Study with us Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS): information for students
The Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) applies to all international students and researchers (apart from exempt nationalities) who are subject to UK immigration control and are intending to study (or continue study) at Masters or Doctoral level or work as a researcher in certain sensitive subjects.
You will need an ATAS Certificate if:
You are studying a relevant Masters or Doctoral level course or undertaking relevant research. You won’t need an ATAS certificate for a Bachelor’s degree, but some undergraduate students in Science and Engineering who are studying towards a Masters (some MEng or MSci students) may need a certificate
and
You are not an exempt nationality (you can check the list of ATAS exempt nationalities)
and
You need a student visa, or have another visa with a time limit (for example as the spouse of a student), or you are an asylum seeker
You do not need to apply for ATAS if you have Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK.
The ATAS application can take eight weeks or longer to process. We recommend that you apply for ATAS as soon as you know you will need a certificate and allow three months for this process, especially if you will be applying for a visa extension in the UK. The application is processed by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). The FCO will not “fast track” an application for ATAS.
If you need a Student Visa
If you are applying for a student visa or an extension of your visa, and your course requires an ATAS certificate, you will need the certificate before you submit your visa or visa extension application. If you received an ATAS certificate when you started your course and are now applying for a visa to extend your studies, you will need to apply for a new ATAS certificate.
How do I know if my course requires ATAS?
When you know which course you’ll be applying for, you can check whether you need an ATAS certificate on the UK Government's Academic Technology Approval Service web page.
You will need to know the CAH3 code for your course – if you are an applying for a course with us, you can find the code in your Pegasus application, in the Application Summary section.
If we issue a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) for a Student visa, we will include the ATAS requirement and CAH3 code in your CAS.
How to apply
Please read the information on the UK Government ATAS web pages carefully.
Please ensure that the course, passport and personal details you provide on your ATAS form match the details on your Strathclyde offer letter and/or CAS. If any of the details we hold are wrong, please contact us to correct this.
The FCO has also provided some advice to help ensure there are no delays to your application. Please read and follow this guidance and ensure that you apply as a student rather than a researcher
Research students
The ATAS requirement and CAH3 course code will be included on your CAS. You can also find your CAH3 in the Application Summary section of your Pegasus application if you’re applying for a new course with us.
You will need to provide a statement of your research. You should agree this statement with your supervisor and enter it exactly on the ATAS form, using the wording agreed with your supervisor.
Masters level courses (postgraduate)
The following courses require an ATAS certificate. You will need to provide a list of the classes (modules) you will be studying. You can look up the regulation number in the Course Regulations for details of the classes for each course listed below.
Advanced Chemical & Process Engineering
Regulation 19.17.54
Advanced Mechanical Engineering
Advanced Mechanical Engineering with Aerospace
Advanced Mechanical Engineering with Energy Systems
Advanced Mechanical Engineering with Materials
Advanced Mechanical Engineering with Power Plant Technologies
Regulation 19.47.24
Nanoscience
Applied Physics
Advanced Physics
Regulation 19.17.44
Optical Technologies
Regulation 19.17.54
Sustainable Engineering: Chemical Processing
Regulation 19.40
Sustainable Engineering: Renewable Energy Systems & the Environment
Regulation 19.40
Undergraduate Integrated Masters applicants (MEng & MSci)
If you’re applying for an undergraduate integrated masters course listed below or a visa or extension of stay to complete the Masters year, you will need to apply for ATAS you need to include a list of your final year classes in your ATAS application.
You can look up the regulation number in the University Regulations for details of the classes for each course listed below. The numbers are in the document called General & Course Regulations for Graduate & Postgraduate Award & Degrees 15-16
Department of Physics
MPhys Physics
Regulation 12.17.11
Department of Chemical & Process Engineering
MEng Chemical Engineering
Regulation 12.43.7 and 12.43.8
Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
MEng Aero-Mechanical Engineering
MEng Mechanical Engineering
MEng Mechanical Engineering with Aeronautics
MEng Mechanical Engineering with Financial Management
MEng Mechanical Engineering with International Study
MEng Mechanical Engineering with Materials Engineering
We MEng in Electrical & Mechanical Engineering
Regulation 12.47.8 and 12.47.9