University of the West of Scotland

The University of the West of Scotland traces its origins to 1897, when Paisley College of Technology was established. The institution gained university status in 1992 as the University of Paisley and, following its merger with Bell College in Hamilton in 2007, adopted its current name to reflect a wider regional presence. It is one of the largest modern universities in Scotland.

UWS has four campuses in the south and west of Scotland, at Paisley, Lanarkshire, Ayr and Dumfries, where it shares the Crichton Campus with partner institutions, and a fifth campus in London. The university has around 19,000 students and offers more than 100 undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses. Teaching and research are organised through schools covering business and creative industries; computing, engineering and physical sciences; education and social sciences; and health and life sciences. The university emphasises career-focused, employer-informed degrees and applied research, with a stated commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Information for International Students

UWS has a diverse student community drawing on more than 70 countries across its five campuses. The International Student Support Team advises on student immigration and Student visas, travel during study breaks, dependant visits, working in the UK and cultural adjustment, with drop-in sessions at the student hubs on the Paisley and London campuses. New students have access to welcome guides, visa application guides, online sessions on life in the UK, school induction events and free English language support classes.

The typical English language requirement for undergraduate and taught postgraduate study is IELTS 6.0 overall with no component below 5.5, rising to 6.5 for research degrees and 7.0 for professionally regulated courses such as nursing, midwifery and social work. Pre-sessional English courses of 5 and 10 weeks run between May and August, online and on campus, and a longer English Language for University Study programme is also available. International scholarships are offered for selected programmes. Graduates may be eligible for the Graduate Route.