Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt University traces back to a mechanics' institute founded in Edinburgh in 1821. It concentrates on engineering, science and business, operates campuses in Dubai and Malaysia alongside Edinburgh, and Scottish undergraduate degrees run over four years.
2-minute form · free · no sign-up
One record matters more than any ranking when reading a university page: the Home Office register of student sponsors, which is what permits an institution to issue the CAS a student visa requires. Heriot-Watt University appears on it, and on the register that carries degree-awarding powers; this page sets out the institution’s subjects, entry requirements, fee arrangements and application steps.
01
What kind of university is Heriot-Watt?
Heriot-Watt University traces back to a mechanics' institute founded in Edinburgh in 1821 and concentrates today on engineering, science and business. Being in Scotland, its undergraduate degrees run over four years rather than three and the early years stay broader.
The institution is distinguished by awarding the same degree in more than one country: the Dubai and Malaysia campuses run under the same academic structure as Edinburgh. A student enrols in a way that allows movement between campuses during the programme.
Degree-awarding powers sit with the regulator of the nation the institution is in; the authority to issue the CAS a student visa requires sits on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors, which is a single UK-wide list.
02
Which subjects stand out at Heriot-Watt?
Engineering is the widest field here; petroleum, civil, chemical and mechanical engineering are the best known titles. Alongside them actuarial science, mathematics, architecture, textile design and the Edinburgh Business School programmes carry long course lists.
- Engineering and Physical Sciences: petroleum, civil, chemical, mechanical, electrical engineering.
- Mathematical and Computer Sciences: actuarial science, statistics, computer science, artificial intelligence.
- Energy, Geoscience and Society: geology, environmental engineering, urban planning.
- Textiles and Design with Edinburgh Business School: fashion design, business, finance.
Petroleum engineering is a field the institution has sustained through its connection with the Aberdeen energy sector. Textile and design programmes are taught at the separate Galashiels site.
03
What are the entry requirements at Heriot-Watt?
The institution publishes no separate Turkey threshold; on its general international scale it counts a GPA of 3.0 out of 4 as the 2:1 equivalent and 2.5 as the 2:2. Course pages state what is required.
| Level | What is published |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate — with a school diploma | A-level, IB or another accepted equivalent qualification |
| Postgraduate | The grade required is published on each course page |
| English language | Published separately, course by course |
For an applicant holding a Turkish high school diploma the route is an accepted qualification such as A-level or the IB, or one of the foundation programmes. The English level a course asks for is published on the same page.
04
What are tuition fees at Heriot-Watt?
The international fee varies by course and each course publishes the figure on its own page. The institution runs scholarships at undergraduate and postgraduate level; conditions and deadlines are listed on its funding pages by year of entry and by course.
Alongside tuition, living cost is the second large item. The maintenance funds a student visa asks you to show are set by region and come to £1,171 a month here; in London the same line is £1,529.
Postgraduate scholarships also run at department level and their deadlines close before the course's own. The UK scholarships page sets out the arrangement in general terms.
Free starter report
Let us draw up your free starter report
Seven short questions, one tap each. In return you get a costed sheet worked out from how many people are coming, what scale you are looking at and whether it is London — alongside the steps in months, the documents and the published rules.
05
What is the campus and student life like in Edinburgh?
The main Riccarton site sits on a large area west of Edinburgh city centre and holds a loch and a research park. Buses run to the city centre; smaller sites at Galashiels and Orkney hold textile design and renewable energy research.
Because the Riccarton campus sits outside the city centre, accommodation is largely on site and the library, sports centre and shops share the same area. The research park on campus hosts a number of engineering firms.
Edinburgh offers a lower cost of living than London and the city centre is half an hour away by bus. The airport is close to the campus and connections to Türkiye run from there.
06
How do you apply to Heriot-Watt?
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS and the deadline for 2027 entry is 13 January 2027, the equal consideration date. Postgraduate and doctoral applications are sent directly to the course through the institution's own online portal instead.
- Choose the course and read its own entry requirements section.
- Send the UCAS application by 13 January 2027 for undergraduate entry.
- For postgraduate study apply through the institution’s own portal, uploading transcripts and references.
- If an offer is made, meet the academic and English language conditions.
- Once the conditions are met a CAS is issued and the student visa application follows.
British Global supplies information at this stage and, where it is wanted, introduces a firm whose authorisation has been verified on a register; assessing a visa application belongs to an IAA-registered or SRA-authorised adviser.
07
Frequently asked questions
What do the Dubai and Malaysia campuses mean?
They run under the same academic structure as Edinburgh and award the same degree. A student enrols in a way that allows movement between campuses during the programme; the visa arrangement follows the country they are in.
What grade is required for postgraduate entry?
The institution publishes no single Turkey-wide grade threshold. The mark required is stated in the entry requirements section of each course page and differs from faculty to faculty.
Can you apply to Heriot-Watt with a Turkish high school diploma?
A school diploma is not sufficient on its own. Applicants complete an accepted qualification such as A-levels or the IB, or a foundation year; course pages list what is accepted.
Why does a Scottish undergraduate degree take four years?
Scottish higher education runs undergraduate degrees over four years and a student takes classes outside their main field in the early years. That is a structural difference from the three-year English pattern and it changes the budget.
Sources
- Heriot-Watt University — University qualifications — International degree equivalents: a GPA of 3.0 out of 4 counts as a 2:1 and 2.5 as a 2:2 — checked 25 August 2026
- Heriot-Watt University — Information for your country — The page publishing admission information by country — checked 25 August 2026
- UCAS — The 2027 entry timetable, the five-choice limit and the 13 January 2027 equal consideration date — checked 25 August 2026
- GOV.UK — Student visa — Student visa fee, healthcare surcharge and the maintenance funds to be shown — checked 25 August 2026
