‘It’s an experience of a lifetime! I was able to learn not only from the professors and seminars, but also from the other students and staff. I made connections spanning the globe that I’ll treasure for a very long time. I’m so thankful for the opportunity and that I chose to take it!’
Josiah, Canada
Applications for the Summer 2023 are now open! Please visit our How to Apply section to read the guidelines before making your application.
There are several partial scholarships available both from University of Exeter and external organisations for the International Summer School. See our Fees and Scholarships area for more information.
If you are an agent looking for more information about our programme, including marketing materials, please contact us on iss@exeter.ac.uk.
What's Included
We want you to have a trip where you can focus on exploring things and learning about everything and everyone, including yourself! For that reason, we offer a comprehensive package with no hidden fees. The only reason we have additional optional activities or features is to help people personalise their programme in a way that may not suit everybody and keeps costs lower for everyone else.
We will meet you at either Heathrow Airport and escort you to our accommodation in London or you can head straight there on arrival day during our transfer window of 10am to 5pm. Our team are there to help you check in and start exploring straight away or simply relax after a long journey.
For anyone arriving outside of these times, don’t worry, we will still help you to join us and you can also book a private meet and greet service to make life easier.
While the primary focus of the International Summer School is to study something new, it is also a great opportunity to explore some of the UK. Upon arrival on the programme, you will spend the first 4 days in the wonderful city of London.
We will begin with a welcome talk where you will get to know your peers, the International Summer School team and the Student Ambassador group leaders. This is followed by a combination of organised activities and free time to allow you to enjoy the city as you want to, and get to know other people on the programme before the serious academic studies start.
Organised activities include
- Watching Shakespeare in the world famous Globe Theatre
- A trip to the British Museum
- Guided walking tour to help you get to know and explore the city
There are also additional optional trips and visits possible from the London programme, including a visit to the Warner Brothers Studios, home of the Making of Harry Potter, or the world famous (and infamous) Tower of London, one of the most historically important sites in London.
If you are worried that you cannot make the start of the programme or if you are not interested in visiting London, please let us know before you make your application or before you pay your deposit so we can talk you through any changes to your offer.
Please note that the exact timings and dates of the programme are subject to change, as are the nature of the guided activities. Exact details are provided closer to the start date of the programme.
Accommodation is included at all times within the programme, unless specifically requested otherwise.
London
During our stay, all students will be accommodated in shared ensuite bedrooms of single sex in a hotel in the centre of London. Breakfast is also provided during this part of the programme.
Exeter
Accommodation is provided on campus at one of our halls of residence in single, ensuite bedrooms with access to self-catering facilities. Bed linen and towels are provided and rooms are cleaned once a week, though it is the individual’s responsibility to ensure the communal kitchen areas are cleaned after use.
We encourage self-catering as it is difficult to cater for everyone’s taste on a meal plan but also it provides a real opportunity to engage with other cultures as you share in cooking duties with your neighbours which often results in impromptu cooking lessons. Everything from paella to the best way to prepare noodles can be taught in an evening!
Check out the virtual tours in Lafrowda, Rowe and St Germans on our Accommodation website to see the inside of a typical self-catering residence used in the International Summer School.
Along with the academic aspect of the programme, we also provide an engaging social programme to ensure that students can get the most out of their experience. This includes visiting other areas of the UK and enjoying the opportunity to socialise with people from all over the world. The programme includes a day trip to either Bath or St Ives as well as other on-campus evening activities.
St Ives
Enjoy the opportunity to spend a day on the beach with a difference!
St Ives is a picturesque seaside town on the Cornish coast perfect for enjoying an ice cream or local Cornish pasty, some wonderful independent shopping and a golden sandy beach. It also boasts the title of centre for art in the UK, with many famous artists either living full time in the town or drawing inspiration from the area. This reputation for art is further supported by the presence of the Tate Gallery in the town and several other independent art galleries.
In previous trips students have loved exploring the quaint local shops and getting an insight into the Cornish lifestyle as well as some students venturing into the sea for either a swim, to enjoy some form of watersport or seek out the native seals on a cruise. If it’s sunny enough, you will also spot a member of the International Summer School team going for a swim, mostly to prove to the watching students that it is warm enough!
Evening activities
Our evening programme begins on arrival night in Exeter with a welcome party to introduce some of our academics and also a campus tour.
Other organised events can include a Karaoke Night, Team Challenge and Pub Quiz night to encourage you to get to know your peers as well as enjoy your time with us as much as possible.
Impromptu social evenings also spring up throughout the programme and have included a games night, evenings in the city centre to watch sports matches and even sports nights.
Free weekend
Rather than specify where you should visit each weekend and pack out the social programme, we would rather encourage you to explore your own interests in the UK or even Europe.
While you may have ‘must visit’ places to see, the majority of students change their mind according to their new found friendship groups. We can even offer ideas on where to go based on what is easily accessible and practical within a weekend.
Students over the years have visited other UK cities, such as Edinburgh and Cardiff, stayed local and gone to Dartmoor or the Jurassic Coast or even gone abroad to ‘The Continent’ to visit places like Amsterdam or Paris.
It is worth having a think about what you would like to do before you arrive, but remember to keep your options open as you may well change your mind when you get here.
We offer drop-in sessions in the week building up to the free weekend to offer advice on booking transport and accommodation and help with any concerns you may have. We want to make sure that you are safe and enjoying yourself even when off exploring without us.
Optional day trips
We also offer an optional trip on your free weekend in case you would like to explore the local area with some help from us or you aren’t really sure what else to do.
Dartmoor
For 2021, you have the chance to explore the natural beauty that Dartmoor National Park has to offer, ranging from open moorland to historic ‘sideways’ forest and ancient rock formations. We will organise a tour of some of our and past students' favourite areas in one of the biggest national parks in the UK, so you can fully explore the amazing atmosphere and history of the area.
Areas of interest include Hound Tor, a famous place for any Sherlock Holmes or Lord of the Ring fans, and skipping the rocks at Dartmeet to get onto the ‘Trolls Bridge’
Bath
A city north of Exeter, Bath is famous for its architecture, history and for once being home to author Jane Austen. Must see locations include the famous Roman Baths, an ancient heritage site; Bath Abbey and the Royal Crescent – an area of incredible beauty which takes you back to the UK's Georgian period.
As well as great shopping opportunities to rival London, the opportunity to explore a part of UK history that would seem familiar to most people but still surprise you is a wonderful reason to visit Bath.
We provide a private transfer for each student on the final day of their programme to Heathrow Airport by 12pm on the day of departure.
We ask that you let us know if you wish to make your own alternative plans for departure or if you need to travel outside of that time frame. Whilst we cannot guarantee we can provide you with a transfer, we will do our best to help you organise a cost effective and timely transfer yourself.
We recommend that you book any outgoing flights from Heathrow on departure day after 4pm in order to allow enough time to get to the airport from Exeter on our transfer. If you are booking a flight from a different airport and intend to travel to Heathrow with us, please allow for more time.
If you are worried at any point about booking transport to the UK, please don’t hesitate to contact us at iss@exeter.ac.uk and we may be able to help you.
At the University of Exeter, we have a dedicated International Summer School team with year round support. This includes prior to arrival support as and when required by email or requested by phone.
New for 2022, we have a 'Getting Ready' course on our summer programmes learning platform which will give you all the information you need to get ready, provide easy ways of asking questions and even chat to other students who are joining us, possibly even find a travel buddy!
In London, we are joined by a group of current students who will act as ambassadors for the University of Exeter and group leaders. Each ambassador will oversee a group of up to 15 students and be their dedicated support as well as having access to our International Summer School Team in London and a 24/7 emergency line.
During the programme in Exeter, we have a dedicated onsite Estate Patrol services who help to monitor the accommodation, our Academic Coordinators who oversee each course and are reachable either onsite or via email, and the International Summer School team to help you with anything else during the day.
The support continues after the programme with regular updates from the team and help with submitting assignments, transferring credits and receiving transcripts amongst other things. Once you have completed the International Summer School, you will also be an Alumni of the University of Exeter and entitled to all support that this provides.
Describing my experience in the Exeter Summer School is quite complicated, you have to live it to understand to what extent it may be the best summer of your life. From the people with whom I was lucky enough to share it with, to the good organization and friendship of the Team and the amazing teachers, it is an exceptional experience. I return to Spain having lived a unique and unbeatable experience and with many new friends with whom I share the best memories ever.
Fatima – Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain