Overview

Abertay University is located in Dundee, Scotland, a city that welcomes and celebrates diverse cultures. 16% of their student body are international students, with 60 nationalities represented on campus. The university's compact campus is situated in the city centre and offers a wide array of courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, with academic expertise in video game design, ethical hacking and cybersecurity, applied sciences and business, all aimed at preparing graduates for the industries and jobs of the modern world. Their research delivers impact for society and is designed to solve real-world problems and fuel innovation-led growth.

　　With only 4,300 students enrolled across all programmes, Abertay are small and friendly, and able to offer students a personalised learning experience. It's currently the Top Modern University in Scotland for student satisfaction (NSS 2023) and has high teaching quality ratings, named the Best UK University for teaching quality in 2021 (Times 2021). There are 45 undergraduate courses to choose from, as well as 22 taught postgraduate programmes, 44 postgraduate research programmes and 11 online master's programmes. The university boasts impressive industry contacts in both business and research. These are used to design industry-relevant courses and to provide students with specialised work experience and industry placements across a range of disciplines.

　　As the the first university in the world to launch computer games and ethical hacking programmes, Abertay is internationally renowned for video games education and research and a UK leader in cybersecurity. They are a National Centre for Excellence in both areas and host several specialist facilities including one of Europe's largest PlayStation 5 labs, an Emergent Technology Centre, a Visual Production Research Environment (ViPRE) and a Hacking Laboratory. The city of Dundee, thanks in part to their fantastic computer games courses, is an important hub for Scotland's games industry, and is the birthplace of many hugely influential titles including Grand Theft Auto and Lemmings. Indeed, the creator of both games is an Abertay alumnus.

　　Dundee is regarded as a student-friendly city with 1 in 5 people students. It's the UK's only UNESCO City of Design, with a major national broadsheet newspaper ranking it the best place to live in Scotland. The city is vibrant, affordable, and well-connected by transport links. Students at Abertay can easily access Scotland's stunning natural landscape from Dundee, with world-famous mountains and breathtaking coastlines near the city.

　　

What's New

Abertay's InGAME Research and Development Centre catalyses industry growth in the UK's video game sector

Established in 2018 at Abertay University, InGAME (Innovation for Games and Media Enterprise) has been at the forefront of significant growth in the UK's video game industry. InGAME is at the heart of Dundee's video game cluster and represents a collaboration between Abertay, the University of Dundee, the University of St Andrews, and a wealth of industry partners.

　　A national testbed for innovation, a recent report from BiGGAR Economics has highlighted the positive economic and social impact of the ambitious project. The report has concluded that companies collaborating with InGAME are projected to generate an estimated GBP 84.7 million gross value added in the next 10 years.

　　The success of InGAME has been instrumental in Abertay securing a preferred bidder status to host a new UK virtual production lab. Abertay's new lab will specialise in innovation and research for virtual production, presenting an exciting opportunity for researchers at the university's School of Design and Informatics.

　　

Abertay University ranked as one of the top three Scottish universities in the 2023 National Student Survey

The most recent National Student Survey (NSS, 2023) has ranked Abertay as the top modern university in Scotland for its student satisfaction. The NSS survey ranked Abertay as one of Scotland's top three universities overall.

　　Abertay scored highly in several individual programmes for student satisfaction, with its psychology programmes ranked as top in Scotland and second in the UK overall for teaching satisfaction. The university's computer game, civil engineering, forensics, law, and mental health programmes were also ranked top in Scotland for teaching satisfaction, with the forensics programme being deemed top in the UK in the same category.

　　

Teaching quality

Abertay University excels in applied courses that are ideal for students who want to receive an education in a specialist subject area and build their education towards a future career.

　　Abertay is a small and friendly university. Its size allows the university to provide its international students with a level of personal and academic support they wouldn't find at a larger institution. Small class sizes mean that students voices are heard, and they receive good contact time with lecturers.

　　Staff at Abertay are leaders in their specialised fields and are actively involved with innovative individual and collaborative research as part of wider national research projects. Lecturers come from a range of academic, commercial, and professional backgrounds. Staff members have well-established links with businesses and industry, and students benefit from their expertise via cutting-edge teaching in a state-of-the-art learning environment.

　　Postgraduate researchers are supervised by attentive and experienced academics who are experts in their field. The Graduate School facilitates an interdisciplinary environment in which students can collaborate with leading professionals on well-structured research projects.

　　

Department structure

Courses at Abertay University are structured across three academic schools. Each school is home to specialist divisions which house subject-specific teaching and research centres.

　　The School of Design and Informatics offers a range of award-winning computing and games degrees.

　　Division of Cybersecurity Division of Games Technology and Mathematics Division of Games and ArtsThe School of Applied Sciences works between research and industry to address the biggest challenges society faces today.

　　Division of Sport and Exercise Sciences Division of Psychology and Forensic Sciences Division of Health Sciences Division of Engineering and Food ScienceThe School of Business, Law and Social Sciences prepares its students to become global change- makers in their specialist fields.

　　Division of Sociology Division of Law Division of Accounting, Business and ManagementAbertay's Graduate School dedicates itself to providing professional development, support, and training to the university's vibrant research and postgraduate community. The interdisciplinary facility has been specially designed to promote creativity, discovery, and innovative thinking across a diverse range of subject areas.

　　

Entry requirements

Abertay University provides a detailed qualification guide for international students on their respective country pages. The country pages allow students to see the entry requirements needed to study at Abertay in terms of equivalent qualifications from their home countries. Students whose home country is not listed in the guide are encouraged to contact the international admissions department to discuss entry requirements ([email protected]).

　　International students are required to provide documentation of English language proficiency to study at Abertay if English is not their first language.

　　Accepted English language qualifications for study at Abertay include:

　　IELTS – with an overall score of 6.0, with no band lower than a score of 5.5. TOEFL – with an overall score of 78 (required individual elements: L-17, R-18, S-20, W-17). IGCSE or GCSE in English Language – grade C or above. Cambridge FCE/CAE/CPE – with a minimum score of 169 on the Cambridge Grading Scale. Skills for English (SQA/PSI) – with a minimum B2 with Pass with Merit. European Baccalaureate – with a minimum of English Language 1 at grade 6 or English Language 2 at grade 7. International Baccalaureate – English B at S5 or H4, or English A (no specific grade required).A full range of English language qualifications can be found in detail in the university's English language requirements guide. If students require further assistance navigating the university's English language requirements, they are encouraged to contact Abertay's admissions university office ([email protected]).

　　

Facilities

Abertay University offers its international students places in three accommodation halls provided by private agents. Parker House provides ensuite rooms in various sizes, from single rooms to studios. All Parker House flats have a communal kitchen, and feature social spaces with pool tables, laundry facilities and a gym. The halls are close to the city centre and a five-minute walk from the university campus.

　　Meadowside Court is situated on the edge of the university's campus and offers self-catered flats. Places are available within six- or nine-bedroom flats. All flats come with a living room area and a communal kitchen. Lyon Street Terrace, meanwhile, provides 126 recently refurbished flats, available with one-, two-, or three-bedroom occupancies. Lyon Street is located a 10-minute walk from campus and is served by good public transport links.

　　The university's state-of-the-art learning facilities on campus include subject-specific studios and labs. The Bernard King Library provides four floors of study spaces and fantastic access to specialist books, journals, and eBooks. There is also a gym on campus, as well as cafes where students can eat, relax, and socialise with their peers.

　　

Scholarships & funding

Abertay University offers a range of scholarships and funding opportunities for international students studying at the university.

　　

Undergraduate:

The Abertay International Scholarship is a funding award of up to GBP 12,000 to new international undergraduate students. Students awarded the scholarship receive GBP 3,000 per year for up to four years of study. International students granted the award have these payments deducted from their annual tuition fees.To receive the International Scholarship, recipients need to be classified as overseas students by Abertay and attend their studies in person as a registered full-time undergraduate student in the first year of their degree. Students must meet all the entry requirements detailed in their admissions offer.

　　

Postgraduate:

The Abertay International Postgraduate Scholarship is a funding award of up to GBP 3,000 to new international postgraduate students. International students granted the award have this payment deducted from their tuition fees.A range of other subject-specific scholarships are also available to international students at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Prospective students are encouraged to visit the university's scholarships page for full details of the financial awards available and their relevant terms and conditions.