The Complete Guide to Heriot-Watt University

1. Introduction

1.1 Background

Heriot-Watt University is an institution born during the Scottish Enlightenment, a collective movement that sparked intellectual and scientific accomplishments in the country during the 18th – 19th Century. Being at the thick of it, the university held its very first lecture in 1821 on Chemistry, and the rest, as they say, was history. 

Fast forward to today, the university is a big player in the UK’s engineering and business sectors, while offering over 200 courses encompassing various other disciplines!

Total Student Population	29,000 students
Percentage of International Students	36%
Teaching Faculty-to-Student Ratio	1:18
Graduate Employability Rate	94%

1.2 Heriot-Watt University Rankings 2025

The university is ranked #256 globally in the QS World University Ranking for 2025 and is a proud institute of a Petroleum Engineering course that places 15th globally in the QS Subject Rankings. The university also has many courses that rank in the Top 150 and up to Top 250 worldwide.

QS Subject Category	Ranking For 2025
Engineering – Petroleum	#15
Architecture and Built Environment	#101 – 150
Hospitality and Leisure Management	#101 – 150
Engineering – Civil and Structural	#151 – 200
Business and Management Studies	#201 – 250
Engineering – Chemical	#201 – 250
Engineering – Electrical and Electronic	#201 – 250

2. Student Life & Living Cost

2.1 Heriot-Watt University Campuses

There are 3 main campuses in Heriot-Watt, with 2 specialised campuses for their respective disciplines. The Edinburgh campus carries most of the courses offered, while art, design, and fashion students are usually in the Scottish Borders campus. The Orkney campus, on the other hand, is a research station north of Edinburgh in the region of Stromness. 

Edinburgh Campus

Key Highlights

• A 380-acre campus located in the parkland.
• Consists of the university’s key facilities such as the GRID, a collaborative learning centre that encompasses Engineering, Computer Science and Business disciplines.
• Home to the Edinburgh Conference Centre and Europe’s oldest research park, the Heriot-Watt University Research Park.

How To Get Around
🗺️Located 9km away from the Edinburgh city centre

• Accessible with a 30-40 minute bus ride from the city centre. 
• The nearest train station is the Waverly station, located a 30-minute bus ride from campus. 

Scottish Borders Campus

Key Highlights

• Located at the heart of Scotland’s luxury textile industry, the campus is home to the university’s School of Textile and Design.
• The campus is also one of the few fashion schools in the world which offers a menswear course at the bachelor’s degree level, and the only school in Scotland to offer a fashion communication course.
• Facilities include the largest knit and weave studios, and the longest screen-print table in Europe.

How To Get There
🗺️A 5-minute bike ride from Galashiels town centre. 

• Shuttle bus service runs between the Edinburgh and Scottish Borders campuses twice daily on weekdays (except public holidays). Book your seats 24 hours in advance as seats are limited.  
• The nearest train station is the Station Brae, a 6-minute bike ride from campus.

Orkney Campus

Key Highlights

• Heriot-Watt University’s specialist campus, it is located in the island town of Stremness and home to the International Centre for Island Technology (ICIT).
• Includes specialist labs catering to marine, oil and gas, and fisheries disciplines. 
• The campus serves as a research centre for students of the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, and also to students of Heriot-Watt of other disciplines who want to conduct fieldwork.

How To Get There
🗺️Located on an island in northern Scotland.

• As the campus is isolated from the rest of the main campuses in Edinburgh, it is only accessible via ferry and air.

2.2 Learning Facilities

2.3 Recreational Facilities

2.4 Student Activities

Students can find their social needs met and showcase their skills in their hobbies and interests affiliated with the Heriot-Watt Student Union.

2.5 Student Services

Heriot-Watt University pays extra attention to ensure that all students with the university are well taken care of, with accessible support facilities and services such as:

• Academic Support
• Counseling and Psychological Services
• Career Services
• Chaplaincy services
• Disability Support
• Health Services
• International Student Support
• Student Security Services

2.6 Heriot-Watt University Accommodation and Cost

Contrary to how most universities would have hall and building names, the accommodation at Heriot-Watt University is as straightforward as the type of rooms that are available to students; the room makeup, and whether it is en-suite or not (90% of the accommodation at the university are en-suite, so you don’t have to worry about who’s on cleaning duty!). 

This unique format is applied throughout the Edinburgh and Scottish Borders Campus (Jean Muir Student Village) accommodations. The Orkney campus, being a place of fieldwork and research, does not have on-campus accommodations, but private rental options are available ranging from GBP 330 – 500 per month.

Edinburgh Campus

On-Campus

• Traditional non en suite room (GBP 140/week)
• Traditional en suite room (GBP 175/week)
• Contemporary en suite room in a flat (GBP 210/week)
• Contemporary en suite standard room (GBP 210/week)
• Traditional studio (GBP 224/week)
• Contemporary studio (GBP 245/week)

Off-Campus

Nearby towns: Currie, Baberton, Riccarton, Clovenstone, Balerno

Scottish Borders Campus (Jean Muir Student Village)

On-Campus

• Standard bedroom (GBP 147/week)
• Deluxe room (GBP 161/week)
• Studio (GBP 180/week)

Off-Campus

Nearby towns: Galashiels, Tweedbank, Darnick, Gattonside

Cost of Living in Edinburgh

Being in one of the best student cities in the world, according to QS, students of Heriot-Watt University could spend up to GBP 550 per month, covering groceries, meals, transportation, and personal spending.

The price will change depending on the lifestyle of the student, so take note!

3. Courses, Fees & Scholarships

3.1 Courses You Can Study at Heriot-Watt University

Fields of Study	Courses
Accounting & Finance	Accountancy, Finance, Business & Finance
Actuarial Mathematics & Statistics	Actuarial Science, Data Sciences, Financial Mathematics, Statistical Data Science
Architectural Engineering	Architectural Engineering
Business	International Business Management, Business Administration
Chemical & Process Engineering	Chemical Engineering
Civil & Structural Engineering	Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering
Communication & Design	Communication Design, Fashion BRanding & Presentation, Interior Design
Computer Science	AI, Cybersecurity, Data Science, Games Programming, Software Engineering
Construction Project Management & Quantity Surveying	Construction Project Management, Quantity Surveying
Electrical, Electronic & Computer Engineering	Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Robotics, Autonomous & Interactive Systems
Fashion & Textiles	Design for Textiles, Fashion, Fashion Technology
Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering	Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
Sports & Exercise Science	Sports & Exercise Science
Psychology	Psychology

3.2 Course Fees At Heriot-Watt University

We have also saved you the hassle and compiled the full list of the university’s detailed course fees into one article below. Check it out and share it!

Coming Soon!

3.3 Heriot-Watt University Scholarships

These are some of the scholarships offered by Heriot-Watt to international students. Check out the full list here.

Coming Soon!

3.4 Popular Courses at Heriot-Watt University

Quantity Surveying

The Quantity Surveying course in Heriot-Watt University is ranked 1st in Scotland and 2nd in the UK for Building according to The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023. This quality is also shown in the REF 2021 review, where 96% of the discipline’s research was categorised as World-Leading. 

Students will be situated within Heriot-Watt’s Institute of Sustainable Built Environment (ISBE), one of the United Kingdom’s leading institutions for multidisciplinary research and teaching in areas critical to economic development and societal equity. 

Students will also have access to specialist equipment and laboratories, including a light structures lab, immersive virtual reality software, a wave basin for sea condition simulation, and a fatigue testing facility, just to name a few. 

Students will participate in a walking tour of Edinburgh in their first year to view the architecture of the Old and New Towns and take part in construction site visits. There are also initiatives by the school, such as the Constructionarium, where students work alongside professional engineers and tradesmen to provide a hands-on construction working experience, and the CEMENT Scheme, a mentorship programme, which provides the students with insights into what they can expect when they come out to work. 

The course is also accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and the Board of Quantity Surveyors Malaysia, allowing Malaysian graduates to practice close to home. 

Civil Engineering

Civil Engineering in Heriot-Watt University ranks in the Top 150 universities in the QS World University Rankings By Subject 2022, making them 14th in the UK and 2nd in Scotland. 

The course is also supported by an Industry Advisory Committee involving representatives from major multinational employers, ensuring that students are learning exactly what the industry needs. 

Being a part of the course means being a part of the bigger picture, and in this case, the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society (EGIS). The academic team also consists of researchers in fields covering sustainability, digital innovation, and management of built environment. The school is also part of the Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Design, one of only four such centres established at UK universities.

Students will also be accessing Heriot-Watt University’s best facilities for the discipline. Students will be able to use immersive virtual reality software, a hydraulics lab with tilting flumes and state-of-the-art measurement capabilities, and a building services lab containing fully instrumented laboratory test rigs for drainage. The Civil Engineering degree is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators that comprises of engineering boards in the UK recognised by the Washington Accord, which has Malaysia as part of its signatories.

Actuarial Science

Here’s a fun fact: Heriot-Watt University was the first university in the UK to offer a degree in actuarial science! 

Here’s the best place to study actuarial science, as the Edinburgh campus is a recognised Centre of Actuarial Excellence by the Society of Actuaries in North America, the first of its kind in Europe. To add to that stellar reputation, the Department for Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics is also one of the world’s leading centres for teaching and research in these areas.  

One of the courses highly regarded in the actuarial world, students will be learning from experts in the fields of probability, statistics, financial mathematics, and professionally qualified actuaries. Students will involve themselves in a lot of project work during their time studying at Heriot-Watt, and benefit from industry-standard software like Python and R. 

Students will also have access to Heriot-Watt University’s GRID, a collaborative hub where students of different disciplines can work together on projects and research, as well as the university’s data hub. The GRID is also home to Heriot-Watt’s Math Gym, another cross-campus initiative to strengthen mathematical and statistical skills.

One of the more unique achievements of the university is how quickly Actuarial Science students here can start their actuarial careers. Every year, the university enables 100 – 200 students to gain exemptions from actuarial subjects. The Actuarial Science course at Heriot-Watt University is fully accredited by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) and the Royal Statistical Society (RSS).

Malaysian graduates from the Heriot-Watt University Actuarial Science course are exempted from a good number of examinations conducted by the Actuarial Society of Malaysia, giving them a fast track to being a professional actuary in the country.

Fashion Course

The course is conducted in a purpose-built environment, at the Scottish Borders campus, close to the heart of Scotland’s luxury textile industry. This helps boost the course’s reputation in the country, and they work with many local and national industries to ensure traditional craftsmanship has a place together with contemporary fashion.

The teaching staff of the fashion course at Heriot-Watt have produced work covering key areas in the industry, such as smart nanotextiles, fashion technology, printed textile design, and medical compression design. Students will also explore the fashion industry’s responsibility to work towards a more sustainable, ethical and diverse future. 

Students of the fashion course at Heriot-Watt University will also explore a cross-section of market sectors from high-street fashion to ready-to-wear apparel, giving them a broader perspective of the UK and global markets. Students will also take up various projects that help shape their understanding of the worldwide fashion industry.

To top it all off, students can access fully equipped clothing workshops, spacious studios with blended workspaces, and CAD suites. Students will also be able to produce their work in Scotland’s largest knit and weave studios and the longest screen-print table in Europe located within the campus.

4. Entry Requirements & Intake Dates

As part of Heriot-Watt University’s “Go Global” initiative, the university has set up “Global Colleges” that act as pathway providers for students to enter the university via Foundation courses. 

The assigned Global Colleges for the foundation pathway are Malaysia and Dubai. If you need more information about the foundation programme, specific entry requirements and fees of the courses at the respective countries, do reach out to our study abroad consultants, who will be able to guide you further!

4.1 Heriot-Watt University Entry Requirements 2025

Minimum entry requirements for Degree:

• UEC: B for 5 subjects
• STPM: BCC
• A-Level: BCC
• IB: 29 points
• Foundation: Completion of Foundation
• Diploma: Completion of Diploma

Minimum language proficiency requirements (IELTS):

• Foundation: 5.5 Overall
• Undergraduate: 6.0 Overall
• Postgraduate: 6.5 Overall

4.2 Heriot-Watt University Intake Periods for 2025

The intake periods for 2025 are as follows:

• Degree: September, January
• Postgraduate: September, January

Please note that the intake periods may vary depending on the courses. For specific intake periods and dates, click here (Coming Soon!).

4.3 Admission Process For Studying in the UK

You’ve made it this far! Have a breather from this university guide and have a look at other articles that can help you get more insight in your preparation to study abroad in the UK!

• The Ultimate Study In UK Guide For Malaysian Students
• Top 10 Benefits Of Engaging A Higher Education Consultant 
• Education Consultant: A Free Study Abroad Guide

5. Student Testimonials & Alumni

5.1 Student Testimonials

Here what the students, new and old, of Heriot-Watt University have to say about their experience studying there!

6. Conclusion

Heriot-Watt University is one of the pioneers in the growth of Scotland and has played many vital roles in the cultural and industrial parts of the country. With state-of-the-art facilities available within walking distance, immersive classroom experiences, as well as students who have graduated and made an impact in their respective fields, it’s time for you to take next step and pave your way to your own legacy!

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