Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to questions we often get asked about the Award.

For many of the Awards running over the full academic year, you must be available to attend a certain number of workshops in person, as well as completing reflective self-assessments online.

Some versions of the Award e.g. Work Experience have the option for students to complete the Award remotely if, for example, you are a distance learner. For more information, contact the staff leader for the Award you are interested in.


The Award will appear as an entry on your Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR),  an expanded record of your achievements at University.  In reality, just like your degree, the most important things you get from the Award are not the bit of paper or the entry on your HEAR, but what you can do and show as a result of the undertaking the development process.

Upon successful completion, you will be invited to the next Award reception, where you will have a chance to meet participants from other Award versions, staff leaders, senior University figures, and invited employers.

You will also receive an electronic certificate of recognition and a Digital Badge for every version you complete so you can easily share your achievement.


The real value of the Award is not how it looks on your CV,  but rather in the help you get in developing the ability to explain to employers that you are able to not only recognise your skills and abilities, but that you have taken active steps to develop these further.

As with anything you include in a CV or covering letter, it is your ability to describe your involvement with the process and the learning that you went through that is attractive to employers. Being able to demonstrate that you have not only taken part in activities alongside your degree but also actively engaged with your personal development and taken steps to understand and improve your skills is more likely to land you this job.

Employers are keen to know what you have gained from your experiences, so think carefully about the skills you have developed in the process of completing the Award, and if you need more help with CVs, covering letters, and interviews visit the Careers Service website or book a slot to speak to a Careers Consultant.


If you are involved in an activity that is covered by more than one Award (i.e. working part-time as a Student Ambassador), you can only complete one Award for this activity. We would advise you in this instance to undertake the Edinburgh Award (Student Ambassador), as it is more specific to the activity than the Edinburgh Award (Work Experience).

If you are an Office Bearer for more than one student society, you will only be able to get one Edinburgh Award (Students' Association - Student Development).


The Award can be structured around an activity run by students, but there must be a staff member responsible for running the local version of the Award because it appears on students’ HEAR and is a formal recognition by the institution. For example, a new peer-assisted learning scheme run by students for students could be linked to the Award, but a member of staff would have to be responsible for running the Award itself.

Feel free to get in touch if you are interested in setting up a new Award. 

Email: edinburgh.award@ed.ac.uk


Each version of the Award is different depending on the activity it is wrapped around. The Award is delivered locally by staff members from across the University who you should contact directly if you are interested in undertaking a version of the Award.

Please note that the Edinburgh Award cannot credit past experiences. For example, if you are doing a summer internship and want to obtain recognition for it, you need to register for the Edinburgh Award (Work Experience) before you start your internship.

Check out the list of activities currently recognised by the Award and contact information for the staff members associated with each version for more information

Here is a list of recognised activities.


It is up to you when you sign up for an Award, but remember it is never too early to start thinking about your personal development, and the skills you will learn will hopefully stay with you throughout your university career and beyond.

The supported process of personal development can be beneficial to any fully matriculated student, regardless of origin, level (UG/PG), fees status, or mode of study.


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