Information for new students - preparing to study online
This page is for applicants with an offer to study a postgraduate online programme at The University of Edinburgh Law School. Here you can find essential information to get you started.
We hope this information is of assistance to you. If you have any questions about starting with us, please do not hesitate to contact us at law.online@ed.ac.uk
January 2024 entry
Please note that these key dates apply to offer-holders who have accepted an unconditional offer of a place and paid their deposit.
16 October 2023: Course selection opens
After this date, unconditional offer-holders who have accepted their place and paid their programme deposit fee will be invited to complete a survey and indicate their preferred choices for the coming year.
27 November 2023: Deadline for conditional offer-holders to meet conditions
Applicants who hold conditional offers must have met the conditions of their offer by this date.
1 December 2023: Deposit deadline
Applicants who have received unconditional offers must pay the requisite deposit fee within 28 days of receiving their offer or by this date, whichever is soonest.
4 December 2023: Course selection closes
This is the last date by which new students can return their course selections for the coming year. If the Online Team haven’t received course selections by this date, they will assign courses as appropriate to the relevant degree programme structure. If you have not received a link to the course selection form please contact us at law.online@ed.ac.uk.
13 December 2023: Access to Learn Platform
On this date, new students will have access to the virtual learning environment (Learn) where they will participate in study and access their course and programme materials. In addition to individual course areas, students can also access lots of useful resources to help them prepare for study in the Law Online Community Hub. The Online Learning Team will send guidance on what to focus on in order to get the most out of preparation.
13 December 2023: Induction period starts
This date marks the start of the two-week induction period before teaching starts on 15 January. During this time new students will have the chance to meet with other students, familiarise themselves with their course areas and preparatory resources, in addition to attending events (live and asynchronous) as part of the induction programme.
15 January 2024: Teaching commences
From this date, teaching materials are released on a weekly basis and students can choose the times during the week most convenient to them to access their course materials and contribute to course discussions. Unless otherwise advised by Course Organisers, there are no expectations for students to be online at any specific time.
Online readiness
You must have regular access to a computer with a good internet connection. Although we wouldn’t recommend completing course assessments on a mobile phone or tablet device, all of the course materials are accessible via mobile devices.
To get the most from your study, you should have an up-to-date web browser, for example Mozilla Firefox, Safari or Google Chrome.
Contact us
If you have any questions about starting with us, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Once you have accepted your unconditional offer and paid your deposit, our Online Learning Team will contact you in regards to your course preferences.
You can look up detailed course information for your programme of study on the University’s Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study website.
Find out more about the courses offered on your programme
The Online Learning Team will contact you in regards to your course preferences. An email survey will be sent to you to give you the opportunity to communicate your preferences to the Online Learning Team. You’ll be asked to select your preference for subsequent years in due course.
The number of courses you’ll take each year and each semester, depends on your route of study
Courses are offered once in an academic year. Details of the courses available will be provided in advance. Each semester you will choose the course(s) you wish to study in that particular semester. Courses are then allocated.
The allocation process is intended to support student choices as much as possible, while taking account of optimum class sizes for specific courses.
Class sizes have typically ranged from 15 to 25 students in the past. If more students request a course than can be allocated, students who need to take the course in order to fulfil core programme requirements will have priority and others may be asked to defer that course choice to a later year of study.
Please note the University reserves the right to make variations to the contents of programmes, including the range of courses offered, and the available choice of courses in any given year may change.
Find out more about the University’s terms and conditions
Please note that due to unforeseen circumstances or lack of demand for particular courses, we may not be able to run all courses as advertised come the start of the academic year.
Contact us
If you have any questions about starting with us, please do not hesitate to contact us.
In order to complete the matriculation process to register as a new student with the University, you must complete the essential steps below.
Prior to admission, we would strongly recommend that it is in your best interests to carefully read The University of Edinburgh Essential ‘Getting Started’ guide for online students. This guide provides practical advice and information to ensure you are fully prepared to start as a new online student. Take your time to go through each section of this guide and complete the steps that have been outlined within the areas relevant to you.
View the getting started guide for online students
You must first complete an online basic registration form. The form will be available approximately 4 weeks prior to your programme start date by logging in to your MyEd portal and selecting the Student Personal Details channel, which can be found under ‘Accounts’. You will receive an email to your University of Edinburgh email account to let you know when the online form to register is available.
Find out more information about the online registration process
You must arrange to pay your annual tuition fee, either in full or by the agreed instalment dates with the Income Section team in the Finance department. If you are having your fees paid for you by a sponsor (for example, your employer) or scholarship you will need to provide formal confirmation.
During the induction period your Personal Tutor will welcome you to the programme and discuss your course enrolments and the academic year ahead. This online meeting will generally take place via an online collaborate session. You can also request a 1:1 meeting with your Personal Tutor via telephone, Skype or email correspondence. By attending the online collaborate session or arranging a 1:1 with your Personal Tutor you are confirming your attendance on the programme.
Please note you must have either attended the online collaborate session or met with your Personal Tutor in order to confirm your attendance.
Contact us
If you have any questions about starting with us, please do not hesitate to contact us.
The University of Edinburgh is committed to making sure that our students have a fulfilling and enjoyable time during their studies. Together with the programme team, there are a number of University services on hand to support our students in all aspects of their studies.
Your first point of contact for support issues will either be with the Online Learning Team or your Student Adviser.
You can contact us via
Tel: +44 (0) 131 651 4411
Email: law.online@ed.ac.uk
Mrs Clare Polson
Senior Programme Administrator
Mrs Lynsey Robertson
Postgraduate Programme Administrator (Online)
Miss Clare Guymer
Administrative Assistant (Online)
At the University of Edinburgh, we provide support through joined-up teams of specialist staff who work alongside academics, University services and fellow students. A key part of our new model is the Student Adviser, a named individual who will be your first point of contact for any support, including:
- Your studies
- Your wellbeing
- Practical matters
The Law School has a team of six Student Advisers, as well as a dedicated Student Support Manager. Look out for communications and emails over the coming months about your Student Adviser, and how to contact the Student Support Team. Approximately 4 weeks before the beginning of Semester you will receive an introductory email from your Student Adviser and an invitation to your first meeting.
Your Programme Director is best placed to provide academic guidance to meet the specific needs of your programme of study, facilitate communications and group activities, such as academic drop-ins and celebrations of key events, creating an academic community within your programme cohort.
If you declared a disability in your application, you will be contacted as a matter of course by the Disability and Learning Support Services to advise you of the support available to you during your studies. The SDS provides support for students experiencing a broad range of conditions for which they might require assistance to get the most out of their learning. If you require assistance, you can discuss this with one of the Disability and Learning Support Services team and appropriate support will be provided.
It is really important that you take the opportunity to contact the Disability and Learning Support Services as early as possible, so that they can discuss your requirements and set up appropriate support before you commence study. In most cases, this will involve devising an adjustment schedule for each of your courses, which will be circulated to teaching teams so that they can ensure that they’re providing you with the support you need.
The Online Learning Team (law.online@ed.ac.uk) will also prompt you about ensuring that you have support in place.
If you think that you will need additional support but did not declare a disability in your application, please contact the Online Learning Team as soon as possible after receiving your offer, so that they can advise you.
Visit the Disability and Learning Support Services to find out more information.
The Institute for Academic Development provides support for study, including a range of study skills workshops, self-study learning resources, and advice to help students succeed in their studies.
Edinburgh University Students’ Association are on hand to make sure that all students – on-campus and online – have the best possible experience while at university, through academic and social support or facilities that they provide
The Careers Service provides advice and information for students to help them develop their potential and guide them in working towards a fulfilling career path. While many of our online students are already busy working professionals, the Careers Service can help with shaping future career plans post-study.
The Student Counselling Service support the mental health of all students at the University, through short term counselling and referral to other support services. The team can help students identify and deal with the problems they face during their studies.
Contact us
If you have any questions about starting with us, please do not hesitate to contact us.
