What Happens Next? - Associate Applicants
Congratulations on receiving your offer! We are really looking forward to meeting you soon.
What is an Associate Student?
Queen Margaret University has worked with local college partners to develop an alternative way to achieve a degree. As an Associate Student you will be a fully enrolled Queen Margaret University student from day one, but you will study for the first year at a local college on a linked HNC course. On successful completion you have a guaranteed place at Queen Margaret University to finish your degree.
Where will I study?
This depends on the course.
Edinburgh College has four campuses across the city. Where you study for the first two years depends on the course you are studying:
- BA (Hons) Business Management is taught at Sighthill campus in the west of the city
- BA (Hons) Events Management is taught at Milton Road Campus in the east of the city
- BA (Hons) International Hospitality & Tourism Management is taught at Granton Campus in the north of the city
Newbattle Abbey College campus is on the southern edge of Edinburgh, near Dalkeith, and West Lothian College is 12 miles outside the city in Livingston.
To complete your degree at Queen Margaret University, you will study at our modern, purpose built campus at Musselburgh.
Information on travel links throughout the city can be provided.
What are the benefits for me?
- Studying at college can be a good way to prepare yourself for the move to University. As you work through your HNC qualification the college will prepare you for the more independent learning style and the academic standards required at University.
- If you have been out of education for a while, or have been working in industry and now want to gain a relevant qualification, college may also be a more suitable entry route for you. Colleges specialise in helping people returning to education after a break and learning styles are a lot more vocational and practical. The Associate Student routes are designed to reflect these types of learning styles.
- You may have found that your higher results after school were not good enough to get you into University, or they were not up to date if you took your school qualifications a while ago. The Associate Student routes offer entry to Queen Margaret University degrees with slightly lower entry qualifications because the first year is spent at college.
- As you progress through your HNC course we will coordinate with the college to arrange visits to the university campus, workshops on academic skills and guest lectures – all of which will make your transition to Queen Margaret University very straightforward.
- You will be in a class with other Associate Students, so you will be able to make friends with the people who you will study with for four years, before joining a bigger group of students at Queen Margaret University.
- You only have to apply once – as long as you pass your HNC qualification you are guaranteed entry to Queen Margaret University in the relevant year and are not required to complete another UCAS form.
What’s the deal with funding?
You should apply to SAAS for your funding for this course. As long as you meet the eligibility criteria then SAAS will pay your course fees and you can apply for a student loan to help with your living costs.
As you now have your conditional offer from Queen Margaret University, you can start your application with SAAS anytime and be sure to apply for the full Degree Fee Waiver (not the HNC/D Fee Waiver which is less).
SAAS ask that you submit your application to them by 30th June to ensure your funding is in place for the start of your course. If you submit it later, they cannot guarantee to process your application in time for your course starting.
The SAAS Funding Guide is available here.
Many students also work part time whilst studying and it’s a really good way to get experience in your chosen area of study if you can find some relevant work.
What facilities and services are available to me?
During the first two years you will be an enrolled student at both institutions. This means you have twice as many facilities to take advantage of – more than any other student! Facilities at the colleges include accommodation and catering, library services, student support services, and may also offer health and fitness facilities, spa, hair and beauty salons.
At Queen Margaret University, you can use the Learning Resource Centre, student support services, the Sports Centre, the Student Union and all its clubs and societies, and our accommodation and catering services.
Accommodation
In order to take full advantage of your Queen Margaret University student status and the facilities and services available to you on campus, you may wish to take accommodation at our campus. Full details and the online application form can be found here. As your course will start slightly earlier than the usual university term, you can apply for the usual 40 week lease with the option of a 2 week extension later in the year to cover the full college and university term dates, although not all associate students require this – it depends on how you have managed your workload throughout the year!
We have a number of BA (Hons) Events Management associate students living on campus because QMU is very close to the Edinburgh College Milton Road campus. They have used the opportunity to get involved in clubs and societies and meet students studying Events Management on campus so they know them when they join their classes in 2nd year.
We strongly recommend you consider where you will be studying before you decide where to live. There are halls of residence at both the Granton campus which may suit you if you are studying BA (Hons) International Hospitality & Tourism Management. Information on these rooms can be found on the Edinburgh College website and you should apply directly to them. Newbattle Abbey College also offers on site accommodation and you should contact the college directly for information on how to apply.
Accepting your offer
Please follow the guidelines on the What happens next page.
Term Dates
You will follow the college term dates, which includes extra holiday dates – you will receive term dates and timetables once they are published by the colleges.
Induction
You will receive an induction when you start your course with us, including an induction at the Queen Margaret University campus. This will be held in late September, date tbc, allowing you time to get settled into your college environment before coming up to the University. Further information will be sent out nearer the time.
Joining Information
Full joining information will be sent out and made available on our induction web page in the Summer.
Any questions?
If you have any questions about the University, your Associate Student course or the admissions process, then please drop us an email on associatestudent@qmu.ac.uk.
Tel: 0131 474 0000
Fax: 0131 474 0001
Email: associatestudent@qmu.ac.uk
