Pre-arrival

Students are advised to arrive with a level of fitness that is appropriate for multi-day canoeing and hill-walking journeys. A typical day in the field may involve walking on uneven terrain, up and down steep inclines for up to 20km per day, for multiple days in a row. If you have any concerns about fitness level, please email the Programme Director to discuss. In addition, gaining additional experience and/or instruction in any of the practical skill courses that you will be taking is highly recommended.

Detailed information about the Professional Development Programme (PDP) will be discussed and a dedicated Learn page provided at the start of the semester. Students on Certificate pathways are not required to do the PDP, although they may join in at an additional cost if they wish, they have the required skills and space is available.

The University provides all of the technical equipment required for practical courses, although you are welcome to use your own if you prefer. Our technical equipment (eg. ice axes, crampons, helmets, climbing hardware, buoyancy aids, wet suits, paddles, stoves, tents), some of which can be loaned to students for their personal use outside of the courses, as long as they are deemed competent to use it. Naturally, students are responsible for loss or damage to this equipment while on loan.

In terms of what equipment and clothing you should bring with you, we have prepared this list with the help of former students.

Items marked with (*) are available for loan from our stores, subject to availability.

Preliminary Programme Information sheet including Equipment list - for print (Word)

It is in all our interests to have a number of students who can drive minibuses for academic and practical courses.  Becoming a University driver involves taking a short practical test with which experienced drivers will have little difficulty.  If you would like to take the minibus test, please bring both parts of your driving licence and an eye test obtained from your optician within the last two years (this is required whether or not you wear spectacles).

In order to take the minibus test you must:

• Bring the required paperwork (both parts of your driving license and a valid eye test).
• Be over 21 years of age.
• Have no more than 6 penalty points on your licence.
• Have held a UK drivers licence for more than two years.

We appreciate your willingness to support our programme in this way if you hold a bus driving licence for small buses (D1).

A number of PDP and academic courses take place outside of Edinburgh, in a range of places. Given normal driving conditions, the journey by minibus from the University to most of the venues takes anywhere from one to five hours.

Your tuition fees cover all transport, accommodation, and food costs during practical courses (unless otherwise specified). Food to be eaten is organised, prepared and purchased by students on the Programme. While on residential courses there is limited domestic help and the tasks of cooking, washing up and keeping the building clean are the responsibility of the students and staff in residence. A simple duty rota helps to ensure the smooth running of this system.

Both the OE and OESE pathways have core courses that (almost) all of its students are expected to take.

This year we are offering Core OE courses as optional courses to OESE students. These include: Summer Hillwalking (4 days) (£400), Winter Hillwalking (5 days) (£500), Sea Kayaking (5 days) (£500), and Rock Climbing (4 days) (£400). Costs are provisional at point of publishing. If you wish to take these courses, you will be asked to enrol in the first two weeks of September with payment due end of September to secure a place on the course. Availability on these courses is dependent on skills and space permitting.

The process of enrolling on optional courses will be organised by the Programme Director. If you have questions prior to arrival in September (Induction Sep 2nd and 3rd)), please contact us using the following email address (OEE.PDP@ed.ac.uk).

Occasionally it is possible for a student who is highly experienced and/or qualified in certain professional areas to be exempt from participation in certain elements of the PDP. This must be negotiated with the Programme Director long before arrival. 

For optional PDP courses, please pay your PDP fees through the ‘ePay’ system before 11 September - unless otherwise advised. The ePay system requires a credit card for payment.

Access ePay to pay for optional PDP courses

All students of the University are covered against serious injury under the University’s Public Liability policy (subject to legal liability being proven). Please ask to see our Health and Safety documents if you wish to confirm details. You may need to purchase additional coverage for travel outside of the UK, even if this is for a university activity.

A number of associated costs that are not covered by your fees are directly related to Placement.

• First, students are responsible for their travel expenses to and from the Placement agency, irrespective of its location.
• Second, students undertaking their Placement at a residential centre may be charged a nominal cost for food and lodging by the Placement organisation. Students are responsible for this expense which is usually about £5 a day.
• Another possibility highlighted above: your Placement agency may insist on a PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) disclosure, which normally costs £59 and is paid by students.

Students who will be undertaking a work placement may require a disclosure (aka criminal record check or PVG). Those students already disclosed at this level should bring their documentation with them. Overseas students should bring with them appropriate documentation from their own country, which might be a certificate of good conduct from the relevant policy authority. Some placement agencies, however, may insist that students undergo a further disclosure at their own expense (usually £59).  Further information will be provided during Induction.

MyGov.Scot details on Protection of Vulnerable Groups scheme

Part-time students should complete the online academic course application form prior to Induction or as soon as possible. If you have questions, please direct these to the Student Adviser (SESO@ed.ac.uk).

Part-time students are strongly encouraged to attend both Programme and School Induction sessions, at least in their first year, and welcome every year. If you are a full-time student, you will be automatically enrolled for all courses in the Postgraduate Diploma or MSc pathway (as appropriate) and so there is no form to complete.

Course Application Form for Part-time students

Apart from the Outdoor and Environmental Education Programmes official University Facebook page, a Facebook page has been created for students starting in September 2024. If you’re interested in joining, please contact Jack Whittle. Jack is a student from the previous cohort who has very kindly agreed to set this up for you with the support of his peers. This is an excellent resource for any questions you may wish to ask the students from last year who have generously offered to moderate the group. Staff do not have access to this page, so you may ask your questions freely! If you are still looking for accommodation this is a great place to start.

Contact Jack Whittle

Facebook group for Outdoor and Environmental Education students starting September 2024

Many students (particularly those from overseas) find that securing accommodation can be very difficult. If you have not already organised accommodation, some past OE/OESE students recommend not rushing into it at this point. They advise showing up at the beginning of the Programme and staying at a nearby hostel. Then, during the first few days, students in similar circumstances can team up and find suitable housing. We also encourage people looking for roommates to use our OE/OESE Facebook page as a means of connecting.  Note that the end of August is the height of the Edinburgh Festival, so finding a bed for a few nights when you first arrive may be quite challenging. The following sites may be helpful:

• The Advice Place Guide to Search for Accommodation
• The University of Edinburgh accommodation for students search
• International Student Centre Edinburgh 

If you are planning to stay in University Halls of residence, please be advised that this does not normally begin until mid-September (when most of the University programmes begin). If you would like to book temporary University accommodation before your main tenancy starts, please contact Michelle Tait (University Accommodation Services) at once: Michelle.Tait@ed.ac.uk