Pre-University: Humanities

Students will embark on a scholarly adventure through a range of disciplines including Literature, Philosophy, History and Art History and gain a fascinating insight into studying Humanities at university level.

Are you thinking of studying Humanities at university? 

Located in the historic city of Edinburgh, students will gain experience in a range of disciplines including Literature, Philosophy, History and Art History. Using various modern and contemporary texts and artworks from Scotland, students will develop their academic skills and be introduced to relevant concepts and perspectives used in the study of the Humanities. 

Course teachers

Dr Sally Crumplin, Dr David Santiuste, Caroline Dunford and Dr Elizabeth Drummond-Young

Credit bearing

No

Eligibility

Students must be in their penultimate or final year of high school and aged 16-18 years.

Language requirements

Applicants should meet the minimum English language requirements in order to fully benefit from, and engage with, Summer School courses. Your English language ability must be equivalent to, or above, 6.5 IELTS overall with 5.5 in each component.

Device requirements

Course materials will be delivered via the University of Edinburgh's Virtual Learning Environment. To access these materials, you will require a suitable device, such as a laptop or tablet. 

Teaching location

Holyrood Campus

Dates

29 June - 10 July 2026

Length

2 weeks

Course fee

TBC

Application deadline

Applications will close on 19 May 2026 at 17:00 (BST)

 


Dr Sally Crumplin is a lecturer in the Centre for Open Learning. She is Humanities Course Collection Coordinator, responsible for the running of lifelong learning provision across Humanities subjects. She has worked at the Centre since 2009, coordinating history, archaeology and art history provision across the centre as well as study skills provision in lifelong learning. She has taught on the International Foundation Programme and coordinates 'History Skills: preparing for Postrgraduate Study', in collaboration with the School of History, Classics and Archaeology.

Prior to working at the Centre for Open Learning, Sally was a teaching fellow in Medieval History, teaching at St Andrews, Edinburgh and Glasgow, and was a historical researcher for Aberdeen City Council.

Sally is particularly interested in working to make learning in History and related subjects accessible to all and seeks to develop provision in the Centre for Open Learning to fulfil this, from pathways to university study to community-based workshops.

 

David Santiuste is a Teaching Fellow in History at the Centre for Open Learning. As well as the Pre-University Summer School, David teaches on the Lifelong Learning programme, and the Humanities and Social Sciences strand of the Access and Foundation Programmes.

David studied history at the University of St Andrews, where he continued his postgraduate research. His publications include The Hammer of the Scots: Edward I and the Scottish Wars of Independence. 

He has worked at the University of Edinburgh since 2010, primarily teaching at the Centre of Open Learning. David has been nominated for 'Best Teacher' and 'Best Personal Tutor' in EUSA's Teaching Awards.

 

Caroline Dunford is currently a Teaching Fellow on the International Foundation Programme and for Lifelong Learning. After her first degree, she did a post graduate diploma in business management. She then trained as a journalist and worked for several of Scotland’s national newspapers. Later, she did a further degree in Psychology before qualifying as a psychotherapist, counsellor, and supervisor, practising for over a decade. Caroline is a working author who has published over thirty novels to date and had several plays produced, some internationally. Recently, Caroline achieved an MSc in Forensic Psychology and is now undertaking a PhD with the Open University.

 

Dr Elizabeth Drummond Young is a Teaching Fellow at the Centre for Open Learning. She teaches on a range of lifelong learning courses in Philosophy, covering applied ethics, love and friendship, women in philosophy and critical thinking. Research interests include the history of philosophy and its connection with the philosophy of religion.


This interdisciplinary course will introduce Humanities subjects such as Literature, Philosophy, History and Art History. Students will learn to analyse and interpret a range of texts and artworks, drawing on a range of concepts and theoretical perspectives from across the Humanities. 

Interdisciplinarity will be fostered by exploring the relationship between texts of the works studied. The course will develop students’ academic skills related to the Humanities. Through lectures and tutorials, students will develop their skills in comprehension and analysis within a Humanities context. Lectures will frame texts and artworks within the cultural and historical context of the West, and through class discussion and group work, students will learn to compare these works from a multidisciplinary perspective. Students will also reflect on the role of the Arts and Humanities in contemporary society.

Reading will be set in advance of each class, and students will be encouraged to discuss their understanding of these readings with the class. In addition, there will be guided visits to some of Scotland’s national galleries and museums, and walking tours of historical Edinburgh. Examples from Scottish Philosophy, Literature, History and Art History will be used to examine concepts and perspectives that are used in the study of Humanities.

This course will include walking tours of central Edinburgh. These may involve walking along crowded cobbled surfaces with steep inclines. Every effort will be made to make alternatives available for students with restricted mobility. If you have any accessibility requirements, please let us know in the application form.


Class times

  • Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 10:00 - 12:00
  • Tuesday, Thursday: 10:00 – 16:00

View our Sample Timetable below to get an idea of what to expect:


On successful completion of the course students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an appreciation of the Humanities and an ability to think intertextually.  
  2. Identify research and critical thinking skills which are integral to studying the Humanities. 
  3. Appraise the role and importance of the Humanities in Western culture. 
  4. Examine some key concepts and perspectives employed in the Humanities. 
  5. Demonstrate development of key academic skills required for study of the Humanities at undergraduate level. 

The Pre-University courses are based at the University of Edinburgh’s Holyrood campus. This campus sits just off the Royal Mile, which connects Holyrood Palace to Edinburgh Caste. The campus houses a library, cafe and several study spaces and is surrounded by a number of cafes and grocery stores where you can buy lunch. It is also just around the corner from the Pleasance Sports Complex and Gym which you will have the opportunity to visit as part of the programme.

The Holyrood campus is approximately 20 minutes from the accommodation. You will be expected to walk to and from campus each day. The weather in Edinburgh can be changeable - so make sure to pack a rain coat and umbrella!


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