Universities all over the world run summer schools in a wide variety of subjects. Most are 3 to 4 weeks long and include social and cultural activities as well as academic sessions. You are able to apply to these directly through the host university. 

You will need to do some research in order to find the right summer school for you.

You will need to consider:

Location and subject

You can use this as an opportunity to study your degree subject or to study something completely different. If you want to search by subject, you can do so via our Year/Semester abroad pages. These list all of our partners but are aimed at Study Abroad students. This table also allows you to search by country, if you know where in the world you would like to go to.

Cost

You will need to cover the cost of attending a summer school which can vary depending on the host institution and location. Make sure you look into the application, tuition and accommodation costs before you apply. 

If you choose to attend a summer school at a partner university, you may be eligible to apply for Turing funding to help cover some of the costs. Read more about summer school as partner universities. 

Accommodation options

Some summer schools will offer campus accommodation, whilst others will provide guidance on finding your own private accommodation. Check whether accommodation is available at the host university or if you need to find your own. 

Application process

Eligibility criteria and the application process will vary between summer schools. Remember to check each summer school's application process and deadline. You will need to apply directly to the host institution, not to the University of Bristol. 

Credits and certificates

You will often receive a certificate of participation and a summer school is a great way to develop your skills and knowledge. Your host university may award you credits for taking part in the summer school but you will not be able to transfer these back to your Bristol degree course. Anecdotally we know some students plan to use these for future graduate programmes which may require credits they are not able to gain at Bristol.