Study with us Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)

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 intend to study (or continue study) at Masters or Doctoral level or work as a researcher in certain sensitive subjects.

ATAS certificates

ATAS Certificates are issued by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) giving you the security clearance to study subject areas where the knowledge gained may have application in the development or delivery of weapons of mass destruction (for example, certain science subjects, mathematics, engineering, technology or medicine). ATAS Certificates are valid for six months from the date of issue for the purpose of applying for a Student Visa.

When is ATAS clearance required?

  • as part of the Student Route visa application
  • to register on your course where you have limited leave to remain/immigration status (this applies to almost all visa categories)
  • if your course details change
  • if your course end date is being extended by more than three months (for example, because you have a study or time limit extension)

ATAS certificates are required for specific programmes of study or research Science or Engineering subjects where:

  • undergraduate study leading to a Masters award (for example, Meng, MSci)
  • study leading to PhD
  • study leading to another postgraduate qualification
  • study or research as part of an overseas postgraduate qualification

This is relevant to both new students applying for entry clearance to the UK and existing students already in the UK starting study or research.

When you know which course you’ll be applying for, you can check whether you need an ATAS certificate through the UK Government's Academic Technology Approval Scheme.

You will need to know the Common Aggregate Hierarchy (CAH3) code for your course. If you are applying for a course with us, you can find the code in your Pegasus application, in the Application Summary section.

Your offer letter from the University of Strathclyde will state if your programme requires an ATAS Certificate and provide the CAH Code.

ATAS Clearance is required at visa application when applying for a Student Route visa. If you are issued a CAS to allow a Student Route visa application, this will also confirm if ATAS Clearance is required.

All individuals in the UK on a time-limited visa require an ATAS Clearance certificate prior to starting study or research in a relevant area. If you’re in the process of applying for asylum in the UK, you must apply for an ATAS certificate to study in the UK.

You will be required to provide your ATAS certificate as part of the registration process if you are studying on a relevant course and are not exempt based on your nationality.  

Applying for ATAS Clearance is free of charge and application can be submitted online at the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) website. ATAS Clearance applications do not require any payment.

An ATAS certificate is specific to both the programme of study you intend to undertake and the university you plan to attend. You must 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.

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 Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has also provided some advice on applying for your ATAS certificate to help ensure there are no delays to your application. Please read this information carefully when preparing your application and follow the guidance provided.

You can apply for ATAS Clearance for more than one course or area of research, however duplicate applications will not be accepted. To apply for more than one course with the same CAH code, you must wait for a decision on the first application before you can submit a further ATAS Clearance application.

If you are a postgraduate student you will need to provide a list of the modules you will be studying. You can look up the regulation number in the Programme Regulations for details of the modules for each programme listed on this page.

If you are a research student, 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.

An ATAS certificate is issued for a specific programme with a named university and remains valid as long as your course details do not change. You will need to take action in the following circumstances:

Change to course end date

You will need a new ATAS certificate if your course end date is delayed by 3 months or more. In this situation you should notify the ATAS team by emailing ATAS@fcdo.gov.uk for further guidance.

Change of course or field of study

You must apply for a new ATAS certificate if:

  • the content of your course changes
  • your primary supervisor changes
  • your financial sponsor or conditions for financial sponsorship change at any time during your
  • study or research

The ATAS application form will not allow you to enter a course start date in the past.  If you are applying for the ATAS for a programme that you have already started, you can put the next working day on the ATAS application for your course start date.

ATAS applications take at least 6 weeks to complete, and may take longer during busy periods, so we recommend that you apply as early as possible. You will not be able to commence study of research without an ATAS certificate if this is required for your course or visa. If you have been waiting for longer that the published processing times please contact our Visa Compliance Team visa.compliance@strath.ac.uk. 

The ATAS team will email you a copy of your ATAS certificate where your application is successful. A copy of your certificate will also be forwarded to the university. Once issued, ATAS Certificates are valid for visa applications for six months and must be valid on the date of submission.

Where an ATAS application is refused, you will need to wait 90 days before applying again for the same course of research at the same university under the same CAH3 code. You can request an appeal by contacting the ATAS Team (ATAS@fcdo.gov.uk).

Masters level courses (postgraduate)

The following programmes require an ATAS certificate. You will need to provide a list of the modules you will be studying. You can look up the regulation number in the Programme Regulations for details of the modules for each programme listed below.

  • Engineering/Chemical & Process Engineering/Postgraduate Taught (PGT) Awards
  • Advanced Chemical Engineering
  • Energy Systems Innovation

  • MSc Renewable Energy & Decarbonisation Technologies

  • Advanced Materials Engineering
  • Advanced Mechanical Engineering
  • Advanced Mechanical Engineering with Aerospace
  • Advanced Mechanical Engineering with Energy Systems
  • Advanced Mechanical Engineering with Industrial Placement
  • Advanced Mechanical Engineering with Materials
  • Engineering/Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering/Postgraduate Taught (PGT) Awards

  • Advanced Physics
  • Applied Physics
  • Photonics
  • Quantum Technologies
  • Nanoscience
  • Science/Physics/Postgraduate Taught (PGT) Awards

  • Sustainable Engineering: Chemical Processing
  • Sustainable Engineering: Renewable Energy Systems & the Environment
  • Engineering/Faculty Programmes/Postgraduate Taught (PGT) Awards

Undergraduate Integrated Masters applicants (MEng & MSci)

If you’re applying for an undergraduate integrated Masters programme 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 modules in your ATAS application.

You can look up the Programme Regulations for details of the modules for each programme listed below.

  • MPhys Physics
  • Science/Physics/Undergraduate (UG) Awards

  • MEng Chemical Engineering
  • Engineering/Chemical & Process Engineering/Undergraduate (UG) Awards

  • MEng Electrical & Mechanical Engineering
  • Engineering/Electronic & Electrical Engineering/Undergraduate (UG) Awards

  • 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
  • Engineering/Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering/Undergraduate (UG) Awards