About collaborative study

Collaborative study at the University of St Andrews and with Higher Education establishments from around the world is an excellent opportunity to learn in a new environment, meet people and experience study outside of St Andrews.

There are a number of collaborative degrees available for undergraduate and postgraduate students. Each collaborative programme is unique and reflects the specific arrangements agreed between St Andrews and the partner(s) involved. You can find information about the different types of degree offered below.

Most of the current collaborative degrees at St Andrews are joint degrees, which is the University's preferred model, ensuring a fully integrated collaborative programme which offers students a unique learning experience and a single award which reflects the joint nature of the programme.

Joint degree

A joint degree is an arrangement in which St Andrews and one or more partners are involved in all aspects of programme design, development, delivery, assessment, management and decision-making on student achievement.

In order to successfully complete the joint degree programme, students must fulfil the joint programme requirements. Upon successful completion, students gain a single certificate bearing the signatures and crests of all degree-awarding bodies involved.

Double degree

Where a programme is jointly designed and delivered as described above, but it is not possible to award a joint certificate, usually due to legal or regulatory requirements on the partner institution(s). In such cases, students are offered two (or more) certificates, one from each degree-awarding institution involved.

The certificate and/or transcript from St Andrews references the degree from the partner institutions and makes it clear that both degrees refer to the completion of a single, jointly conceived, programme. The awards are fundamentally linked, and students must therefore fulfil the joint programme requirements.

Co-tutelle

A co-tutelle PhD is a collaborative PhD arrangement which is specifically for a named individual student. Students studying under these Agreements are usually awarded a joint degree via a single certificate which carries the insignia of both institutions, though in cases where legal requirements prevent this award, students may receive two certificates, each of which refers to the joint nature of the programme.

At St Andrews, many co-tutelles are offered through established joint programme arrangements with partner institutions under which individual student Agreements are arranged. These programmes are known as Global PhDs.

Dual degree

A dual degree involves institutions working together to offer a jointly conceived programme, but unlike joint and double awards, there is not a single set of joint programme requirements which students must complete. Rather, the programmes are designed to enable students to achieve more than one distinct set of criteria, although these may overlap.

This model often involves a programme of study comprising two separate blocks taken consecutively at each partner institution, leading to two separate qualifications awarded individually by the institutions.

Each institution is responsible for its own award, but the two components form a single package, and the overall arrangement is a joint enterprise that requires a shared understanding of credits and pathways.

A distinguishing feature of this type of degree is that the overall study period and volume of learning is often longer than for either of the individual awards separately, but usually shorter than if each of the programmes of study had been taken consecutively.

These arrangements have aspects in common with articulation Agreements, in that the two learning experiences are aligned and one partner recognises learning undertake at the other as contributing to its own qualification. However, they are distinguished by the way in which they are conceived as a joint enterprise involving more than one degree-awarding body, and where the award made by each is dependent on the other.

Work placements

Work placements are credit-bearing placements which are undertaken as an integral part of a St Andrews degree programme and which are hosted by a third party outside the University in an industrial, business, healthcare or other professional working structure.

Work placements may extend over an entire academic year or a shorter period within the academic year or summer vacation. Work placements may be compulsory or optional, paid or unpaid, in the UK or abroad.

Exchanges and study abroad

Exchanges and study abroad opportunities allow St Andrews students to spend time, usually a semester or full academic year, at an approved partner institution as an integral part of their St Andrews degree programme. Approved credits and grades are converted upon return to St Andrews and are used in degree classification.

Articulation

Articulation is facilitated through an Agreement with other Higher and Further Education Institutions, or appropriate non-educational bodies associated with professions, business or industry to establish effective progression into or out of a programme of study offered by St Andrews.  

Credit achieved at one provider is transferred to contribute to the award completed at another, but the programme is not a joint enterprise and each organisation retains responsibility for its respective component.

Validation

Validation is the award of an academic qualification by the University of St Andrews which is delivered by one or more other institutions.

In such arrangements, students matriculate at St Andrews and have access to the University’s facilities. St Andrews takes responsibility for the quality and standard of the programmes validated leading towards a St Andrews award.

Quality assurance arrangements and academic standards are as equally rigorous as those applied to University programmes.