Transfers
Information for students wanting to transfer their degree programme
If you are a continuing EU student with SAAS funding and have not applied for pre-settled status please check with Fees and or The Advice Place before requesting a transfer as there are fee implications and you will lose your SAAS funding.
If you are studying at the University of Edinburgh on a Student visa, a transfer to a new degree programme may affect your visa so we would advise you to contact the Student Immigration Service to enquire about any potential visa implications.
If you are a current University of Edinburgh student who plans to study away from the University next year, or if you are currently studying away from the University in this academic year, please note the following:
- you cannot transfer to another degree while studying away; and
- if you wish to transfer degree you are strongly advised to coordinate with the Student Support Team of the School that you wish to transfer to. While studying away you may need to take courses which are compatible with the degree that you will be studying for when you return.
Due to unprecedented demand for spaces on our programmes, transfers into the School of Informatics have not been possible to date. From session 2023/24 a limited number of existing University of Edinburgh students will be permitted to transfer into the School each year provided the following strict criteria are met:
- You must have secondary / pre-University qualifications at a level which would have resulted in being offered a place on an Informatics programme had you applied through UCAS. Details of entry requirements for Informatics programmes can be found on the University of Edinburgh Degree Finder.
- You must have excellent results in all University of Edinburgh assessments undertaken prior to transferring into the School of Informatics: Extended Common Marking Scheme
Two types of transfer into the School will be permitted:
1) Entry into Year 1: A fixed, small number of places will be reserved for students wishing to transfer into the School each year. This route is open if you have not fulfilled the Year 1 Degree Programme Table (DPT) requirements for the Informatics programme you wish to transfer onto.
2) Direct entry into Year 2: A small number of students will be permitted to transfer through this route each year, depending on progression rates in the School of Informatics in the year in question. This route is available if you have fulfilled the Year 1 DPT requirements for the Informatics programme you wish to transfer onto.
You will not be permitted to transfer into later years of study. Transfer will be permitted at the start of the academic year only: no mid-session transfers will be allowed
How to apply
If you are based in another University of Edinburgh School and wish to transfer onto a School of Informatics programme in the following academic year you should:
- Speak with your Student Adviser or Cohort Lead to discuss the possibility of a transfer and check that you meet the pre-requisites for the Informatics programme you wish to transfer onto.
- Check funding and finances – you should contact your loan authority or funding body in advance of any change as there is no guarantee that funding will continue automatically if a transfer is granted.
- Check student visa implications – if you are an international student on a student visa you should consult the Student Immigration Service about the implications for your visa of changing programmes. Further information can be found here: Changes to your studies.
- Contact the School of Informatics Student Support Team (inf-sst@inf.ed.ac.uk) by 31 July at the latest to request a transfer. You should provide information about: your current programme of study; the Informatics programme you wish to transfer onto; whether you are hoping to transfer into Year 1 or Year 2 of your chosen programme.
Informatics will take a decision about which students will be permitted to transfer in early August and will advise applicants of their decision as soon as possible before the start of semester. The School’s decision will be final and based solely on previous academic achievement.
Undergraduate transfers within the School of Informatics
If you are a continuing Informatics undergraduate student and are interested in transferring onto another degree programme within the School of Informatics, please contact the Student Support Team (inf-sst@inf.ed.ac.uk).
Your courses should meet the Degree Programme Table requirements of the new degree, or have permissible substitutions. Transfers onto the 5 year Informatics MInf degree programme have additional considerations to take into account, including progression requirements in UG3 and UG4, and the feasibility of extending the Honours Project.
You may ask for a transfer at any time. For UG1 - UG3 students transfers will be processed during 2 transfer windows in the academic year:
- From July until the end of week 2 in semester 1
- From the end of semester 1 until the end of week 2 in semester 2
Contact the Student Support team
Taught MSc transfers within the School of Informatics
It is not possible to transfer to a different Informatics taught MSc programme from that of admission.
Transfers out of the School of Informatics
If you are a current Informatics student and wish to transfer onto a degree programme that belongs to a different School, you should contact the Student Support Team in that School. Please note some Schools have application deadlines, so please contact them as soon as you are interested in transferring out of the School of Informatics for advice on both eligibility and the application process.