English Literature & History

Study two subjects at Edinburgh and pick one to specialise in for an exciting project day!

English Literature: Edinburgh is proud to house the oldest English Literature department in the world – people have been studying English at Edinburgh longer than the USA has existed as a nation! As one of the top 10 universities in the WORLD for English Literature (QS 2024), Edinburgh has degree modules for everyone including Fairy Tales, Science Fiction, LGBT+ Fiction, and Shakespearean Tragedy. In recognition of its incredible literary history, Edinburgh was named the first ever World City of Literature by UNESCO in 2004.
Throughout the summer school, you will work on a variety of texts and approaches to reading, and explore cultural contexts with our renowned team of academic staff and students. You will develop your analytic, research and creative skills by taking part in lectures, tutorial discussions, and fascinating group project work. Previous summer school topics include spy fiction, reimagining Arthurian literature, short stories, dramatic monologues, Shakespeare, contemporary poetry, fiction, and the historical context of literature.

History: Edinburgh is home to one of the largest and most diverse History departments in the UK. You will study at the heart of the historic city centre, a short walk from Edinburgh Castle and the mysterious winding streets of the medieval Old Town. As the no.1 university in Scotland and one of the top 25 universities in the WORLD for history (QS 2024), Edinburgh offers courses in every period of history from the early Middle Ages to the present day, covering all major geographical regions of the world.
At Edinburgh, History is taught alongside Archaeology and the Greek and Roman Classics. The summer school programme offers students a chance to sample different aspects of the study of History and the Ancient World. Throughout the summer school, you will work with our fantastic team of academic staff and current students in lectures, tutorial discussions, and fascinating group project work to deepen your understanding of time periods you are familiar with and to explore completely new ones.
Previous summer school topics include trans-Atlantic Slavery in Edinburgh, the Scottish Enlightenment, White House pets, the Nazi mentality, Ancient Rome & Greece, the modern American presidency, financial history, the Celts, decolonisation in Africa, the Holocaust, and other local Edinburgh history.

Spend your daytimes exploring fascinating subject work and receiving expert guidance, before joining exciting social activities across the city.

Join us this summer for a "once in a lifetime" experience that is "inspiring, enriching & unforgettable" (2024 Summer School Graduate feedback).