00 - Global Challenges for Business - lecture

15:10 to 16:00 - Digital Literacy for Business - Information - computer workshop

Tuesday

10:00 to 13:00 - Biology 1A: Variation - practical

13:10 to 14:00 - Introduction to Ecological and Environmental Sciences - lecture

14:10 to 15:00 - Introduction to Ecological and Environmental Sciences - tutorial

Wednesday

12:10 to 13:00 - Global Challenges for Business - tutorial

14:10 to 16:00 - Biology 1A: Variation - workshop

Thursday

13:10 to 14:00 - Introduction to Ecological and Environmental Sciences - drop-in session

Friday

14:10 to 15:00 - Biology 1A: Variation - lecture

Support for your studies

We want to help you make the most of your studies with us.

Student Adviser

You will have access to a range of resources and activities to support you during your studies. You will be assigned a Student Adviser for the duration of your degree, who will be your main contact if you have any questions related to academic or pastoral support.

The Student Adviser works closely with academics in your degree and the wider University support services. They can also help you with a wide range of administrative and practical issues, and can direct you to relevant resources or people.

Find out more about student support

Cohort Lead

You will also be assigned a Cohort Lead who will organise activities to help you get to know the other students on your degree.

They will also advise and support you on a range of topics including:

  • course choices
  • how to develop and improve your academic skills
  • how to effectively use feedback
  • advice on your future career opportunities
Building our cohort

For each year of study, you are supported by a dedicated academic cohort lead, who organises a series of cohort-building events throughout the semester.

Usually taking place at the beginning of the semester, events focus on student wellbeing, and may include trips to see the local gannet populations at Bass Rock or a visit to the famous Roslyn Glen.

Other cohort events focus on academic content, such as writing or poster-making workshops.

Finally, cohort events are also valuable networking opportunities, and we regularly invite graduates to share their career paths with current students.

Our academic staff

We are one of the largest and most successful groupings of geographers, and Earth and environmental scientists in the UK. Many of us are world experts in our field and can help you gain valuable real-world experience to produce meaningful change. You will have many networking and potential employment opportunities.

Our staff will include their latest research in your teaching and share our discoveries in a range of areas, from the tropics to the poles. Your dissertation also offers practical experience and a chance to align with potential employers and real-world issues.

Research networks

Our Centre for Sustainable Forests and Landscapes is linked to this degree.

Visit the Centre for Sustainable Forests and Landscapes website

Through this programme, you are also directly linked to researchers from world-leading research centres such as The Centre for Adapting to Changing Environments (ACE). ACE is a leading centre in multidisciplinary research to address how populations can adapt to our rapidly changing world.

Visit the ACE website

Our experts

We also have a wide network of external experts who may contribute to the programme.

They may:

  • be invited as external speakers on our field courses
  • deliver guest lectures
  • contribute to discussions
  • highlight links between in-class materials and real-world projects
  • provide possible dissertation opportunities

One example of an external organisation we engage with includes the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH).

Visit the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

University of Edinburgh Business School and School of Economics

You will also benefit from the expertise of teaching integrated into your degree from the University of Edinburgh Business School and School of Economics.

University of Edinburgh Business School

School of Economics

Where you will study

Study location

Most ecological and environmental science teaching occurs in the School of GeoSciences, at the University's King's Buildings campus. On this campus, the School of GeoSciences is mostly based in the Grant Institute, and the Crew Building.

View the Grant Institute location in Google Maps

View the Crew Building location in Google Maps

For the management part of this degree, many of your courses are taught in the Central Area campus. For example, the Business School is located in George Square, in the middle of the central campus.

View the Business School location in Google Maps

King's Buildings campus

The King's Buildings (KB) is the main campus of the College of Science and Engineering.

The King's Buildings campus is around 15 minutes from central Edinburgh. It is easily accessible by bus (there is a regular free shuttle bus between both locations). You can also cycle (15 minutes) or walk (35 minutes) to the campus from the central area.

Walking map from the Crew Building to George Square central campus

Shuttle bus route and timetable

Academic facilities

The School of GeoSciences houses a wide range of cutting-edge facilities and services. We also provide many collaborative centres of research excellence.

You will:

  • collect some of these samples during field excursions
  • have access to a range of high-tech facilities, letting you analyse various types of samples
  • conduct field measurements using various techniques used in ecological and environmental sciences

Visit the School of GeoSciences Research Facilities

You will be exposed to the University's own Airborne Research and Innovation Facility (ARI), run by specialist aviation staff and instrument scientists.

Airborne Research and Innovation Facility

We also host the NERC Field Spectroscopy Facility.

Visit the NERC Field Spectroscopy Facility website

University facilities

You will have access to the facilities across all University sites.

For example:

  • libraries
  • laboratories
  • social spaces
  • leisure facilities
  • computing facilities
  • study spaces (some study spaces are open 24 hours)

Career paths

Our degree opens up a diverse range of career pathways.

For example, you could:

  • work in forestry, land use or water resource management industries
  • work for an environmental consultancy or conservation organisation
  • pursue a career focused on the sciences, placing you at the forefront of the climate challenge

Our graduates are not confined to science-related careers.

You can also move into areas such as:

  • media
  • policy
  • education
  • consultancy
  • communications

In these roles, you can change how business, government and communities impact the environment.

Where do our graduates find employment?

We have a large network of graduate alumni within our programme. They can provide you with direct opportunities for projects, placements and job applications.

Our graduates have gained employment in roles such as:

  • Ranger
  • Field Ecologist
  • Project Director
  • Ecology Inspector
  • Research Assistant
  • Forestry Consultant
  • National Park Manager
  • Conservation Scientist
  • Environmental Advisor
  • Sustainability Coordinator
  • Environmental Consultant
  • Renewables Project Officer
  • Offshore Environment Manager

In the environmental sector, the range of occupations is expanding. There is also increasing demand for more environmental roles across other job sectors.

Our graduates work in a variety of organisations, including:

  • AECOM
  • Bidwells
  • Linklaters
  • NatureScot
  • WYG Group
  • IKM Engineering
  • East Devon Council
  • Birdlife International
  • London Wildlife Trust
  • Cambridgeshire Council
  • Cultural Heritage Scotland
  • EnergieKontor Wind Farms
  • Loch Lomond National Park
  • Scottish Power Renewables
  • Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation
  • National Trust and National Trust for Scotland

One of our alumni, Piers Sellers, went on to become an astronaut for NASA.

A sustainable future

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are a call for action to address the significant global challenges of our generation. There are 17 overarching goals with a timeline set to 2030. Nearly all countries in the world have committed to this plan. They address challenges such as:

  • water
  • environment
  • food inequality
  • climate change
  • protecting our planet

Changes are taking place in every sector, including government, civil society, and the private sector. With this degree, you can work in fields that directly contribute to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

Careers Service

We support you in recognising the many possibilities ahead.

Our award-winning Careers Service plays an essential part in your student experience. We also support you after graduation.

We provide:

  • tailored advice
  • individual guidance
  • internships and networking opportunities (with employers from local organisations to top multinationals)
  • access to the experience of our worldwide alumni network

We invest in your future beyond the end of your degree. Studying here is about laying the foundations for your future success.

Visit our Careers Service

Further study

Our programmes also prepare you for competitive entry into relevant postgraduate degree programmes. Many of our students progress to further postgraduate study and research.

Graduate profiles

Alison Stewart

Alison Stewart, BSc Ecological and Environmental Sciences graduate

Degree: BSc (Hons) Ecological and Environmental Sciences

Year of graduation: 2021

Current work: Laboratory Technician, Biotech industry

I wanted to study at the University of Edinburgh because of its status as a world-renowned university. After attending the open day and chatting to future lecturers and students, I realised there was a good sense of community within my course. The reason for selecting this specific course was my interest in the natural world, wanting to study it to use that knowledge to make real change in the world.

Read Alison's profile

Gary Chan

Gary Chan, BSc (Hons) Ecological and Environmental Sciences graduate

Degree: BSc (Hons) Ecological and Environmental Sciences

Year of graduation: 2015

Current work: Principal Environmental and Sustainability Consultant, Environmental Consultancy industry

The programme had a good variety of subjects in the first couple of years, which allowed me to get a feel for what subjects I enjoyed. I wasn’t 100% sure whether I was more interested in the ecological part of the degree or environmental science part more. In the latter years I was able to develop these skills further.

Read Gary's profile

Hear directly from our alumni to find out more about the possible careers open to you.

School of GeoSciences undergraduate alumni profiles

How to apply

You must submit a full application through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) before the relevant deadline.

Guidance on applying through UCAS

What you need to apply

As part of your application, you will need:

  • your academic qualifications
  • a personal statement
  • evidence of your English language skills (with relevant qualifications)
  • a reference

How we select

If you have met, or are predicted to meet, all our entry requirements by the relevant deadline, then your application will go into our selection process.

As part of this selection process, we will review all the information you submit in your UCAS application when we decide who to select for this degree programme.

How we select applicants

When to apply

  • 2027 entry UCAS deadline: 13 January 2027 (6:00pm GMT)

This is the deadline for all UK, EU and international applicants to non-medicine and veterinary medicine programmes.

To find out if any degree programmes have spaces after 13 January 2027, search the University of Edinburgh on the UCAS website.

Search degrees that are open on the UCAS website

Key application dates and deadlines

After you apply

After you have applied for your degree programme, we suggest you have a look at the following information to help you prepare for university:

Applying as an international student

As an international student, you apply for this degree programme through UCAS.  

Find out more about applying through UCAS  

Visas and immigration 

If you do not have the right to live in the UK, you will need to apply for and secure a Student visa before the start date of your degree programme.  

Our Student Immigration Service can help you with the Student visa application process. 

Applying for a visa  

Agents

An education agent is someone who can help you with the application process as an international student. 

We work with education agents around the world and have a list of local offices you can contact.  

Find contact details for an education agent

What our students say

What is it really like to study with us?

No one knows what it is like to study here better than the students themselves.

Our students are sharing their experiences, from studying to living in Edinburgh and everything in between.

Get social with us:

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single undergraduate students from outside Edinburgh. To be eligible, you need to meet all criteria and apply for accommodation by 16 August in the year of your entry to the University.

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

Societies and clubs

Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.

Societies

Sports clubs

There are a number of societies and clubs related to geosciences. Here are a few you may be interested in:

The city of Edinburgh

Edinburgh is not only a fantastic city to live in, it is the perfect location to see the subjects you study first-hand. We have rich ecological and environmental locations to explore right on our doorstep. Explore rugged coastlines, misty mountains, forest glens and sparkling freshwater lochs.

We will also take you on day trips throughout your studies to help you make the most of your local surroundings.

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include:

  • a student counselling service
  • a health centre (doctor's surgery)
  • support if you're living in University accommodation
  • dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustment

Health and wellbeing support services

Contact us

Contact us through our enquiry team if you have any questions about this programme.

Open days, events and visits

Find out when our next open days will be taking place

Open days, events and visits

Chat to our students on Unibuddy

Related degree programmes

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Discover Uni data

This information is part of a government initiative to enhance the material that higher education institutions provide about their degree programmes.

It is one of many sources of information which will enable you to make an informed decision on what and where to study.

Some programmes do not have Discover Uni data available.

Source data of all entry requirements for this programme