Brewing with Robots? What is Heriot-Watt-University Like?
- Originally published
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What is Heriot-Watt University like? We kept getting it confused with other Scottish universities so we asked a ton of students to talk about the good and bad experiences they’ve had in Edinburgh, studying at the Riccarton campus and thinking about what they wish they knew when they chose Heriot-Watt.
We’re passing some of their wisdom on to you so you can get a better sense of the vibe of the place before throwing down tens of thousands of pounds and then winding up disappointed. After all, every university has a special blend of experiences and ideologies that may not be your own. And if Scotland’s still new to you, get the basics on university life and applying, the cost spread between universities, and the best universities before applying.
Basics and Highlights
Degrees: MA (all M degrees listed are undergraduate), BSc, MEng, BEng, BBA, MBiol, MChem, BA, MMath, MPhys
Majors: 103 undergraduate degrees across the spectrum of disciplines, though there’s no studio art or music. The university has particular strengths in applied sciences: actuarial science, robotics, statistics, data science, computer science fields, and engineering. Mathematics can be combined with multiple languages including a year abroad for a marketable combination. Fashion programs are strong, though take note: they’re taught in the Scottish Borders, not at the Edinburgh campus.
Future whiskey aficionados: Heriot-Watt offers the only full degree program in the UK for brewing and distilling.
Location: Edinburgh, Lothian, Scotland, with some programs headquartered at smaller campuses in the Scottish Borders and Orkney
Cost for international students: Fees vary by program. Accounting is £18,704 annually, geoscience is £19,056. Brewing will set you back £24,048.
On-campus housing cost: Rooms without a meal plan, and no en suite bathroom run £123/weekly for a 40-week lease, totaling £4,920. Need your own bathroom? Expect to pay £159 weekly, or £6,360 total.
FAFSA Funds: Yes
Abroad from abroad: Sometimes. Not all programs have abroad opportunities, and each program has a coordinator who can tell you about current exchanges available to you. Even foreign language programs aren’t guaranteed, but depend on ongoing partnership university participation.
However, through Heriot-Watt’s own campus exchange program, you have great flexibility to keep up your studies in a new country. The “Go Global” program is a unique offering that lets students stay abroad a semester, year, or even more at another Heriot-Watt program as long as their program is offered there. From Edinburgh, go to Dubai or Malaysia.
Student body: Over 10,000 in Scotland, with roughly 5,500 at other campuses. 37% are international.
Five adjectives: Techy, serene, balanced, down-to-earth, international
Riccarton and Edinburgh Life for Students
For students, navigating life in the southwest of Edinburgh is an intriguing blend of the serenity of a suburb and the bustling city life. The main campus is nestled in Riccarton, a bit removed from the city center, and surrounded by green spaces which can be a refreshing break from academic pressures. It’s an easy foray over to Bonaly Country Park, where they’ll find 700 acres full of trails, a reservoir, a hilltop fort with million-dollar views, and even some opportunities to go fishing. Only 3.5 miles from campus, it feels like a universe away.
Riccarton itself is a sleepy outpost. While it’s in a greenbelt area of Edinburgh, and has endured some punches as development here has sparked controversy. What that means for students is that Riccarton is not walkable, and the areas around campus don’t scream, “student life.” If the area does see more development, it’s likely coming in the form of single-family homes and all the civic facilities families demand.
Riccarton is sleepy and rural. Apart from campus events, there isn’t anything going on nearby.
Perhaps because Riccarton hasn’t grown into a student-centered hub, students have made the whole of Edinburgh their playground. In fact, students are used to living in the city, closer to more student housing options, nightlife, and shopping, while accepting they’ll just have to bus to campus and back home again.
Luckily, that’s pretty easy. Getting around is straightforward, with frequent buses like Lothian’s 25 and 34 linking the campus to the city (the ride takes about 30 minutes). A bonus of the bus ride is that you’ll get some psychological distance from your studies as you watch the gradual shift in the landscape from the calm outskirts to the lively heart of the city.
The buses are always on time! There are about three lines that come right to the university, where there’s covered waiting, to move students around Edinburgh. Even though it’s not in the city center, it’s very easy to move around.
For students with bicycles, the city’s extensive network of cycle paths provides another convenient option. The canal towpath is a flat, easy, straight shot to campus. While the UK is not a cycling utopia, Edinburgh does top the list of friendly cities for cyclists. There’s even a crowdsourced “Innertube Map” that cheekily suggests cycle routes and their transfer stations across the city using the recognizable graphics of the London subway map, which is colloquially known as the “tube.”
No matter how you explore your new city, you’ll want to venture into areas like Morningside for warm café feeling or the stellar vintage shopping. Head to the city center to places like the Cameo Cinema, one of the oldest cinemas in Scotland, for a casual night out.
The city is an arts and culture Mecca for the whole of Scotland. It’s multicultural and simply vibrates with energy. Google “Edinburgh is the most…” and the search engine tries to finish your sentence with “Instagrammable,” “beautiful,” “visited,” and “expensive.” That about sums it up: you’ll pay more here than elsewhere in Scotland, but the city makes off with the hearts of many of its students and never lets go.
Perfect. If I could be anywhere the rest of my life it’d be Edinburgh. It’s so welcoming. It’s been complete bliss.
The city, as a whole, is generally safe and friendly. Edinburgh is known for being welcoming and inclusive, with several LGBTQ+ venues and events around the city center. In the summer, stay in Scotland and grab one of many jobs for extra restaurant and hospitality workers. The Edinburgh Fringe Festival brought 3 million visitors this year to this city of 525,000, and keeps demand high for summer workers (just don’t visit and try to hunt for apartments that week — you’ll barely be able to get around, and you’ll struggle to find a room).
All in all, Heriot-Watt allows students to get out of the fray of the city without entirely leaving it behind. Think of it as a reverse commute. And to stay sane amidst the academic rigor you’ll find on this high-achieving campus, knowing when to switch between the tranquility of Riccarton and the lively, historic charm of Edinburgh is key.
Campus + Housing
The Heriot-Watt campus is expansive, immaculate, and green. With tree-lined boulevards and a pond, it’s hard not to appreciate the urban planning that went into these wide American-looking thoroughfares compared to the labyrinthine, medieval city center. In other words, students here like the campus because it gives them plenty of breathing room.
Sports fields stretch as far as the eye can see, and national teams partner with the university to take advantage of the practice facilities. Stop by to see if you can catch them training, then register for a sport club and take a crack at it yourself. There’s plenty to choose from at this international university, from Gaelic football to American football to football (which in this case is soccer). Feeling super American? There’s even ultimate frisbee and cheer.
It’s all headquartered at the Oriam, the impressive sports center. You will have to pay for a membership, but you’ll get access to new equipment, classes, and personal training. You can also pay à la carte to book a court and play a game of basketball or tennis with your pals, keeping it cheap and staying in shape at the same time.
Being interested in sports, this was a great campus for me. The sport and exercise center was a godsend.
Among Heriot-Watt’s modern buildings, the library is a gem, offering a wide array of resources and quiet spots for focused study. On sunny days, forget about all of them and head out to the sprawling lawn. But most of the year, you’ll still be happy in the thoughtfully redesigned interior. It’s a sanctuary for students, with a range of study areas from quiet nooks for solitary focus to collaborative zones. The library’s design strikes a balance between traditional scholarly vibes and modern convenience, with plenty of natural light, ergonomic furniture, and even a Nordic moss wall.
For students who can’t work until midnight, the library aims to serve. It’s open 24/7, a unicorn in a country where most businesses close up shop much earlier in the day than in the U.S. There’s also a café, so in a tough exam week, students don’t have to leave at all.
I heard that campus didn’t have a good social scene but that wasn’t true at all. There’s plenty to do that actually favors students who live on campus, from clubs and societies to open mic and the union bar, Geordie’s.
The campus is equipped with several amenities that cater to students’ needs. There is a range of food options, including cafés and eateries, like the typical coffee shop for those mid-afternoon pastry cravings, but also a volunteer-run used clothing shop.
Beyond the tangible facilities, one of the defining aspects of Heriot-Watt’s campus is its sense of community. With a diverse student body drawn from various parts of the world, there is a multicultural ethos here that enriches the campus experience. The university also takes pride in its sustainability initiatives, and this is reflected in campus recycling and smart buildings designed to meet carbon reporting goals.
In student housing, you and 2,000 of your closest friends are a ten-minute walk across campus to those pastries, as well as all the activities and nightlife at the student union. While that may seem like you’re in good company, the reality is that Heriot-Watt is a large university. Accepting that the Edinburgh campus and its 10,500 students and staff includes roughly 8,000 undergraduates, the chances that second-year students find a place in student housing is slim.
While that’s not great news, all first-years who want a spot are guaranteed accommodation. All 1,600 rooms are self-catering, so students can grab meals at any on-campus eatery they like, or cook in the shared kitchens. The vast majority (90%) of rooms come with their own bathrooms, too. Kitchens are shared by just 5 students, which explains why students say they don’t have issues with theft while storing food and cooking in the kitchen.
First-year students definitely get a lot out of living on campus. You meet so many people and can participate in activities. Many people become lifelong friends with people they meet in halls and move off campus with them the following year.
Academics
Heriot-Watt’s mission centered is to create industry-ready graduates through a practical and hands-on approach to learning. Renowned for its research-led teaching, the university is a haven for students who thrive in an environment where they can apply theoretical knowledge to real-world situations. This is particularly evident in fields such as engineering, business, and the sciences.
While Heriot-watt doesn’t have any US News top 100 programs, it slides in at #102 for optics, and if there were a category for “employability” they’d run circles around the competition. They come in #1 in Scotland for landing students jobs, regardless of the programs they follow. Maybe that’s because every program here is designed to offer modern, industry-ready knowledge delivered by lecturers who know their stuff in the real world as well as the Ivory Tower.
Heriot-Watt lecturers share a commitment to helping students excel in their fields, get a foothold in the workplace, and learn to function like a professional, 5 days a week.
That said, the teaching style at Heriot-Watt is distinctively collaborative and research-oriented, mirroring something you might see in an open-plan office in downtown Edinburgh. Where the classroom ends and work life begins can be even fuzzier. For instance, the university’s globally recognized engineering programs often collaborate with industry giants, allowing students to work on projects that have a direct impact on society.
There’s also the GRID, an innovative space at that fosters collaboration and entrepreneurial thinking among students. Here, business ideas are brought to life, including students from teams that cross disciplines to form great startup teams together (it’s also a good place to find quiet study space on campus).
Much like Abertay, Heriot-Watt also emphasizes work placements and internships. Students in disciplines such as business management, actuarial science, and languages have the opportunity to spend a semester or more working in a professional environment and get a taste of what their future holds. Career services can then help students parlay that experience into employment.
Heriot-Watt’s academic schedule is semester-based. The academic journey is divided into stages, each leading towards a degree with its own set of requirements. The university offers a variety of modules, allowing students to tailor their degrees according to their interests and career aspirations. This is a typical set-up at UK universities. The drawback at Heriot-Watt is that there is little room for cross-disciplinary exploration in the modules. Electives focus on aspects of a student’s program.
Fourth-year projects are meant to strike terror into the hearts of students. I think Heriot-Watt students are used to intensity, but we really have no life. The good news is that the first year is meant to help fill in gaps for those with a year less of schooling, so that year is pretty easy.
What sets Heriot-Watt apart is its strong focus on global and interdisciplinary education. The university has campuses in Dubai and Malaysia, and students can spend time at these international campuses. The international outlook seeps into home campuses, too, giving Heriot-Watt a distinctive feel with regard to global commerce.
The university is structured into several schools. The School of Engineering and Physical Sciences is known for its cutting-edge research and strong industry links. The School of Social Sciences, on the other hand, offers a blend of theory and practice in disciplines such as economics, psychology, and accountancy. Meanwhile, the School of Textiles and Design is one of the oldest of its kind and continues to lead in the field of fashion and design. Its Graduate Showcase is staged in the former mill that houses the program, and helps connect budding pros with fashion’s preeminent houses.
What Heriot-Watt gave me that I don’t think a university with better name recognition would have is the ability to communicate with industry, to speak their language.
The university’s emphasis on practical knowledge and global exposure provides a unique academic experience that is both enriching and career-focused. Who would do well here? A student who is already laser-focused on their field, and not likely to have a change of heart halfway through an inflexible program.
Heriot-Watt is consistently ranked highly for student satisfaction and employability. The close-knit community and approachable faculty create an environment where students say they are both worked to the bone and prepared for whatever may come.
Applying
To be part of the Watt Club, Watt Family, or just Watt Alumni, submit your 3.0 GPA from an American high school. You’ll also need 3 AP tests of 4 or higher or 3 SAT subject tests of 600. Mix these up if relevant subjects to your future field are not offered in one format. You might submit honors classes if your school does not offer APs.
For most courses, apply through UCAS by January 31. That’s the UK’s application portal. You’ll submit a letter of recommendation, personal statement, and the test scores and transcripts required.
Future Engineers and Research Scientists Dig Heriot-Watt
It’s a hard tightrope to get the research-led teaching and the hands-on of hard sciences, engineering, and computer courses in one place. Heriot-Watt fills that void for students in Edinburgh. But it doesn’t offer the vibrancy of the big city like the University of Edinburgh, or even the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow for similarly techy students. Check them out if you haven’t found your perfect landing pad yet.
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Jessica Share
Jessica is the writer, Ph.D., and mom-of-an-abroad-student-in-the-UK at the helm of College Abroad Guides. When she's not asking college students where the coolest place to hang out in their city is, she's figuring out how she can make $60 imported Greek oregano potato chips and £50 British bacon potato chips appear on her doorstep for the cost of a local bag of Lay's.
