Program Description

Students participating in the GenEd Summer Semester in Scotland Program will spend four weeks in Edinburgh and four weeks in St. Andrews. The program is open to all majors. JMU faculty and professors from the University of Edinburgh and University of St. Andrews teach the classes. It is a wonderful experience to take Scottish Literature from a Scottish professor, or learn about geology from renowned faculty from the University of St. Andrews.

This unique study abroad experience allows students to complete 13 credit hours of their General Education requirements while in Scotland. Each summer four GenEd courses in four different areas are offered, and students take all four courses. If students have already taken one or more of the offered courses, then alternative credit can often be arranged. As one participant reflected: “This program gives ‘bang for the buck’ – you complete 4 GenEd requirements in 8 weeks and you are in Scotland. What a deal and an experience!”

Experiential learning is a key component of each course. This means excursions and field trips are an essential part of your coursework. So, be prepared to complete a geological survey along the rocky coast of the Firth of Forth and in the Highlands, or recite a William Burn poem in a haunted vault below the streets of Edinburgh, or wander up the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle, or receive a guided tour of a whisky distillery or Stirling Castle.

Program Dates