History and Archaeology of Medieval Monasticism: Scotland and Ireland

This five-week Summer School will offer students the opportunity to experience the history of medieval Scotland and Ireland first-hand. The course will comprise two weeks of study in St Andrews and three weeks in Ireland participating actively in an excavation of the Black Friary in Trim (County Meath) - a thirteenth-century Dominican priory. We will also travel to various monastic sites in Scotland and Ireland. The course will include both traditional classroom-based lectures and seminars and archaeological training and experience.

Course leader

Professor Alison Beach, School of History, University of St Andrews

Target group

You should have completed at least 2 semesters in full-time higher education, have a minimum average grade of 3.2 (on a USA 4.0 GPA scale) or equivalent, and be agead 18 or over at the time of arrival in St Andrews.

You should have an interest in the study of medieval history and be prepared for sometimes challenging physical work at the excavation site. Normally students will be majoring in History or have done a few history courses at University level.

Course aim

• To become familiar with the history of Scotland and Ireland in the Middle Ages
• To understand the fundamentals of Christian monasticism and its place in the religious, social, and economic landscapes of medieval Scotland and Ireland
• To learn the basic skills the archaeologist, including both excavation and the proper handling and documentation of finds
• To work effectively in a team under a variety of challenging work and weather conditions

Credits info

15 EC
This summer school is accredited by the Scottish Credit Qualification Framework (SCQF) and is granted at 30 SCQF credits.

You will complete work for graded assessment and receive a University of St Andrews transcript and certificate. The module is assessed by a group presentation, daily academic reflection /archaeology field journal and blog entry on an an aspect of monastic history or archaeology.

30 SCQF credits are equivalent to 7-8 US credits or 15 ECTS. Please check with your home institution about credit transfer arrangements.

Fee info

GBP 6600: The cost of the course is £6,600 which includes the following:

Tuition and instruction both in St Andrews and from staff at the dig site.
Accommodation in St Andrews (residences) and later Trim (homestay) between 28 May and 2 July 2022

Scholarships

There are a small number of scholarships open to students for this summer school in 2022. See website for details.