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Heriot-Watt University
Boost your career with a postgraduate degree from Heriot-Watt.
Ranked 256th in the world and 32nd in the UK, we have been pushing new frontiers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, business and design since 1821. Home to prominent researchers and academics from across the world, we are driven by innovation, educational excellence and ground-breaking research.
Address urgent global challenges and find solutions for a sustainable world. Explore all our 120+ postgraduate courses.
Why choose Heriot-Watt?
- Ranked 256th in the world, 32nd in the UK and 5th in Scotland (QS World University Rankings 2025).
- 1st in Scotland and 2nd in the UK for Postgraduate Positive Outcomes, with 88.3% in employment or further study 15 months after graduation (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2023).
- Our industry-informed programmes produce the highest percentage of CEOs and Managing Directors (Novuna 2023).
Careers and employability
Heriot-Watt graduates are highly sought after: we placed 1st in Scotland and 4th in the UK for graduate employability, with 88.3% of our postgraduates in full-time employment or further study 15 months after graduation (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2023).
The Careers & Graduate Futures service assists Heriot-Watt students and graduates by providing high quality careers guidance and access to top employers in the country. It also helps access internships, work experience and part-time employment while you study.
"I believe the master's programme has provided me with a solid foundation on which to build my future career. The lecturers gave us practical advice on how to approach the job market and always pointed out job opportunities for us to consider."
Camilla Sensi, MSc Interpreting and Translating
Research excellence
Our multi-disciplinary, award-winning research is finding solutions to major global challenges, including living sustainably and achieving net zero. 88.6% of our research outputs are ranked world-leading and internationally excellent (The Research Excellence Framework 2021).
Heriot-Watt offers an outstanding environment for postgraduate research. Our £7M Postgraduate Centre combines training facilities and networking opportunities with other postgraduate students from across the university. Heriot-Watt is also home to the UK’s leading innovation hub in robotics and autonomous systems – The National Robotarium.
Our global campuses
Heriot-Watt features three Scottish campuses, including our main hub in Edinburgh, and two international campuses in Dubai and Malaysia.
Edinburgh
The Edinburgh campus is situated in 380 acres of beautiful parkland just outside of the city centre. Voted top 2 in the UK for students (QS Best Student Cities, 2024), Edinburgh has it all: a vibrant nightlife and café culture, boutique retailers, nearby beaches, mountains and plenty of green space. The city is also home to the Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe Festival, and is a hub for art, culture, comedy and drama.
Scottish Borders
The campus boasts industry-standard design and production facilities in the heart of the Scottish luxury textiles industry, producing career-ready graduates.
Orkney
A unique living laboratory, the Orkney campus features impressive natural surroundings and creates a stunning base to study the marine environment.
Dubai
Heriot-Watt was the first British university to open its doors in Dubai, where it earned a prestigious five-star ranking from the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).
Malaysia
The purpose-built Malaysia campus opened in Putrajaya in 2014 and sits on a stunning lakeside location providing exceptional educational facilities, modern leisure and sports facilities.
Flexible study
Prefer studying at your own pace? We have over 11,000 students from 160 countries learning from experts and industry leaders at Heriot-Watt Online.
Scholarships, fees and funding
Heriot-Watt provides postgraduate students with a variety of scholarships to help you achieve your highest academic potential. Over £6 million worth of opportunities are available in fee and stipend scholarships, and more than 400 students benefit from this support. Find out more about fees and funding or browse our postgraduate scholarships.
Heriot-Watt Actuarial Scholarship For Academic Excellence
The Heriot-Watt Actuarial Scholarship For Academic Excellence awards the successful recipient(s) with a 20% reduction on their tuition fees. It is available to all students applying to our MSc in Actuarial Management and MSc in Actuarial Management with Data Science.
The MRAC Fellowship is a competitive opportunity where students will be offered a 30% discount from their tuition fees. As part of the fellowship, the successful applicants will undertake Marketing, Recruitment, Admissions and Communications Department, working in rotation with each of those teams to gain experience throughout the year alongside your studies. Available for all master’s programmes.
The Postgraduate UK Merit Scholarship
The Merit Scholarship award entitles you to a 20% tuition fee discount. This scholarship will be awarded to any UK student who achieves a 2:1 undergraduate degree or higher, and applies for one of the following programmes: MSc Real Estate, MSc International Marine Science, MSc Brewing & Distilling, MSc Investment Management.
Heriot-Watt Career Change Scholarship
The Heriot-Watt Career Change scholarship is a competitive opportunity where students will be offered a 20% discount from their tuition fees. Successful applicants will be offered an alumni mentor and enhanced careers support during their programme from one of our career consultants. The opportunity is open to students coming to study the following programmes: MSc Business, Strategy, Leadership & Change; MSc International Business Management; MSc Strategic Project Management.
Effective financial planning is essential for all postgraduate students, whether you are funded or self-financing, a UK national or an international student. Estimated student budgets for those living both on and off campus are available here.
How we support you
Wellbeing of our students is our upmost priority. We offer a wide range of services:
For more, visit our website.
International students
Heriot-Watt University recognises the challenges faced by overseas students. We make a great deal of effort to provide international students with access to outstanding support services no matter where or what you study. The global student office in the UK helps with everything from advice, visas and immigration to funding and exchange opportunities.
Useful links
Accommodation
International students
Meet our international alumni
Postgraduate events at Heriot-Watt
Our next postgraduate event will take place on 1 August 2024. Find out more.
If you would like to sign up for updates about our upcoming postgraduate events, please visit our website.
Have a question?
Read our FAQs
Get in touch with us: studywithus@hw.c.uk
Departments
Postgraduate Bursary Opportunity with Postgrad.com
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