St Andrews Summer Study

What can I study?

Explore the range of subjects available and find the summer course that's right for you.

GG3800 - Blue Carbon: Science and Policy

Saturday 5 June - Saturday 19 June 2027

HI1801 - Scotland's History: Kingdom, Nation, People

Saturday 5 June - Sunday 27 June 2027

ME3810 - Monastic Scotland: History and Archaeology

Saturday 5 June - Saturday 3 July 2027

AA3811 - Introduction to Human Osteoarchaeology

Saturday 3 July - Saturday 17 July 2027

• Course fees

  2027 fees TBC

  The course fees for 2026 entry are as follows:
  2-week courses: £3,050
  3-week courses: £4,250
  4-week courses: £5,700

  St Andrews Summer Study course fees are inclusive of the following:

  • Tuition fee
  • Accommodation in our residences, en-suite in shared five-person apartments (sharing with other Summer School students)
  • A programme of excursions, cultural and social activities
  • A number of catered meals including:
    • Breakfast 7 days a week (Monday – Sunday)
    • Lunch 5 days a week (Monday – Friday)
    • Dinner 5 days a week (Monday – Friday)
  • Access to Sports Centre for the duration of the summer school
  • Access to University services as a registered student of St Andrews, including the Library, IT Services, Student Services

  The Fee does not include airfare or getting to St Andrews, personal expenditure (snacks and laundry) or access to St Andrews Academic Documents (academic transcript).

  While course fees include university accommodation and a meal plan, we recognise that participants may have varying needs and preferences. If you do not require accommodation and meals, or have alternative arrangements, please contact us at shortcourses@st-andrews.ac.uk to discuss non-residential options.

• Academic credit

  The University of St Andrews is fully accredited by the Scottish Qualifications Authority and recognised in the United States as a Title IV institution. Summer Study students earn credit under the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF).

  Students can receive between 10 and 16 SCQF credits (equivalent to 2.5 - 4 US credits or 5 - 8 ECTS credits). Please refer to individual course pages for specific credit information.

  Each SCQF credit is rated 10 hours of work (roughly 1/3 contact hours and 2/3 self-directed study). You will complete work for graded assessment and receive a University of St Andrews transcript.

  Please check with your home institution about credit transfer arrangements.

  How to access your academic transcript
  

  After St Andrews Summer Study has finished, you will be notified via email when your transcript is available to access via the University's new digital system: St Andrews Documents Online. Please note there is a one time fee to access your documents. For more details, see the University's guide on how to access your official documents. 

• Entry requirements

  General entry requirements

  Applicants to St Andrews Summer Study must meet the following requirements:

  • Be aged 18 or over at the time of arrival in St Andrews.
  • Meet the university's English language requirements, where applicable.

  Applicants who have undertaken university study must have achieved a minimum average grade of 3.2 (on a USA 4.0 GPA scale) or equivalent.

  Academic requirements

  Level 1000 courses

  • Current university offer holders who have not yet started their university studies must provide proof of their university offer letter.
  • Applicants currently or previously enrolled at university must have completed at least one year of university study (at least two semesters of full-time higher education) or equivalent, and provide an official academic transcript.

  Level 3000 courses

  • Applicants must have completed at least one year of university study (at least two semesters of full-time higher education) or equivalent, and provide an official academic transcript.
  • Please check individual course pages for any additional academic requirements.

  English Language Requirements 

  If you are a national of the UK or you are a national of a country in the United Kingdom Visas and Immigration (UKVI) list of majority English-speaking countries you will not normally need to provide an English language test.

  If you are from another country or use English as an additional language, you must provide evidence that you can use English well enough to study effectively at St Andrews. You should include information about your English language proficiency with your application. The University accepts a wide range of language tests and qualifications as proof of English language proficiency.

  For information on whether you are required to submit an English Language test score alongside the list of language tests and qualifications which the University accepts, see the Undergraduate English Language requirements.

  • Under 'Which English language test score should I provide', select the Faculty of Arts and Profile 3-D (If you are applying to Blue Carbon, please follow the Faculty of Science Profile 7-D) and follow the information for undergraduate entry. 

  English Language test scores are only normally accepted if obtained within two years of the programme start date.

• Accommodation

  You will be housed in one of our student residences, David Russell Apartments (DRA). They are located on the western edge of town, about a 20-minute walk to the centre of town and local amenities, and a ten-minute walk from the Sports Centre. There are regular bus routes between DRA and the town centre.

  You will have a private bedroom with a double bed (four foot six inches wide), individual climate control and an en-suite shower room. There are five bedrooms per apartment, which includes a kitchen with a soft seating area, breakfast bar, oven, microwave, fridge freezer, tv and a dishwasher. There is basic cooking equipment and kitchenware, and an iron and ironing board. Wifi is free and available throughout the residence.

• Extra-curricular activities

  Alongside all courses, there are a range of excursions, cultural and social activities held throughout the programme. Excursions and activities differ each year but previous years have included but are not limited to:

  • Welcome events
  • Pub Quiz
  • Day trip to Edinburgh
  • Day trip to Glasgow's West End
  • Edinburgh Castle
  • Local whiskey distillery
  • East Neuk of Fife
  • Highland Games

  Full details will be announced in the lead up to the start of the programme. 

• Travel, visa and health information

  Getting to St Andrews

  The closest international airports to St Andrews are Edinburgh Airport and Glasgow Airport. If flying to London, you also have the option of taking the Caledonian Sleeper service, an overnight train (London Euston to Leuchars). Leuchars is the closest railway station to St Andrews, situated approx. 6 miles outside the town. From Leuchars, St Andrews is easily reached by bus or taxi.

  See more details on how to get to St Andrews.

  Visas

  Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETAs) have now been introduced worldwide for visitors to the UK who do not currently need a visa for short stays, or who do not already have a UK immigration status (e.g. Student route visa) prior to travelling.

  If you are coming to the UK for study for fewer than six months this means you are visiting the UK as a Standard Visitor. Check on the UK government visa pages whether you need an ETA or Standard Visitor Visa, and what you will need to show at the border. Please refer to the information provided about visas and travelling to the UK on the University webpages for international students.

  Healthcare

  Students are strongly advised to ensure they have the adequate medical and travel insurance for the duration of their stay in the UK to insulate themselves from costs that they may otherwise be responsible for paying. If students have health insurance coverage, they must check if their health insurance covers the costs beforehand.

  For more information, please see our Healthcare webpage. Please be aware that the University does not provide travel insurance of any kind. 

  The National Health Service (NHS) is the primary medical service in the UK. Information about the NHS is available on the NHS inform website. Arrangements for international students are dependent on your visa status and any reciprocal health arrangements which the UK has in place with your country. Some NHS services are free of charge for everyone, these include:

  • accident and emergency services
  • family planning services
  • diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections
  • diagnosis and treatment of certain infectious diseases
  • compulsory psychiatric treatment.

  Using your phone abroad

  All international students will need to change to a UK SIM card for their mobile phone while studying in St Andrews to access NHS services, including urgent medical care. Find out more about mobile phones. 

• Study Abroad Discount

  Students who complete a St Andrews Summer Study Course will be eligible for a 10% discount on their tuition fees for our- year-long or semester-long Study Abroad programmes.

  Please ensure that you have read our exchange and study abroad policy to make sure you are eligible for our Study Abroad programmes.

• Support

  Any queries prior to the summer school should be directed to shortcourses@st-andrews.ac.uk. 

• Terms and conditions

  Depending on demand, certain courses may not be available in 2027. If this happens, we will clearly communicate this to offer holders by early April.

  Students taking part in the St Andrews Summer Study will be registered as “summer visiting students”.  All students are obliged to adhere to the University’s code of conduct and have read the Terms and Conditions of Study.

  Please make sure that you have also read the St Andrews Summer Study Terms and Conditions. 

  Admission and registration is governed by the policy on the admission and registration of exchange and study abroad students.  

• How to apply

  We recommend that you first check the entry requirements and discuss your application with your home institution, in particular if you want to transfer back credit from this summer school. Please note the Terms and Conditions in the section above.

  The application deadline for all courses will be announced when applications open (usually late March/early April)

  Required supporting documents 

  You will need to provide the following supporting documents as part of your Summer Study application.

  You can provide supporting documents when completing your application or upload them after you have submitted your application via the My application portal. All supporting documents must be received before an unconditional offer can be issued. 

  Personal statement

  This should tell us why you wish to study on your selected course and at St Andrews.

  Official university offer letter (current university offer holders only)

  Current university offer holders who have not yet started their university studies must provide proof of their official university offer letter.

  Applicants who have undertaken university study will need to provide an official university transcript (see below). 

  Official academic university transcript

  The transcript must be official and up-to-date, and you should include transcripts for time spent at other universities if relevant. Transcripts cannot be accepted that are marked as unofficial. Upload your official transcripts directly to your application, or ask your home institution to email it to shortcourses@st-andrews.ac.uk. Please submit original documents but where they are not in English, you will need to provide an official translated copy as well.

  Academic reference

  Your reference must be written by an academic member of staff at your current home institution. It must be signed and written on official headed letter paper and can be submitted by the referee after you submit your application. 

  It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that your referee submits an academic reference. We strongly recommend that you contact your chosen referee to confirm that they are aware they have been cited. 

  English language certificate - if applicable

  If your first language is not English, you will need to provide an English language certificate showing you meet the university's proficiency standards. You can find more information on our language requirements in the 'Entry Requirements' section above.

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  After submitting your application

  Applications are considered continually on a rolling basis from the application opening date until the application deadline therefore we'd recommend you submit your application as soon as possible before places fill up. Applicants will usually receive an answer within two weeks of submitting a complete application, though review may take longer depending on module choice and other circumstances (such as holiday closures).

  (Blue Carbon applicants should not expect to receive a decision on their course application until at least early/mid March though review may take longer depending on the volume of applications and any other extenuating circumstances).