Summer opportunities

The Global Office is excited to offer a number of summer study programmes with our partner universities. Opportunities in France, Germany, Spain and Switzerland will be supported by funding from the UK Government’s Turing mobility scheme and opportunities in Taiwan are supported by funding from Taiwan’s Ministry of Education.

Opportunities in Europe 

What will I study?

We are offering students Turing mobility grants to attend summer opportunities offered by our partner universities in France, Germany, Spain and Switzerland. You can choose from a range of French, German or Spanish language courses.

Where can I go?

Funding is available for the following language courses:

• University of Toulouse-Jean Jaurès: French courses.
  
• University of Lausanne: French courses. 
• University of Heidelberg: German courses, including German language teaching and Business German. 
• Humboldt University of Berlin: German courses.
• University of Valladolid: Spanish courses, including Healthcare and Business Spanish.

How can I apply?

Our Summer Opportunities information session will take place on the 13 March in Arts Seminar Room 1.

Please complete the Summer Opportunities Application Form 2024 (Word, 84 KB) and return it to studyabroad@st-andrews.ac.uk by 19 April. 

If your application is successful, you must complete the partner application form and pay the course fees. 

Who can apply?

This programme is only open to undergraduate students who are registered at St Andrews. Students due to graduate in June 2024 are not eligible for this programme.

How will the summer opportunity be recognised?

Students will receive an end-of-course certificate or transcript from the partner university. Usually, the partner university will assess your academic performance and offer a certain number of credits according to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). ECTS is a credit system based on student workload. One credit point is deemed to be the equivalent of 25-30 learning hours, including lectures, seminars and independent study. Many of our partners will not issue certificates or transcripts to students who are frequently absent from the classroom hours.

Please note that you will not receive academic credit at St Andrews for summer opportunities. The credits and grades scored will not be converted into your St Andrews degree. You will receive recognition of this external placement on your Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) at graduation.

These summer opportunities are intended to allow students more time in a suitable language environment or to explore subjects in their location. Students wishing to receive academic credit at St Andrews for studying abroad should apply for a Study Abroad placement. All of the universities above are also Study Abroad partners of St Andrews.

What funding is available?

Successful applicants will receive a Turing mobility grant from the University of St Andrews. These grants are only tenable for placements of four weeks or more. You must complete the full duration of the summer opportunity and receive a certificate of attendance or transcript from the partner university.

Turing mobility grant rates are published online. Additional financial support is available for students from disadvantaged backgrounds and students who are disabled or have special educational needs. Please note that these criteria are set by the Turing scheme.

A limited number of University scholarships are available for summer travel. If you are awarded other scholarships alongside the Turing grant, these cannot be greater than £1500.

How much will it cost?

You must pay the partner university fees in order to participate in the programme. The fees are listed on each partner webpage. The Turing funding does not cover all of the costs associated with the programme.

Other costs to consider include:

• Transport (round trip).
• Accommodation.
• Other living expenses, e.g., local transport, food, phone, internet.
• Health and liability insurance (if you need this).
• Visa costs (depending on nationality).
• Visa application requirements, such as travel to appointments.

Successful applicants who register their travel will be covered by the University of St Andrews travel insurance policy.

What is the St Andrews panel looking for in my application for funding?

We are looking for motivated students who will be good ambassadors for St Andrews. The panel does not consider academic grades. We judge application forms on three criteria:

• Academic and/or career motivation
• Extracurricular activities and prior travel experience
• Presentation of the application.

Is accommodation available?

The summer opportunities offer some accommodation, which may be limited. You should sign up for these as soon as possible. St Andrews cannot guarantee accommodation at partner institutions.

Who can apply?

This programme is only open to undergraduate students who are registered at St Andrews. As per Padua’s requirements, you must have completed one year of undergraduate study. Students due to graduate in June 2024 are not eligible for this programme.