Degree structures

Most of our undergraduate degree programmes consist of four years of study to give you a broad, flexible education and the best chance of success in your future career. Some degree programmes take three, five or six years.

The four-year experience

Scottish degree programmes are designed to include four years of study to give you a broader and more flexible education. 

They allow you to try a range of subjects before specialising. Even if you know exactly what you want to do, you can study additional subjects and add depth to your education.

Edinburgh is one of the top campuses that we target for recruitment. If you are looking for a university that will give you the skills and experiences to have a successful career, then Edinburgh is a good place to start. 

Procter and Gamble

Advantages of a four-year degree programme

Choose to study with us and you will have the opportunity to: 

  • enhance your career prospects by gaining a broad education that is attractive to employers 
  • experience new subjects without the need to commit long-term – you might discover new passions or take your career in a new direction 
  • discover where your strengths lie and tailor your degree programme accordingly 
  • nurture your talent, develop a broad range of skills and grow intellectually over a longer period of time 
  • broaden your horizons – opportunities to study abroad are possible on most of our programmes

Studying different subjects 

Most of our programmes in the arts, humanities, engineering, sciences or social sciences let you study a range of subjects in Years 1 and 2, before specialising in the next two.  

In Year 1, you usually study three subjects. You may choose these from related areas or you can experiment with different subjects. 

In Year 2, you'll know which subjects you want to continue with and which new ones you'd like to try. 

By Years 3 and 4, you'll feel confident about choosing which area(s) to specialise in.

Edinburgh allows you to be flexible in your subjects. I was able to study economics, philosophy and Italian in my first year, and I'm able to make a much more informed decision about my final degree, having been able to study several subjects to begin with. 

Undergraduate student in Philosophy and Italian

Three-year, five-year and six-year degree programmes

Three-year degree programmes 

In many of our science and engineering subjects, well-qualified applicants may apply for direct entry to Year 2, making it possible to graduate with a BSc after three years of study. 

Entry to second year is also available for many of our art and design programmes. 

Direct entry to second year 

Five-year degree programmes 

Our Veterinary Medicine BVM&S and MA Fine Art degree programmes take five years. 

In science and engineering we offer several five-year degree programmes:  

  • MBiol
  • MChem 
  • MChemPhys 
  • MEarthSci 
  • MEng 
  • MInf 
  • MMath
  • MPhys

Well-qualified applicants may opt for direct entry into Year 2 of these programmes. 

Direct entry to second year 

These masters degrees entail in-depth study often with a research focus, but they are undergraduate degree programmes and are not equivalent to a postgraduate masters. 

Six-year degree programmes 

Our Medicine MBChB degree is a six-year programme. 

Choose your degree programme

You can find out more about the structure of all our programmes on our degree finder.  

Degree finder

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