International exchange students (non-EU)
Edinburgh Napier University welcomes students who attend our partner universities in the US, Canada or Australia and independent visitors to apply for a single trimester or full academic year placement here.
The Study Abroad Co-ordinator at your university will be able to tell you if there is an existing exchange agreement with Edinburgh Napier University, or if your university participates in the ISEP programme. If this doesn't exist, don't worry - you can contact us on studyabroad@napier.ac.uk for advice on Study Abroad opportunities here.
If you're visiting Edinburgh Napier University as part of an exchange agreement you will need to provide a nomination from your home university in support of your application.
Academic matters
Full-time students study three modules per trimester. For further information on modules available at Edinburgh Napier University for visiting students, please visit the following link: www.modules.napier.ac.uk. Using this catalogue you can search by subject, school or faculty to see which modules we offer. Once in the module descriptor you will be able to see if a module is offered in trimester 1, 2 or both. You can use the catalogue to find modules offered within our faculties that would be approved by your home University. It is important to note that we cannot guarantee that you will be able to study on every module of your choice, and final module selections will need to be agreed once you have arrived at our University. It is therefore recommended that you select a number of possible modules before arriving here.
Admission onto Music, Journalism, Design and Film & Photography modules will require you to be majoring in the subject at your home institution, and while at Edinburgh Napier, you may be asked to take all three modules per trimester in this subject (rather than one module in journalism, one in business, etc).
Application process
ISEP applicants
Your GPA should be at least 2.75 to apply through ISEP. The deadline for trimester one or full-year study is 1 February before the September you wish to start. For trimester two study only, the deadline is 1 September before the January you will start. View the University Calendar for our trimester dates.
If you are applying through ISEP-Direct you may apply after these dates, if spaces are still available.
Download the ISEP Application and Guidance notes.
Once your application is complete, give it to your university's ISEP Coordinator in time for them to mail it to ISEP in Virginia, USA before the deadline.
To find out about fees, please check the ISEP website under Programs and Costs.
CIS applicants
Please visit the Centre for International Studies website or contact them using the details above for more information, including details of fees.
Students from other partner institutions & independent visitors
The deadline for trimester one or full-year study is 15 May before the September you wish to start. For trimester two study only, the deadline is 15 October before the January you will start. View the University Calendar for our trimester dates.
Please complete the 
Application Form and return to us with the following:
- Nomination letter from your home university
- Current transcript with at least 2.5 GPA (or equivalent)
- Personal statement
- Two academic references
- Portfolio or audition CD for applications to Film, Photography, Design and Music modules
Please email studyabroad@napier.ac.uk for details or fees.
Visas
Students who will stay for the full year must apply for a Tier 4 student visa in advance of departure and can find guidance on our Immigration & visas page.
If you are coming to study for a single trimester, you won't need to apply for a Tier 4 student visa - instead you will enter as a student visitor. Student visitors are allowed to come to the UK for 6 months. We will supply you with a letter which you can use as evidence of this. You will not be eligible to work part-time or extend your stay for an additional trimester. You can find more information on the UK Border Agency website.
If you would like to apply for a Tier 4 student visa to give you flexibility to extend your stay or work part-time, please email studyabroad@napier.ac.uk as you will need different documentation from us than we normally send.
What’s next?
Your application will be received by our Student & Academic Services department. Please be patient while waiting for a response as this can take between three and six weeks. If you would like to enquire about the status of your application please contact us on studyabroad@napier.ac.uk.
Once you have accepted an offer to join us as an Edinburgh Napier University student, we will send you a pack which includes information about life as a student, our welcome and induction events for new students and an application pack to apply for University-owned accommodation if you wish.
If you apply through ISEP Exchange or are accepted through ISEP Direct with Housing option, you will be placed in University housing unless you request to live in a student flat off-campus. If you choose to do this, the money you pay for your ISEP programme expenses will be given to you in a stipend which you can use to pay your rent. Please get in touch with ISEP directly if you wish to pursue this option.
Other Study Abroad students are highly likely to receive accommodation if requested, although this cannot be guaranteed as University housing is highly limited and dependends on the number of applications.
CIS applicants should visit the CIS website or contact them using the details above for information about housing benefits.
Find out more about locating accommodation, including a list of suggested letting agencies and websites. When you're ready to start preparing to come to Edinburgh, just check out our Welcome pages - particularly Coming from outside the UK - for all the information you need!
If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to contact us with your query.
And don’t forget, if you enjoy your time studying abroad here, why not think about coming back for a Masters degree!