Key information
- UCAS code
- CFG0
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Delivery type
- Full Time
- Degree qualification
- BSc (Hons)
- Mode of delivery
- On-Campus
- Duration
- 4 years
- Location
- Edinburgh
- Start date
- September
The BSc (Hons) Combined Studies provides you the unique opportunity to design your own bespoke degree, depending on your specific interests and career aspirations. The programme provides flexibility and a fully customisable experience, allowing you to create a bespoke, academically ambitious degree based upon your individual interests, strengths, and career ambitions.
You will have the opportunity to work closely with the director of studies to plan your learning accordingly and pick the right set of subjects to meet your individual learning goals. You will be able to study a whole range of subjects, or focus in on a specialist programme mixing two disparate subjects which relate to your career ambitions.
The multidisciplinary approach of the programme means that you’ll gain a flexible and versatile skillset of transferable and practical skills and knowledge, to set you up for life after graduation. Due to the breadth of learning, students studying combined studies outperformed students on the discipline-specific undergraduate degrees on pass rate, graduate outcomes, and level of degree classification.
You will gain the foundational knowledge across science and engineering, which you can build upon and tailor to your specific interests. By tailoring your learning to the specific needs of industry (in the field you are interested in working in) will make you highly employable upon graduation, as you can evidence the career-focused nature of the programme and course choice.
Programme selection
Please indicate in section 3(f) of the UCAS application form the two main areas of study. You are not 'held' to your initial selection but it is useful in providing a starting point for the first year of your course. The subject areas indicated are within the Schools of the University and therefore further information on the course content can be found within the relevant sections throughout this online prospectus.
Subject area abbreviations
- AF- Accountancy and Finance
- AS - Actuarial Science
- BS - Biological Sciences
- Build - Building Engineering
- CE - Chemical Engineering
- C - Chemistry
- CivE - Civil Engineering
- CS Computer Science
- E - Economics
- EEE - Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- IS - Information Systems
- L - Languages
- Man - Management
- M - Mathematics
- ME - Mechanical Engineering
- P - Physics
- S - Statistics
Your student experience
Your learning will be informed by the expertise of our research-active scientists, engineers, and academics. You’ll be taught by passionate and engaging experts who will provide you with cutting-edge insight into key areas of your subject interests, by relating taught material to their own research.
The School of Engineering and Physical Sciences is recognised as an international leader in education, research, and the application of knowledge to benefit society globally, committed to excellence with a purpose. Our academic staff drive research activity in five research institutes:
-
Institute of Chemical Sciences
-
Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences
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Institute of Mechanical, Process and Energy Engineering
-
Institute of Sensors, Signals and Systems
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Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering
Heriot-Watt is ranked number 1st in the UK for Physics research according to REF2021 which classed 97% of research as ‘world leading’. We were also ranked 1st in Scotland and 3rd in the UK for engineering research through a joint submission with the University of Edinburgh, in which 96% of our research was classed as world leading.
Go Global
There are currently no Go Global opportunities for this particular programme. However, other Go Global opportunities may be available. Please contact studywithus@hw.ac.uk for more information.
Fees and funding
| Status | Fee |
|---|---|
| Scotland | Paid by SAAS |
| England / Wales / N Ireland / Rep of Ireland | £9,535 |
| International | £25,008 |
- Status: Your residency status is usually defined as the country where you have been ordinarily resident for the three years before the start of your course.
- International: 'International' includes applicants from European Union countries who do not hold Pre-Settled or Settled status in UK. (This does not include students from the Republic of Ireland - see above).
Scholarships and bursaries
Bursaries for students from England, Northern Ireland or Wales
In addition to government loans and grants towards the costs of fees and living costs, we are offering generous financial support to attract and support eligible undergraduate students from England, Northern Ireland or Wales:
- Heriot-Watt University Bursary (up to £3,100 per year)
Entry requirements
We have standard entry requirements for all of our courses that you will have to meet.
Combined Studies offers an individualised degree programme combining two university disciplines. As each Combined Studies programme is bespoke, the grades given here are an indication only.
Entry requirements including required subjects and grades will depend on your preferred combination of disciplines, and may vary from those listed here. HNCs, HNDs and BTEC qualifications may require specific units to have been studied.
Science qualifications must be relevant to your preferred disciplines (e.g. Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Engineering Science, Electronics, Computer Science). Maths is a required subject for all Science disciplines.
Language disciplines require additional qualifications in the language to be studied.
Standard entry requirements
- Highers AABB (over two sittings). Must include Maths and a relevant science, with one required subject at A. Higher B for language disciplines.
- A-Levels BBC- ABB. Must include Maths and a relevant science, with required subjects at BB. A-level B for language disciplines.
- International Baccalaureate 29 points. Must include Maths and a relevant science, with both required subjects at Higher Level 5. Higher Level 5 for language disciplines.
- BTEC Extended Diploma DMM. Must be in subject relevant to preferred disciplines, including Maths and relevant science. Language disciplines require additional language qualification.
- HNC A in graded unit. Must be in subject relevant to preferred disciplines, including Maths and relevant science. Language disciplines require additional language qualification.
- HND AB / BA in graded unit. Must be in subject relevant to preferred disciplines, including Maths and relevant science. Language disciplines require additional language qualification.
Please check that you meet our University-wide National 5/GCSE (or equivalent) English and Maths requirements.
Minimum entry requirements *
- Highers BBBC (over two sittings). Must include Maths and a relevant science, with required subjects at BB. Higher B for language disciplines.
- A-Levels BCC. Must include Maths and a relevant science, with one required subject at B. A-Level B for language disciplines.
- International Baccalaureate 28 points. Must include Maths and a relevant science, with both required subjects at Higher Level 5. Higher Level 5 for language disciplines.
- BTEC Extended Diploma MMM. Must be in subject relevant to preferred disciplines, including Maths and relevant science. Language disciplines require additional language qualification.
- HNC B in graded unit. Must be in subject relevant to preferred disciplines, including Maths and relevant science. Language disciplines require additional language qualification.
- HND BB in graded unit. Must be in subject relevant to preferred disciplines, including Maths and relevant science. Language disciplines require additional language qualification.
* Minimum: under our Fair Access Policy, we will relax our standard entry requirements for some Scottish and Rest of UK status students depending on their circumstances. Our minimum requirements will apply if you:
- live in an area within the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation lowest 20% (SIMD20) or POLAR4 Quintile 1 regions (RUK)
- or are care experienced.
We can also make exceptions for some Scottish students with grades above minimum but below standard. Read more about our Minimum and standard entry requirements.
Why Heriot-Watt
We're the top university in Scotland for graduate outcomes which means that more of our graduates are employed or in postgraduate education than any other institution in the country and we ranked 5th in the UK.
We're also rated number one in the UK for CEO or MD roles, meaning more of our graduates go on to become CEOs or MDs than any other university in the whole of the UK. On top of that, we have beautiful campuses, across the globe, so you'll get a truly international education. Our Edinburgh Campus is home to Oriam, Scotland's National Sports Performance Centre combined with plenty of wellbeing resources, prioritising fitness and mental health for all students. Our Global Research Institutes look at solving real world issues such as climate change and saving our oceans as well as working on the next medical technological breakthrough and the future of AI and robots.
Employability
Work and study
Salary
Potential career paths
- Natural and social science professionals
- Science, engineering and technology associate professionals
- Business and public service associate professionals
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