Academic experience
Your academic experience at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø might well be different from previous education systems you’ve experienced. It’s worth exploring how the system works here in ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø.
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There are seven student executive officers whose role is to optimise your student experience.
These are:
- Athletic Union President
- President of Education
- President of Opportunities
- President of Union Affairs
- President of Wellbeing
- Postgraduate Research President
- Postgraduate Taught President
School presidents and sabbatical officers are elected each year in March. Read more about the roles of , and on the Students' Association website.
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Studying abroad is an exciting opportunity to experience another academic and social culture and study modules that are not on offer at the University of St Andrews. It is also a useful way to enhance your employability and enrich your CV through demonstrating independence and adaptability.
The University offers opportunities to study abroad internationally through two study abroad programmes: the St Andrews Abroad programme and School Abroad programmes.
The St Andrews Abroad programme is open to students studying a variety of subjects who wish to spend a semester or year in Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore or the USA.
School Abroad programmes offer School or department-specific opportunities to study abroad in a wider range of countries. Although many of these opportunities are for students studying in the School of Modern Languages, some universities also offer modules taught in English to study abroad students from a wider range of disciplines.
Due to the popularity of study abroad programmes, having a strong academic record, evidence of maturity and responsibility, and strong motivations to study abroad are prerequisites for applying. Normally, students apply for study abroad in their second year.
You can find out more about the opportunities for undergraduates and postgraduates to study and work abroad, as well as details of the application process, on the study abroad website.
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Independent learning week is a week in the middle of Semester 1 during which you have no lectures or compulsory course components such as labs and tutorials.
Independent learning week gives you a chance to consolidate your learning, complete assignments and prepare for the second half of the semester. It is an ideal time to begin thinking about your December exams. You should use it productively to maximise your success.
This week is not a holiday, and tutors’ office hours will run as normal. You are expected to remain in St Andrews and complete a typical 40 hours of studying.
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The academic environment of university is very different to that of school. Whilst you may be accustomed to having structured lessons throughout the day, many university courses have fewer contact hours and require a higher degree of independent learning than school.
You are expected to conduct independent reading and research to complement lectures This gives you more freedom to explore areas of your subject that interest you and helps you develop strong independent research skills. However, it can be difficult to know how much work is expected. Learning to balance your academic work with other commitments such as part-time jobs and societies takes time.
Academic etiquette
Throughout your time at university, you will interact with a diverse variety of people, from fellow students to academics and other staff. This is one of the benefits of the university experience, enabling you to communicate and work with many different people.
However, it can be a difficult environment to navigate when you are unfamiliar with it. Some students are initially reluctant to approach their lecturers and tutors due to uncertainty about how to initiate a conversation.
Treating others with respect is a principle that underpins life at St Andrews, and one that should be reflected in the way you interact with members of the community, both staff and students.
It is important to realise that the University fosters a supportive environment, and lecturers and tutors want you to succeed. Most will be happy to help with any concerns, provided you have made an attempt to resolve the problem independently.
The best way to begin a conversation with a tutor or lecturer is to email the person in question at the email address provided on your academic School’s webpage. If it is your first time emailing them, you should address them formally as ‘Professor', 'Dr', 'Mr', 'Ms’ or 'Mx'. Some may choose to respond in an informal tone, which you can then adopt in any subsequent replies. However some prefer a more formal tone of communication, so it is important that you take this approach from the outset.
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There are 20 academic Schools within the University, each belonging to either the Faculty of Arts, the Faculty of Divinity, the Faculty of Science or the Faculty of Medicine.
Each School has a Head of School, a director of teaching, and a director of research. Supported by secretarial and administrative staff who are involved in areas like public outreach and media relations, they ensure that teaching and research run effectively within the School.
Academic staff you are likely to meet throughout your studies include:
- fellows who undertake research within the School
- lecturers and readers who perform research and teach undergraduates
- professors who hold the highest academic position in the University. Some are known as professors emeritus, a title which indicates that the professor has officially retired but continues to participate in the School.
- postgraduate students who play an active role in teaching and conducting tutorials
- laboratory technicians and demonstrators who oversee the running of laboratories and practical classes.
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Any official coursework you complete at the University of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, as well as your final module grades, will be reported on a 20-point scale. This allows for comparison between subjects and modules.
Reporting scale Honours classification
Scale points Honours 17 to 20 First class 14 to 16 Upper second class 11 to 13 Lower second class 8 to 10 Third class 7 Pass 4 to 6 Fail (with right to resit) 0 to 3 Fail (with no right to resit) Students from abroad can see grade conversions for their countries on the credit and grade conversion web page.
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You are expected to attend lectures and compulsory elements for all your courses. If you have good reason to miss a compulsory course component, you should submit a self-certificate of absence form via e-Vision on within three days of the first day of your absence. If you know you will be absent, you should make your tutor aware of this in advance. Find out more about the University policy on absence.
If you are absent for a consecutive three weeks, or experience an ongoing personal, financial or health circumstance which requires extended time off, you should consider taking a leave of absence. This is a temporary hiatus from your studies which typically lasts between one semester (the minimum) and one academic year. Choosing to take a leave of absence is a significant decision, and you should consider the financial and academic implications, as well as how it will affect your funding and visa, if applicable. Find out more about things to consider with a leave of absence.
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The University of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø operates on a modular degree system by which degrees are obtained through the accumulation of credits. The University's modular degree system makes undergraduate study here very flexible, and our module requirements are the same whether you are studying full time or part time.
A module is a self-contained unit of teaching, learning and assessment which is worth a fixed amount of credit. Most modules run for just one semester, and every module passed will gain you a set number of credits which will count towards your degree.
The video clip below contains some current students talking about how they took advantage of the flexible modular system.
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Postgraduate degree programmes at St Andrews
St Andrews offers a range of postgraduate degrees, which cover both taught programmes and research programmes. Find out more about these degree programmes on the qualifications explained page.
Postgraduates who teach
Research postgraduates may have the opportunity to tutor or to act as lab demonstrators in their Schools.
The University’s policy for supervisors and students in research postgraduate programmes states that research students who teach must receive formal training from the International Education and Lifelong Learning Institute (IELLI), and the School must provide a local induction for all new postgraduate teachers as well as appropriate training and support throughout their time teaching. Please also see the University's policy on doctoral students who teach.
IELLI courses cover practical advice on designing and leading tutorials, and include information on confidentiality and duty of care, as well as support for students with disabilities. It also covers principles of assessment and feedback, and the academic misconduct policy, including discussions on plagiarism.
St Leonard’s College
is based at the old Burgh School, providing a hub for all postgraduate students within the University. The College works closely with the Postgraduate Society, who are the 'home society' for postgraduates in St Andrews.
The mission of the College is to promote a culture and environment in which scholarship, creativity and discovery will flourish.
St Leonard's College supports postgraduates through:
- considering postgraduate needs such as study space
- communicating with postgraduate representatives and providing postgraduate support
- enhancing your employability by supporting your professional and career development by working with IELLI
- providing a stimulating intellectual environment for research postgraduates who wish to explore concepts beyond their own disciplines through a range of events
- creating supportive social networks.
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Policies for postgraduate research students
You can find a list of policies relating to postgraduate research students on the policies, procedures and guidance webpage.
The University’s postgraduate research policies are managed by the Postgraduate Research Committee on behalf of Academic Council.
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Support and opportunities for commuter students
St Andrews offers a range of postgraduate degrees, which cover both taught programmes and research programmes. Find out more about these degree programmes on the qualifications explained page.
If you plan to commute into the University or live out of town, there is support in place to help you to find your feet, make friends, and reach your full academic potential. Find out about the support and opportunities available for Commuter students.