Professional degrees

This type of degree is for you if you’re keen to practise in a particular profession: as an accountant or engineer, for example.

The professional degree subjects we offer are:

  • Accountancy & Finance
  • Common Law
  • Dentistry
  • Engineering
  • Scots Law
  • Medicine
  • Nursing
  • Teaching
  • Veterinary Medicine

These degrees follow a set curriculum to meet the requirements of the relevant professional organisation so that you’re fully prepared to enter your chosen profession after you graduate. They are usually completed in four or five years. See the individual subject pages for more information.

Advanced entry

If you have exceptional A-level or Advanced Higher grades it’s possible to enter directly into Year 2 or follow a faster route advanced entry programme. This does not apply to all degree programmes or subjects. See Advanced entry / faster route for more information.

Transfer between degree programmes

Applicants to these degree programmes follow a set curriculum to meet the requirements of the relevant professional organisation so that the student is fully prepared to enter their chosen profession after graduation. Consequently, these degree programmes offer far less flexibility with regards to subject choices once the student commences their studies at the University. Some programmes such as Law or Accountancy allow students to study additional (optional) subjects such as a foreign language alongside their core curriculum; however these are incremental to their normal workload.

Frequently asked questions

Having applied for a Professional Degree Programme on my UCAS form can I change to a different Professional Degree Programme when I arrive at the University to register or after I have commenced studies on the degree programme I applied to?

Under no circumstances will applicants to Professional Degree Programmes be allowed to transfer to another Professional Degree Programme.

Having applied for a Professional Degree Programme on my UCAS form can I change to a different Degree Programme (detailed in Section 1 above) when I arrive at the University to register or after I have commenced studies on the degree programme I applied to?

The general premise is that students who applied to a Professional Degree Programme will not be allowed to transfer to one of the degree programmes listed in Section 1 of this paper and applicants should not apply to the University with the expectation that they will be able to change.

In exceptional circumstances where a student is deeply unhappy having commenced their Professional Degree Programme and they wish to transfer, every attempt will be made to help them change but this cannot be guaranteed. Requests to change will be restricted by the number of students who have been admitted to courses through ‘normal’ admissions processes (ie requested the subject on their UCAS form and selection of optional subjects at the start of term). Under no circumstances will a change be sanctioned where the student did not meet the entry requirements for a degree programme at their point of admission to the University.

In the event that a change is sanctioned post admission to the University this will be managed by the Chief Adviser of Studies originally responsible for the student. This is regarded as an ‘internal change’ and the student does not need to submit any form of application.

In the event that an internal change is not possible the student will be left with no choice but to either continue with their original degree programme or to withdraw from the University and reapply through UCAS for admission the following year. In this scenario students will be advised to withdraw PRIOR to December 1st in their year of registration as SAAS will regard this as a ‘false start’ and there will be no impact on the students funding when they reapply. Students with other funding arrangements should check the financial implications with their funding body.