Queen Margaret University

Queen Margaret University (QMU) is a modern, supportive institution known for its strengths in health sciences, social sciences, business, and the creative industries. With a strong focus on wellbeing, sustainability, and practical learning, QMU offers a close-knit academic community where students are encouraged to grow both personally and professionally.

Located in Musselburgh on the edge of Edinburgh, the campus is contemporary, compact, and environmentally designed, providing a peaceful study space just minutes from Scotland’s vibrant capital. Students can easily enjoy Edinburgh’s cafés, museums, festivals, and historic streets while still benefiting from QMU’s friendly, small campus feel.

During your exchange, you can wander along East Lothian’s coast, catch a performance during Edinburgh’s famous festival season, or take a short train into the city for views from Arthur’s Seat, explore the historic Royal Mile, or spend an evening at a traditional Scottish ceilidh. With the Highlands, castles, and seaside towns all within reach, QMU offers an excellent base for exploring both Edinburgh and the wider region.

Essentials

AUT subjects:

_{These are general subject areas, you'll need to check if your major is offered.}

Communication studies
Education
Health science
Hospitality, tourism and events
Social sciences and public policy

Location:

United Kingdom

Language of instruction:

English

Level of study:

Undergraduate

GPA requirement:

5.0 or above

Exchange duration:

1 semester

Demand for places:

less competitive

Accommodation:

Limited, but exchange students are given preference in room allocations. It is important that you apply for accommodation as soon as you are invited to.

Accommodation details

Website:

Inbound exchange webpage

Semester dates

Semester 1: September-January
Semester 2: January-May

When to apply for an exchange to Queen Margaret University

Semester 1 – apply by the 1 December AUT deadline
Semester 2 – apply by the 1 July AUT deadline

Credit equivalence

20 credits = 20 AUT points

Full semester workload = 60 credits = 60 AUT points

Modules (papers) at Queen Margaret University will usually be 20 credits, so students will typically take 3 modules for the semester while on exchange.

Course levels

Undergraduate students will spend four years studying a single subject that forms their course (major).
Levels are categorised using the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF), which runs from Level 7 (first year of undergraduate) to Level 10 (fourth year of undergraduate).

However, in QMU’s programme structure (linked in extra resources), they discuss them as:

Level 1: first year of undergraduate programmes
Level 2: second year of undergraduate programmes
Level 3: third year of undergraduate programmes
Level 4: fourth year of undergraduate programmes

Specific subject requirements/restrictions

Students need to apply for a particular degree subject while on exchange with QMU, so the focus needs to be on your AUT major. Have a look at the QMU programme structure linked in extra resources to see the courses available for exchange students, and also what modules are available in each subject area for each semester (check the dates above for the comparison with AUT’s semesters).

The module descriptors are not published online, so a request just needs to be submitted to their team via email to receive these for the identified course of interest.