Welcome Week

New students should aim to complete the tasks listed here before welcome week. More information will be sent through email communications. Ahead of welcome week, please direct all enquiries to biologystudents@ed.ac.uk.

1. Choose your optional courses

If you have accepted your unconditional offer, you can have a look at your optional courses (where applicable) and make your choice by 23:59 (BST) Sunday 1st September. Please check your student email for the link to submit your choices, if you think you didn't receive the link please email pgtbiol@ed.ac.uk. If you haven't yet met your conditions and would like to choose optional courses, then please get in touch. 

Optional Courses

2. Complete your Pre-Arrival Review

We encourage students to use the pre-arrival review to help us understand your expectations and current thinking, and to assist you in reflecting on and planning for the year ahead – this will help both you and us prepare for the coming year and together work to make it the best it can be.

Please fill in your review before Monday 16th September. You will need to be logged in to MyEd before you click the link.

Pre-Arrival Review

3. Complete the new students Health and Safety Course

For all new students in the School of Biological Sciences, it's required to complete a Health and Safety Course. Please follow these steps to enrol in the course:

• Go to https://www.learn.ed.ac.uk/
• Click ‘Course Catalogue’ in the top right hand corner
• Search SBS Health and Safety Induction - PGT/MSc – you don’t need to enter any other information, just the course name in the search bar, and click ‘Go’ (if it doesn't work, try typing the name in rather than copying and pasting)
• The course should now be listed in the box below, and in the ‘Course ID’ column, click the grey circular button with a down arrow next to the course, and then click ‘Enrol’
• Click ‘Submit’ on the next page
• Once you have enrolled, the course will appear on your Home page the next time you log-in to Learn
• The course includes a presentation and quiz, and we recommend that you complete both as soon as possible, and by Friday 4^th October at the very latest.
• Please email biologystudents@ed.ac.uk if you have any problems enrolling on the course.

4.Get familiar with the University online

We'd advise all new students to work through the various sections on the Introduction to IT and Learning Technologies page, particularly the 'An Introduction to the University Online' section. This information is designed to introduce you to some of the essential online tools and programmes that you will use during your degree.

Introduction to IT and Learning Technologies

4. Review the 'Get ready for University' page and 'Top 6 Tasks'

The University's New Students' website has lots of great information to help you get ready to start your studies. 

Get ready for University

An important task is to complete the 'Top 6 Tasks' which must be completed by all new students either before, or when you arrive, to enable you to begin your studies with us.

Top 6 Tasks

5. Download the University of Edinburgh Events App

Welcome Week is packed with academic and social events to help you settle in at Edinburgh. The Events App is an essential tool to explore what is on offer, get organised and make the most of your first week at university.

• To find general events in the app choose 'Full calendar of events'
• For Biological Sciences MSc student events choose 'Degree-related events', then 'Postgraduate Taught (PGT)', then 'Biological Sciences - Postgraduate Taught'

Please check your emails regularly for direct communications, including information about specific activities nearer to the start date too. 

Download the Events App

MSc Programme Induction meetings

Each programme is holding a separate welcome meeting at the same time, please ensure you check the details for your programme, some timings are different. It is important that you attend this in-person session for your programme. 

In this session you will meet your Programme Director and fellow students, and will receive an overview your programme and the academic year. There will also be time to ask questions.

RBGE Tours and Microscope Session for Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants Students 10:00 - 16:00

Conference Room, Balfour Buildings (Research buildings), Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) 20A Inverleith Row

This event is compulsory for students on the Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants programme only

You will be given a tour of the gardens to help you find your way around and to find out more about the RBGE. You will also have a microscope induction session in our teaching lab.

Python Primer 10:00 - 17:00

JCMB 1208

This event is optional

A session that will introduce the Python programming language, explain how to work with Python within the University and give examples of how to solve common problems using Python. The first session of the course will provide some practice exercises that you can complete yourself.  There will then be a follow-up session a few weeks later to review the course content and discuss solutions to the practical exercises. 

The course is designed for complete beginners although can also serve as a ‘refresher’ course for those with some Python experience.  The course is not for credit and there are no formal assessments.  It is designed to be complementary to other Python programming courses that you might encounter offered within individual MSc programmes. 

MSc Student Adviser Meeting and Campus Treasure Hunt, 11:00 - 12:30

This event is mandatory for new MSc students in the School of Biological Sciences on the programmes listed below, this is where we will confirm your attendance, a key part of matriculation.

You will meet with your Student Adviser and have the chance to ask any questions about being an MSc student in the School. You will also take part in a treasure hunt around the King's Buildings campus to help you get your bearings and meet your fellow students.

Programmes to attend this event:

​​Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants Stusdy Skills Induction 10:00 - 13:00

Board Room Annexe (TBC), Balfour Buildings (Research buildings), Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) 20A Inverleith Row

This event is compulsory for students on the Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants programme only

These sessions include an introduction to RBGE’s virtual learning environment and an introduction to study approaches and research skills

Using a Pipette: a Refresher, 10:00 - 16:00

Peter Wilson Building G.128

This event is optional

This drop-in event is an opportunity for students who have not been in a lab recently and want to refresh their pipetting skills. This is a completely voluntary session, hosted by staff who will be on hand to guide you through a couple of short activities (30 -60 mins) in a no pressure environment. Students can choose to pop-by the lab, located in the Peter Wilson Building, at any point during the day from 10.00-16.00. 

Short Seminar Session, 14:00-15.30

Swann Lecture Theatre, King's Buildings​​​​

This event is optional and open to all undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Hear from our academic staff in several short seminars on a range of research topics from across the School of Biological Sciences.

MSc Academic Guidance Sessions, 10:00-12:00

Swann Lecture Theatre, King's Buildings

This event is mandatory for all School of Biological Sciences MSc students including students of the Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants programme

An introduction to key services for your time at University, including the Institute for Academic Development, the Library and the Careers Service. There will also be an introduction to plagiarism and how to avoid it.