Spend a semester at Heriot-Watt University in the town of Galashiels, a gateway to the exciting world of the Scottish textiles industry. Take courses in areas including fashion communication, visual merchandising, marketing, and fashion merchandising, with a particular focus on luxury, textiles, and heritage brands.
Requirements
Important Dates
When & Where
Galashiels, Scotland (about 50 minutes south of Edinburgh by train)
Partner school website: https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/scottish-borders.htm
Exchange-specific information here: https://www.hw.ac.uk/study/international/uk/visiting-students.htm
Semester dates:
Accepted students will participate in a mandatory orientation at their host school prior to the start of the semester. The dates and times of the orientation will be provided to accepted students.
Application
Students must submit their completed application by the deadlines listed above under "Important Dates" to be considered for this program.
LIM College’s study abroad programs are competitive, as more applications are typically received than there are spots available. The following factors are considered when LIM selects candidates to participate in study abroad programs:
Students who are accepted into the program will be required to submit their personal and academic information to their host school along with a copy of the photo page of their passport. Further information on this process will be given to accepted students.
Orientation
All students are required to attend the LIM College Pre-Departure Orientation. Date, time and location are made available after acceptance into the program. Students must also attend the RMIT Orientation and are required to arrange travel so they can do so. Orientation is typically held one to two weeks prior to the start of each RMIT semester.
Courses
Course lists can be found here: https://www.hw.ac.uk/documents/Visiting_Student_course_catalogue_May.pdf.
Students may request to take any class offered at the Galashiels campus for which they meet the prerequisite requirements. Students will be required to submit an LIM College Course Proposal Form to have their course choices evaluated prior to attending Heriot-Watt. Students must be registered for a minimum of 12 credit hours (or the equivalent) per term, including both courses abroad and online courses taken at LIM. Students may register for a maximum of the equivalent of 12 credit hours at Heriot-Watt. Students will submit a list of 7-8 preferred courses to Heriot-Watt once they have had them approved by the LIM Study Abroad Coordinator. Students will then receive a draft course timetable based on those preferences about two weeks prior to the start of the semester. The final course timetable will be issued to students during their orientation.
Students must meet with their Academic Advisor to ensure their courses will fit into their graduation plan.
Accommodations & Travel
Exchange students may apply for housing on campus although availability is not guaranteed. Heriot-Watt has a variety of resources to find reliable off-campus housing that the Accommodation Team will provide to LIM College students upon acceptance into the program. More information can be found here: https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/borders/accommodation.htm.
All housing costs are paid directly to the housing provider, which may be the host university, a student apartment company, a landlord, etc. depending on where the student chooses to live.
Students are responsible for booking and purchasing their own airfare.
Health Insurance
Students registered for courses in the UK for a course of study of six months or more are entitled to primary medical care provided by the National Health Service (NHS). If you are on a course of less than six months’ duration, you are not entitled to primary medical care. However, any overseas visitor is entitled to emergency or immediately required treatment. The NHS charges for medicines, eyeglasses and eye care, and dental treatment. In addition, the NHS does not cover repatriation to your home country.
All students must submit proof to the Study Abroad Office that they are covered by overseas health insurance for the duration of their program abroad. Students are encouraged to have worldwide insurance which covers (at minimum) comprehensive hospitalization, prescription medication, medical evacuation, and repatriation of remains.
Program Cost
Students pay LIM College tuition to LIM College for the semester abroad. This does not cover airfare, housing, books, meals, or personal expenses, such as shopping. Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from Scotland and the United States. Additional costs to consider (all amounts are approximations and in pounds unless otherwise noted):
Students who receive financial aid can typically apply this aid to a semester abroad. All students who receive aid will be required to meet with a Student Financial Services Counselor prior to departure to discuss the status of their aid and complete any additional requirements.
Student Visa
Students will be required to have a visa to study for the semester. Students must have a valid passport that expires no sooner than 6 months past the end of the exchange experience to apply for the visa and should be prepared to show that they have access to sufficient funds to cover their costs for the semester as part of the visa application process. Accepted students will be sent a letter of invitation from Heriot-Watt to present to the immigration authorities. For further visa information, please see: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.
Student visas are normally issued for one week prior to commencement of the semester and will be valid up to one week after completion of studies. Students are encouraged not to make any travel plans until their visa has been issued and they know the exact dates of its validity.