SAEC students and their St Andrews experience
A Summer Academic Experience course at the University of St Andrews allows international students to taste academic life at one of the world’s leading research and teaching centres: an environment which nurtures inquisitive minds and a culture of shared learning.
The University of St Andrews was founded in 1413 and was ranked:
- first in the UK by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024
- first in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2024.
You can join the St Andrews student community by attending one of our Summer Academic Experience courses.
When I signed up for the course, I could never have imagined the wealth of knowledge and experience that I would gain by the end of it. I was amazed by how interactive each lecture was, and how receptive the professors were to our different opinions; coming from a foreign country, their interest in the different cultural perspectives that we had to offer was very much appreciated.
- Thailand
The town of St Andrews
The town of St Andrews provides a unique and picturesque location for our very special university. Situated on the east coast of Scotland, 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.
I chose the Scottish Studies course as Scottish history had not been taught at my school and the course involved a wide spread of disciplines from music and literature to film and cinema. I particularly enjoyed the literature lectures as the material covered was modern and engaging. The Loch Ness Monster Song was particularly memorable.
- Scotland
Academic life and social activities
Academic staff from the University of St Andrews deliver all courses according to the Scottish academic tradition and help you develop writing and research skills on your chosen subject. The typical day of a Summer Academic Experience course student is a mixture of lectures and tutorials, three meals a day, and evening activities.
Courses are also complemented by a vast array of extracurricular activities.
Find out more about social activities and a SAEC typical day.
For students who wish to go to university and want to learn how to properly take notes and how to actively listen in lectures, this is for you! It is amazing practice and extremely useful. What’s more than that, it’s truly fun and every day I would wake up excited for another lesson to attend to.
- Australia
Guaranteed accommodation in St Andrews
SAEC students will be staying at Whitehorn Hall. All SAEC students have guaranteed accommodation, however, en-suite rooms are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.
SAEC 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.
St Andrews is approximately one hour from the capital city, Edinburgh.
Find out more about SAEC accommodation and getting to St Andrews.
I participated in the Social Science and Humanities course and SAEC exceeded my hopes! All of the professors were knowledgeable, patient, as well as passionate about their subject areas.
- China