University of St Andrews

At a glance

The University of Virginia (UVa) is a large public university founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson. It is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, which is 120 miles south-west of Washington DC. The university is set within the Academical Village , a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Boasting a picturesque campus with many colonial buildings of historical interest, UVa offers students the chance to study in a large, urban environment. The area of Charlottesville (pop. 45,000) which surrounds the campus offers students many opportunities to socialise and relax. The university sustains the ideal of developing, through education, leaders who are well-prepared to help shape the future of the nation.
Established : 1819
Student Population : 22000

Website and links

Website : UVa Homepage

Study abroad page : Study Abroad Homepage

Study abroad guide : Exchange Students

Who can go

Students on degree programmes in the following subject areas may apply to study abroad during their Junior Honours year at University of Virginia:

Please note the following restrictions when considering the list below: Arabic - Joint Hons only; Divinity - MTheol or MA Theological Studies only; German - Joint Hons only; History - History, Mediaeval History and Archaeology, Mediaeval Studies, Modern History (Single and Joint Hons) only; Russian - Joint Hons only; Spanish - Joint Hons only.

• Arabic and Persian
• Art History
• Biology
• Economics (Business School)
• Finance (Business School)
• Classics
• Computer Science
• Divinity
• English
• Film Studies
• German
• History
• International Relations
• Mathematics and Statistics
• Persian
• Physics and Astronomy
• Philosophy
• Russian
• Social Anthropology
• Spanish

Semesters Available

• First Semester
• Second Semester
• Full Year

Note: Joint Honours students may only apply for a full year abroad if BOTH subjects are listed above. Joint Honours students applying for one semester must seek permission from both Schools.

Study abroad coordinator

Each School has a designated Study Abroad Coordinator.

Semester dates

Semester dates are as follows

2023/4
Semester 1 Aug 2023 to Dec 2023
Semester 2 Jan 2024 to May 2024
2024/5
Semester 1 Aug 2024 to Dec 2024
Semester 2 Jan 2025 to May 2025

Your studies abroad

St Andrews academic requirements

• Minimum Credit in Academic year : 27
• Minimum Credit in Semester : 12
• Maximum Credit in Academic year : 30
• Maximum Credit in Semester: 15
• Module Weighting : 3, 4

Partner Course Catalogue : Course catalogue

If students receive their acceptance early, they can register for classes before the summer, otherwise students select their courses during orientation at UVa.

See our Credits and Modules Abroad webpage for information on the number of credits we expect students to take at our partner institutions. St Andrews expects students to attend all classes as part of their programme abroad. Assessment methods may vary across partners and could include class participation, continuous assessment in the form of homework and final exams. All courses must be agreed with your Study Abroad Coordinator. See our academic information webpage for further details, as well as information about credit and grade conversion.

Application and selection

This institution is part of the programme. .

Places available

Places available : Three full year places (or six semester places) will be available at Virginia in the academic year 2025-2026.

Places available may vary from year to year depending on the exchange balance. Numbers for the following academic year will be confirmed at the information meeting.

Getting there and getting around

UVa provide an airport pick up service from both Washington Dulles Airport and Charlottesville Airport on one day only in August. You are required to book this service and further details will be in your acceptance package.

In Charlottesville itself, there is a good network of both university and other free bus services to the downtown area. There is also good public transport which connects Charlottesville with the rest of the country.

Accommodation

Housing is not guaranteed but every effort is made to house exchange students. Exchange students are considered ‘Transfer’ students for the purposes of applying for housing.

There are a number of housing options available:

Apartment style (shared bedrooms and facilities)

Single rooms

Dorm style, shared rooms and facilities

The International Residential College (IRC) is a popular option with exchange students. It is made up of four buildings (Hoxton, Lewis, Gwathmey, Munford). Half of the students in IRC are US nationals and the rest are international and exchange students. The four buildings offer a range of rooms from suite-style, shared rooms and facilities to dorm style, shared rooms and facilities. The accommodation is fairly basic and IRC is self-catered.

Please note that St Andrews is unable to guarantee housing at any of our partner institutions. Guidance on finding accommodation abroad is available on the Global Office webpage.

Student services and orientation

UVa's Student Services have lots of helpful information on services and programmes offered at Virginia.

Please be aware that student support services will be different across all of our partner universities.