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ESOL College Based (ESOL)

Edinburgh College is one of the largest year-round providers of English Language courses in Scotland. All College-based ESOL classes are accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English in the UK.

We offer English courses for speakers of other languages (ESOL) and Teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) for anyone wanting to start or develop their career in teaching English to speakers of other languages. 

If English is not your first language, you can study ESOL courses full-time, part-time and in the evening, from beginner to advanced level. You can study at our Sighthill, Granton and Milton Road campuses (Please note that not all courses are available at Milton Road and Granton campuses - check the course details for further information). You will learn the language skills, employability and citizenship skills
for life and work in Scotland. The average class size is 18 - 20 with a maximum class size of 23. You must be age 16 or older to study ESOL courses in the college.

Support for students aged 16 and 17
All 16 and 17-year-olds are given a 24-hour emergency number.
Information on 'Keeping yourself safe in Edinburgh' is provided at
induction. A tutorial system allows students to discuss progress or any problems with their teacher.

• Students are supervised in class, on class trips/ activities, and during work placements.
• Parental consent is required for class trips and work placements. Outside
  these hours there is no supervision of 16 and 17-year-olds.

English as a Foreign Language (EFL)

Our English as a Foreign Language courses are specifically created for international students to help you improve your English language skills, further enhance your professional skills and have a rich cultural experience in Scotland.

Hairdressing and Beauty

Edinburgh College offers a range of courses, working in a live, realistic environment in our professional training salons to ready you for a career in hairdressing, beauty or complementary therapies. You will gain real work experience, learn on the job and develop your hairdressing and beauty skills at our state-of-the-art salons on campus using top industry brands including Elemis, Dermalogica and Wella.

Whether you work in a salon or start your own business, Edinburgh College’s training salons are designed to give students the best experience to ensure they are fully competent in the industry.

Modern Languages

Learning a modern language will prepare you for exciting opportunities in tourism, international business, government, teaching and further vocational study. At Edinburgh College, you can study British Sign Language, French, Spanish, Italian and German. You will learn language skills valued by employers and you build transferable skills you can apply to any career.

We offer a range of study options to suit your lifestyle, such as full-time, part-time, evening and open learning. If you are looking to get back into education, we offer two full-time access to university courses endorsed by SWAP (Scottish Wider Access Programme) to prepare you for degree courses in languages, business and humanities.

Alternatively, if you are already fluent in another language and wish to work as an interpreter or translator in public services, our Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIoL) Diploma in Public Service Interpreting may be for you.

Performing Arts and Photography

Edinburgh College is home to Performing Arts Studio Scotland (PASS), one of the country’s largest and most respected centres for training in the Performing Arts. Whether you aspire towards a career in acting, dance, technical theatre, make-up artistry, costume production or design, PASS is a great place to kick-start your career.

Within PASS you will find a purpose-built theatre and dedicated rehearsal studios. These professional facilities make PASS the perfect place to showcase your talents. We deliver exciting performances throughout the year, giving all specialisms the chance to put their learning into practice.

We have a dedicated team of experienced lecturers who work closely with the industry to ensure our students are given the best opportunity to develop and progress.

Our photography programmes cover digital capture, retouching, studio, portraiture, fashion, food, landscape, advertising, corporate, photojournalism and social. You will have opportunities to work on live industry projects and exhibit your work within the department and at end-of-year shows.

Sport and Fitness

Whether you are looking to build a career in fitness, sports coaching or health and exercise, our programmes will equip you with leadership, communication and teamwork skills to succeed in the multi-million pound sport and fitness industry.

We offer courses from entry level to HND, including high performance programmes in sports such as rugby, football and basketball.

You will be taught by experienced coaches, personal trainers, and specialist consultants. The combination of professional teaching support with our gyms, sport halls and outdoor facilities ensure you are prepared for higher education, direct employment or to start your own business.

Travel and Tourism

Edinburgh College offers full-time travel and tourism courses from Level 5 to Higher National Certificate (HNC) Level 7. Course units cover tour guiding, resort representation, marketing, air travel, senior air cabin crew, visitor attraction operations, skills for customer care and many more. Some of our units are taught and assessed in our mock plane fuselage classroom, based at our Granton Campus.