School of Social and Political Science

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The course change and course audit forms are now closed. If you submitted a request and have not heard from us, please consider your request unsuccessful. If your request for Semester 2 course was unsuccessful, you can try again and resubmit your request when the form reopens closer to Semester 2.

As part of your degree at Edinburgh, you have the opportunity to select optional courses to take alongside those that are compulsory for your degree programme. Below is guidance on choosing optional courses to fulfil the requirements of your degree programme. 

Postgraduate Taught students with an unconditional firm offer to study with us for the 2025–26 academic year can now submit their optional course choices. Submit your course choices as soon as possible and no later than the deadline of the 11th of September.

Steps to choosing your course

1. Use DRPS to view your degree programme and what optional courses you can take. 
    
2. Note which optional courses you want to take. 
   Consider your first choices as well as backup options. We recommend providing six optional course choices to ensure you have enough backup options, the minimum you can provide is four.
    
3. Ensure there are no clashes in your timetable. 
   Check the timetabling information for each optional course choice using the new timetabling system, Timetabler, which can be accessed through MyEd (in the 'Studies’ tab, under ‘My Course’  column).  

4. Submit your course choices via our online course choice form by 3rd September.

Frequently Asked Questions 

How many credits should I choose?

Normally, as a taught MSc student, you will take courses amounting to:

• 60 credits in Semester 1
• 60 credits in Semester 2

In exceptional circumstances, and with your Programme Director’s agreement, it may be possible to change this weighting; for example take 40 credits in one semester and 80 in another.

Will I always receive a place on my chosen course?

Based on the pre-enrolment information gathered from you, the Teaching Office will seek to ensure you are given your first or second course choices.

However, due to high demand, there is a possibility you may not be given a place on a course of your preference.

When will I be signed up to my courses and how can I check?

You can check on MyEd which courses you have been signed up for. 
We aim to have you signed up for all of your courses no later than the 12th of September. 
Once signed up to your courses, you will be able to view your personal timetable and guidance on this can be found at Student Timetables 

MyEd login portal

Are my course choices final?

Course choices made at this stage are by no means final. Should you decide to change any of your elective courses, for instance, after talking to the Teaching Office or Student Adviser during Welcome Week, this will be possible until the end of Week 2 of the semester the course runs in.

In doing so, however, you will have to expect that some popular course options might be unavailable by that point.

Please contact us at pgenrolment.sps@ed.ac.uk if you have any questions about making a change to your initial course choices. 

Advice on academic matters?
Please email your Programme Director or Student Adviser in the first instance. 
If you are unsure of who to speak to contact the Student Advice and Support team and a Student Adviser will be able to help you.
 

Course change and course audit requests