Curriculum

The General Education Summer Semester in Scotland is grounded in the core philosophy of JMU’s General Education program. Following the JMU GenEd structure, the Summer Semester in Scotland is modeled to help students develop their ability to reason and make ethical choices, appreciate beauty and understand the natural and social worlds they live in, and also recognize the importance of the past and work towards a better future.

In Scotland, students will take 13 credits from the General Education curriculum. Course offerings will vary each year but there will always be one course from each of these four areas:

• Arts and Humanities
• The Natural World
• Sociocultural and Wellness
• Madison Foundations

If students have already taken one or more of the offered courses, then alternative credit can often be arranged.

Each class meets Monday – Thursday for 2 ½ hours. You will take 2 classes in Edinburgh and 2 classes in St Andrews. A JMU professor teaches one course in each location, while either a University of Edinburgh or University of St Andrews faculty member offers the second course. Excursions, outings and field trips are an integral part of the courses and some even incorporate them into the overall assessment. Participation is mandatory. 

Course offerings for Summer 2025 are listed below. 

Courses

ENG 221: Literature/Culture/Ideas: Scottish Literature

Credits: 3
Offered: Summer

GEOL 110/110L: Physical Geology Lecture and Lab

Credits: 4
Offered: Summer

UNST 300: Edinburgh - Local Histories of a Global City

Credits: 3
Offered: Summer

PSYC 160: Lifespan Human Development

Credits: 3
Offered: Summer