The University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh was founded in 1582 and is the 6th oldest university in the English-speaking world as well as one of Scotland's ancient universities. Originally, the university was a college of law founded by a legacy from Bishop Robert Reid of St Magnus Cathedral Orkney and became a university with its royal charter in 1582. It was pivotal in the city's role as a chief intellectual centre in the Age of Enlightenment and led to the city's nickname of Athens of the North. It is a member of the Russel Group, Universitias 21 and the Coimbra Group among others.

International students arriving in Edinburgh can access various help and assistance to integrate with their new community. This starts at the International Student Centre where advice and assistance is available with fees and finance as well as legal matters such as immigration advice and visas. There is also a number of events organised by the ISC including weekly themed nights representing different countries and subsidized trips around the country. There are also campus wide events such as International Evening and the International Desserts Night to help students bring their own culture to others. The Edinburgh University Students Association (EUSA) is the combination of the unions and the Student Representative Council and has buildings around the campus including Teviot Row House, Potterrow, Kings Buildings House and the Pleasance. Teviot Row House has claims as the oldest purpose built student union building in the world. EUSA is responsible for some 250 societies for students to become involved with outside the classroom. Edinburgh itself is an important centre for the performing arts, particularly comedy, amateur and fringe theatre and numerous groups within the university are involved in this area. The Theatre Company was founded in 1896 and the Drama Society runs Bedlam Theatre, the oldest student run theatre in the UK. There is a weekly newspaper produced by students along with an independent publication and an alternative music radio station. In sports, there are 67 clubs ranging from rugby and football to judo and gliding.

The university is found at the heart of the ancient city of Edinburgh with the Central Area being the oldest region. This is found around the Southside area of the city and is home a number of prominent buildings including the university library. The King’s Building is a little to the south and is home to most of the science and engineering courses. Little France opened in 2002 and houses the Medical School while the Easter Bush campus is home to the Royal School of Veterinary Studies among others. Moray House was originally a separate institution and is now the site for sports science and physical education courses. The main accommodation area is Pollock Halls, adjoining Holyrood Park to the east of the Central Area. There are some ten buildings within the complex offering accommodation to the majority of first year students. All first year students are guaranteed accommodation as long as they live outside the city and while exact choices cannot be guaranteed, efforts are made to fulfil requests around types of accommodation.

There are courses available from this university with the following field of studies:
• - Accounting
• - Accounting and finance
• - Banking and finance
• - Finance
• - Financial mathematics
• Agricultural sciences
• Animal care and veterinary science
• Archaeology and anthropology
• Architecture
• Art and design
• - Graphic design
• - Museum studies
• Biology and life sciences
• - Biochemistry
• - Biomedical engineering
• - Biomedical sciences
• Business and management studies
• - Business analysis and management
• - Business and human resource management
• - Entrepeneurship and management
• - International and cross cultural management
• Chemical engineering
• Chemistry
• Classics
• Computer sciences and IT
• - Computer forensics and cyber security
• - Computer science
• - Artificial intelligence
• Economics
• - Economics and Econometrics
• - Economics and finance
• Electronic and electrical engineering
• - Electrical Engineering and Renewable Energy
• Engineering
• - Offshore and maritime engineering
• Environmental science and ecology
• - Energy and environmental engineering
• - Energy and environmental management
• Food sciences
• Geology
• Health sciences
• - Health Care Management
• History
• Humanities
• Languages
• - Translating and Interpreting
• Law and legal studies
• - Commercial and Corporate law
• Linguistics
• Literature and creative writing
• - Marketing
• Mathematics
• Media studies and publishing
• - Film and TV studies
• - Mass communication
• Medicine and surgery
• - Neurology and neuroscience
• - Surgery
• - Dentistry
• - Music and composing
• - Theatre studies
• Nursing and midwifery
• Philosophy
• Physics
• - Astrophysics
• Politics
• - Politics and International Relations
• Psychology
• - Cognitive Psychology
• - Experimental Psychology
• Social sciences
• - Sociology
• Sports science
• Teacher training and education
• Theology and religious studies
• Social studies
• Earth and ocean sciences
• Geography