Information for Students
from the USA

US High School Diploma

Year 1 Entry (Test Optional)

• Applicants will be required to pass with a GPA of 2.8 (on a 4-point scale). Any essential subjects to be achieved with minimum grade B. 

• If applying for year 1 entry, standardised testing is optional.

• Standardised tests accepted for Year 1 entry may include one or more of the following:

  • SAT: Minimum overall score of 1000, with a minimum score of 500 in each component.

  • ACT: Minimum overall score of 24, with a minimum score of 24 in each component.

  • AP: Relevant AP tests at grade 3 or above (taken in the last 3 years).

Year 2 Entry (Standardised Test Required)

• Applicants will be required to pass with a GPA of 3.3 (on a 4-point scale). Any essential subjects to be achieved with minimum grade A. 

• If applying for year 2 entry, standardised testing is required.

• Standardised tests accepted for Year 2 entry may include one or more of the following:

  • SAT: Minimum overall score of 1200, with a minimum score of 550 in each component.

  • ACT: Minimum overall score of 26, with a minimum score of 24 in each component.

  • AP: 2 relevant AP tests at grade 4 or above (taken in the last 3 years).

If  you do not have SAT or ACT scores, we may ask to see other evidence of your academic ability, such as: 

• Your high school curriculum for any essential subjects (eg Math for some of our Computer Games degrees), along with your school profile. We may ask for your School Guidance counsellor or teacher to send this to us. 

• Details of experience you have had in your chosen subject, such as a job or volunteer position in which you learned or employed the required knowledge and skills. 

• Participation in extra-curricular activities which are linked to the degree you are applying for, such as games you have previously developed if you are applying to one of our Games programs. 

• Strong grades in AP or Honours classes in relevant subjects, if these classes were available at your school. 

• College or university level classes you have completed or are currently taking. Please provide a transcript. 

If you are thinking about transferring to Abertay, find out more here.

General Education Test (GED)

Year 1 Entry (Test Optional)

Applicants will be required to pass with an overall score of 580/800, with a minimum score of 145/200 in each of the 4 subtests. Any essential subjects to be achieved with a minimum score of 150/200 in a relevant subtest.

If applying for year 1 entry, standardised testing is optional, however may make an application more competitive, particularly if the GED score is lower than stated above, or if the essential subject is not covered in the curriculum. Expected scores are noted above.

We will consider a lower GED score if sufficient evidence exists to support an offer such as strong scores in standardised tests, professional experience in the subject area, extracurricular activities linked to the programme, college classes, etc.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP)

Year 1 Entry

Applicants who have passed the full IBDP with a total minimum score of 25, with any essential subjects achieved at SL5 or HL4, will be considered for Year 1 entry.

If applying for a programme within our Department of Games Technology and Mathematics, Games and Arts, or Cybersecurity and Computing, applicants will require a total minimum score of 26, with any essential subjects achieved at SL5 or HL4.

Year 2 Entry

Applicants with a total minimum score of 30 or above, with any essential subjects achieved at HL5, may be considered for Year 2 entry. Applicants can choose to start their programme in Year 1 if offered Year 2 entry.

International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP)

Year 1 Entry

We accept and encourage applications with the International Baccalaureate Careers-related Programme (IBCP) but understand that your combination of qualifications may differ depending on where you are studying.

Applicants studying the full IBCP will be required to pass CP Core. IBDP courses will have to relate to essential subjects (where relevant) and passed with SL5 or HL4.

Associates Degree (AD)

Advanced Year Entry

As a founding partner, Abertay are excited to be working with the Transfer Abroad Network, supporting students from community colleges across the US in finding undergraduate degree study options abroad. 

We encourage transfer students to apply through the free Transfer Abroad Network platform, where these will be reviewed on a case by case basis. Alternatively, you can contact Beth with any questions. 

Please check the relevant postgraduate* degree programme to review the entry requirements for each course. GRE is not a requirement, but it may benefit your application.

A Bachelor’s degree (BA/BSc) with a GPA of 3.0-3.33 corresponds to a UK 2:1 (Upper Second) and a GPA of 2.7-3.0 is compares to a UK 2:2 (Lower Second) degree.

*Graduate degree program

Abertay University is happy to accept transfer students from community colleges across the US.

If you would like to transfer to Abertay, you can either apply through the Transfer Abroad Network platform, or contact Beth so she can help create a personalised track of your transfer and assess what credit we could offer. 

In order to facilitate the transfer, you will need to provide an up to date transcript of your studies, including current classes.

We are also happy to accept study abroad students from any US university*, no need for any agreements or contracts! If you are interested in studying abroad at Abertay, find out more about our exchange and study abroad scheme here.

Abertay University also maintains a variety of exchange partners in the United States. Students from our partner colleges and universities do not pay tuition fees to study at Abertay for a semester or full year. Here is the list of our current exchange partners:

• George Mason University

• New Jersey City University

• Pennsylvania College of Technology

• St. Edward’s University

• University of North Florida

If you attend one of these institutions and want to participate in an exchange, contact your university’s international office to discuss the application process.

We are very proud to accept US GI Bill funding (VA facility code: 11201274). If you qualify, you can receive generous funding towards tuition, housing, and book costs at Abertay. Abertay manages your tuition funding only. Other types of support you are eligible for, such as monthly housing allowance, will be sent to you directly.

If you are a US Veteran, please visit the VA Bill Education and Training page to see if you are eligible for this funding. You should request a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) from the VA. Once you receive this certificate, please email usloans@abertay.ac.uk attaching your CoE, to submit your application. 

You should get in touch as soon as possible so your application can be processed in a timely manner. Please be aware that a programme approval may be necessary. Please see https://www.abertay.ac.uk/international/usa/loan-information-for-us-students/ for more information.