Information for new students - preparing to study online

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

• Find out more about study durations

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.

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.

Find out how to pay your fees

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.

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.

Find out how we will be able to support you

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.

Find out more about the Institute for Academic Development

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 

Visit the Edinburgh University Students' Association

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.

 Find out more about the Careers Service

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.

Visit the Student Counselling Service to find out more