Summer Academic Experience Courses

Our Summer Academic Experience Courses (SAEC) are the only international summer school programmes available at the University of St Andrews for high school students. The three-week residential programmes bring together students from all over the world, offering an exclusive transformative experience.

Our students immerse themselves in Scotland's prestigious academic traditions and are taught by University staff. The fun packed schedule is designed to create lasting memories and friendships.

Students will receive a student ID card and will have free access to our world-class facilities, including the library and newly redeveloped sports centre.

Find us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with the latest SAEC news.

You can also watch testimonials from previous years on our playlist here - SAEC YouTube Playlist

Video transcript

[intro music]

[Nami] Usually, for summer programmes that I attend, it's either super academically rigorous or not enough. And I feel like St Andrews fits right in between. And so I was able to enjoy my time in Scotland, but also be able to learn so many new things I didn't know before.

[Liam] It's really opened my eyes on how undergraduate work has been. And the difference in cultures really opens up how uni will be. It has just been, like, one of the best experiences of my life.

[Macie] I really enjoyed the variety of lectures we had. We had some that were more focused on cinematography, some that were more focused on, like, the philosophical side of cinema. As well as our last two days, we had a film critic and a director come, and that was really enjoyable.

[Ifeoma] I've learned that I like actually other things, like anthropology or literature. We had children's literature. And that was so interesting.

[Rami] I studied management, and our final project was to do a Dragon's Den or Shark Tank pitch. We kind of developed a company based off, like, a healthy energy drink, and we were able to present it in front of the RAs (Residential Assistants), it was a really good experience to kind of understand the in and outs of a business.

[Ifeoma] To be in university, to experience it before going really to university too. It's nice. I know now I fell in love with this university

[Macie] I've never been to Scotland or the UK, so I really enjoyed my time here. Getting to know the landscape, try different Scottish foods. I also really enjoyed our trips to Glasgow and Edinburgh. I enjoyed going to the National Gallery of Scotland. We did a hike yesterday and we went to like a really cute coastal town and we saw Highland cows, which were adorable.

[Eva] Outside of class, I can say maybe the most basic which is walking around the town. The town is very beautiful, the climate was very nice.

[Ifeoma] Oh yeah. The surfing activity was fun. It was fun because the weather was amazing. But also, I like going to the beach and, just hanging out there

[Nami] I especially enjoyed the ping pong tournament. It was just so fun to see how hyped up everyone was and supporting their friends or supporting people they hadn't even talked to.

[Liam] I've really enjoyed like for debate, like for example, I really do like the research. That's why I want to be a research scientist.

[Mateo] Honestly, the architecture of the building. It was so beautiful that it doesn't look real. It sort of felt so liminal.

[Rami] I really enjoyed looking at all the buildings and seeing, kind of, a lot of different architecture. It's really interesting to see how a lot of these older towns have developed.

[Mateo] It was like a world of Harry Potter. I really love it.

[Rami] Coming here I was a little uncertain what it was gonna be like to make new friends. Were people going to come here with friends? That was one thing I actually really enjoyed, was meeting everybody, introducing myself, finding out where people were from and finding out their experiences, and kind of building a community of them.

[Liam] I found it really enlightening. It's allowed me to look at different cultures, see how everyone else finds academic pursuit.

[Nami] After all the activities we had in the day, even if everyone was a little bit tired, we would all gather in the common room. People would play ping pong, we would play pool, it was kind of a space where people didn't really look at their phones, and we really got to know each other and I think also realize how international this summer program is.

[Macie] There's so many different people from so many different places in the world that have such a variety of interests. And you'll definitely find people. They do a really good job at the beginning of the program. You have like a WhatsApp group chat and stuff like that.

[Nami] Coming here, you realize that the world is so small. I know that I found mutuals with people that I would never expect. And this camp does such a great job at trying to bond people together and get to know people. So you'll definitely leave knowing at least everyone or seeing each other's faces and knowing each other's names.

[Can you sum up the SAEC in five words?]

[Macie]I would say immersive

[Ifeoma] Enriching

[Liam] Community

[Eva] Exciting, definitely

[Ifeoma] Adventurous

[Nami] Transformative experience that's incredibly memorable.

[Mateo] Peaceful.

[Macie] beautiful

[Eva] Diverse

[Rami] Friendships that will last forever.

[Macie] and... apply!

Applications are now open for Summer 2027. Visit the relevant subject page linked below to apply.

Course dates

Start date: Saturday 24 July 2027
End date: Saturday 14 August 2027

Course fee

The course fee for 2027 entry is £6,950. This is an all-inclusive fee.

A deposit of £500 must be paid within 48 hours of receiving your unconditional offer.

Scholarships

International Education and Lifelong Learning Institute (IELLI) SAEC applicants on the Diverse Intelligences course can apply for three fully funded scholarships of £6,950.00. Applicants for Creative Writing, Sustainable Development or Cinema, Ideas and Society can apply for partial scholarships of 10%.

Course options

All of the courses on offer feature teaching from current academic staff from the University and offer students the opportunity to experience academic life in one of the UK’s oldest and highest-ranking institutions.

Find out more about each course:

Courses available may be subject to change for 2027 entry.

Information for parents

A summary of useful information for parents, including travel and accommodation information, can be found on our information for parents page.

Age group

If you will be between 16 and 18 years old on arrival in St Andrews, you can submit an application for a Summer Academic Experience Course.

When submitting your application, you must include:
- an academic transcript with strong GCSE grades, A grades or a minimum 3.2 GPA or equivalent
- an academic reference on headed paper
- a short personal statement of no more than 100 words or, for Diverse Intelligences students, a personal statement of 500 words
English language requirements

The courses are designed for students who have a good level of English. If English is not your first language please refer to the global CEFR scale. On this scale we would be looking for applicants to be at B2 level. You may also wish to refer to this self-evaluation PDF to help you understand if you are at B2 level.

Visas

For more information, please see our Visas webpage.
What's included in the fee?

The all-inclusive course fee of £6,950 covers:
- tuition and instruction
- reading material
- lab equipment and sports equipment
- accommodation
- breakfast, lunch and dinner daily
- transportation to and from the airport on the specified arrival and departure dates
- the extracurricular programme including guest presentations
- field trips
- all cultural and social activities organised
- Saints Sports membership
It does not include airfare or personal expenditure such as snacks and laundry.

Paying the balance of your fees

The remainder of the total fees of £6,450 must be paid within seven days of receiving your unconditional offer or by Thursday 1 April 2027 at the latest.

Have your student identity (ID) number with you as you will need to provide it to make a payment. Your ID number is the nine-digit number in your offer letter.
Applicants to the Creative Writing, Cinema, Ideas and Society and Sustainable Development courses can apply for the SAEC Partial Scholarships of 10% of the total fee. Each scholarship is worth £695.

Applicants to the Diverse Intelligences course can apply for one of three scholarships covering the full cost of the SAEC programme. Scholarships will be awarded to academically strong applicants who can also demonstrate financial need.

As part of the scholarship application, you will be asked to submit a statement of up to 500 words explaining why you would like to take part in the Diverse Intelligences course and outlining your financial circumstances.

All scholarship applicants must provide information demonstrating both academic merit and financial need as part of the application process. Further details on how to apply will be sent to eligible applicants.

Scholarship applications close on Thursday 25 February 2027.
The University of St Andrews was founded in 1413 and has established a reputation as one of the world’s leading research and teaching centres: an environment which nurtures inquisitive minds and a culture of shared learning. Our consistently high rankings in both global and national league tables place us within the top 100 of world universities.

The University of St Andrews is the leading university in the UK, according to The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2027.

The town of St Andrews provides a unique and picturesque location for our very special university. Situated on the east coast of Scotland, it is about an hour north of Edinburgh.

Wherever you walk, you are reminded of St Andrews' rich and colourful history, with buildings both ancient and modern. The town’s population is approximately 20,000 people, including a diverse mix of locals, students, University staff and tourists. The town also boasts beautiful sandy beaches for a contemplative stroll or beach sports, as well as a vibrant centre with cafés and independent boutique shops.
St Andrews is approximately one hour from the capital city, Edinburgh. It is easy to access by both road and rail, with the nearest train station – Leuchars – approximately 10 minutes from the town. There are regular direct buses and trains from central Edinburgh and Glasgow to St Andrews. Many airlines operate direct flights from international destinations to Edinburgh or Glasgow, or a connection to Edinburgh from another major city such as London or New York.

Students arriving at Edinburgh or Glasgow international airports are met on arrival by our staff and transported to St Andrews. This service is included in the programme fee.

Find out more about getting to St Andrews.
All SAEC students have guaranteed accommodation and will be staying in the University's Andrew Melville Hall.

Andrew Melville Hall is on the North Haugh, near a number of science buildings. It is close to Saints Sport, the University sports centre, and West Sands beach, and a 15-minute walk from the centre of town. Students staying at Andrew Melville Hall will have their own room.

Dedicated staff are on duty day and night to provide pastoral care and emergency first aid response, and to ensure students’ safety and wellbeing.

Food and allergies

All meals are provided by the University catering team, with breakfast and dinner in the hall and a packed lunch daily so that students can choose to be flexible at lunchtime.

We can accommodate most food allergies in halls. Students with uncommon and severe allergies can also be catered for, with some exceptions specific to each case. Catered residences provide a vegetarian option at each meal. If you have a food allergy or a specific dietary requirement, such as a peanut allergy or coeliac, email summerstudy@st-andrews.ac.uk and quote your student ID number.
Timings may vary
- Breakfast: 7am to 8am
- Lectures or tutorials: 9.30am to 12pm
- Lunch: 12pm to 1.30pm
- Lectures or tutorials: 2pm to 4pm
- Dinner: 5pm to 6pm
- Evening activities: from 7pm
- Check in and roll call: 10:30pm
- Lights out by: 11pm
All courses are complemented by a vast array of extracurricular activities. Students can participate in a number of cultural excursions to places of historic importance or scientific interest, including a full day trip to the city of Edinburgh. Other optional excursions may include, but are not limited to:
- castle visits (Glamis, Stirling, Falkland)
- the Cupar Deer Centre
- Edinburgh Dungeons
- Dundee and the famous RRS Discovery
- Byre Theatre evenings.
There is also an ongoing programme of informal activities provided in the evening and on weekends:
- a talent show
- quiz nights
- movie nights
- debate nights
- ceilidh (traditional Scottish dancing)
- disco.
In general, we expect students to behave appropriately and have consideration for others. St Andrews is a small and safe town. Our staff are well trained and will make every effort to ensure students’ well-being; however, students are expected to follow the rules, the directions of staff and take sensible precautions.

Students are also obliged to adhere to the University’s code of conduct and the SAEC Mutual Responsibilities Agreement (MRA) (PDF) which accepted students and their parent or guardian will be asked to sign before attending. Please see the SAEC terms and conditions that relate to the application process.

Any behaviour that we find unacceptable, that puts any person at risk, or breaks any of the explicit rules in the University’s code of conduct or the SAEC MRA will result in a student being sent home and the cost will be charged to the student’s parent or guardian.

Summer Academic Experience Courses

Course dates

Course fee

Scholarships

Course options

Information for parents

Entry requirements

All-inclusive fee

Scholarships

The University and town

Getting to St Andrews

Accommodation

Typical day

Social and cultural activities

Terms and conditions