Second edition of St Andrews Summer Study is a growing success
Applications for St Andrews Summer Study 2025 are open,
More information on our courses and how to apply can be found on the St Andrews Summer Study webpages.
At the end of May, international students travelled to St Andrews to participate in the second edition of the St Andrews Summer Study programme. After a successful launch in 2023, this year the University of St Andrews ran two courses that introduced students to the academic experience at Scotland’s oldest University. Covering subjects in Medieval History (Monastic Scotland: History & Archaeology), and Modern History (Scotland’s History: Kingdom, Nation, People), there was a variety of experiences available to all those participating.
The programme began with a welcome event on the Sunday during arrival weekend, which included campus tours and a welcome dinner for students to meet each other and academics and get their bearings around town. Students started classes the following day and both courses provided the chance to learn outside the classroom and students undertook many visits around Scotland. Excursions were led by the academics themselves and included Dunnottar Castle, Falkland Palace, The Black Watch Museum in Perth, and the Isle of May. Students were able to apply learning from the classroom to real-life locations across St Andrews and Scotland.
Students enrolled on Monastic Scotland were hands-on with their fieldwork in archaeological excavations that took place over at Lindores Abbey. Students from the other courses were invited to visit and discover what their peers had been uncovering, and thoroughly enjoyed their time in Lindores Abbey. You can find more about students’ reflections on their experiences at Lindores Abbey here.
“I cannot speak more highly of the professors and teaching team. They were deeply knowledgeable about their subject and each brought a different infectious energy to the course!”
Summer Study also offered a number of social trips, cultural and activities throughout the programme. Weekend day trips included visiting Edinburgh (including the iconic Edinburgh Castle) and Glasgow’s West End to allow students the opportunity to explore other famous cities in Scotland at their leisure. The Scottish experience would not be complete without the opportunity to taste some of the regions whisky with visits to Kingsbarns Distillery and Lindores Abbey distillery. Students also had plenty of free time to explore Scotland further, venturing out to the Highlands and beyond!
“I learned an unbelievable amount throughout this course and am very thankful for these immersive learning opportunities.”
As the 3-4 weeks of study drew to an end, students met up for pub quizzes and final farewell dinners with course academics. Despite some fierce competition at The Rule during the pub quiz, students were sad to be leaving their chosen courses and were very positive about their time in St Andrews. We hope that all of our St Andrews Summer Study students enjoyed their time in St Andrews and their academic courses they took part in. Applications for next year’s programmes will be opening later this year so keep an eye on our webpages and social media platforms for more information!
If you’d like to find out more or get in touch with the team, please email us at [email protected].