Summer School Classes
Subject and course type
- Short course
If you’re joining our Summer School for international students, either on the 4-week or 2-week programme, you can find all the details of the classes included on the programme here.
Upcoming classes for summer 2025
Study with us at our Summer School.
These classes are specifically designed for the Kingston University Summer School study experience. They are fully accredited and worth 3 U.S. / 6 ECTS credits each.
If you join our summer school, either the 4-week or 2-week programme, you will have the option to take one or two classes. If you are taking two classes, you need to select one from group A and one from group B (due to timetabling).
These classes offer a great balance of academic teaching and relevant field trips, with a focus on experiential learning in and around the London area. As they are field-trip based, our classes require a lot of walking. So please only apply if you are happy to be on your feet a lot!
The Summer School classes on offer for 2025 are below.
British Culture and Society – Group A
This class provides the opportunity to develop an understanding and appreciation of:
- Contemporary British culture and society
- The differences between Britain and your home culture and lifestyle
The course covers key topics such as:
- The British system of government
- The monarchy
- Media
- Theatre
- Sports
- Multicultural Britain
- Britain's changing world role
- National identity
Guided field trips will reinforce your learning and support classroom discussions. These might include visits to:
- Greenwich
- Gurdwara Sikh temple (Southall)
- A performance at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
- Hampton Court Palace
- Stonehenge
- Bath
- Oxford
Download the syllabus for British Culture and Society (Word doc)
Live Theatre – Group A
This course is aimed at students studying theatre and those with little or no knowledge of it. We will see five or six shows in the West End, at the National Theatre and the fringe. These will encompass a cross-section of Shakespeare, classic, modern and experimental plays.
Examples of shows we have seen in the past include:
- Alice's Adventures Underground, The Vaults
- Bend it like Beckham, Delfont Mackintosh Theatre
- Death of a Salesman, Noel Coward Theatre
- Everyman, National Theatre
- Lampedusa, Soho Theatre
We will also:
- meet actors, writers or directors working in the theatre – to understand how a play evolves from the page to the stage
- attend a workshop at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
- go on backstage tours at the National Theatre, and elsewhere
Creative Writing – Group B
This class explores the act and culture of creative writing in London and the surrounding area. You will discuss your creative writing – fiction, non-fiction, poetry, plays and more – in workshops with a group of peers and professional writers associated with Kingston University's thriving creative writing field.
These workshops will be combined with:
- a programme of readings, both on campus and in venues across the city, by well-known writers
- visits to literary events and festivals
Harry Potter and the Order of Popular British Icons – Group B
This class will not only celebrate the creations of J K Rowling but also place the Harry Potter stories in a lineage of heroic British fiction – from Sherlock Holmes to James Bond, Frodo Baggins and Doctor Who.
We will read a range of these stories in terms of politics and gender. In doing so, we will seek to understand how these narratives can provide us with an alternative cultural history.
Field trips will include expeditions to the Harry Potter Studios, the Sherlock Holmes Museum and the Harry Potter walking tour.
Download the syllabus for Harry Potter and the Order of Popular British Icons (Word doc)
Please note, the field trip dates on the class syllabuses are tentative. Dates may be subject to change based on availability when we book the field trips.
Please also note, Kingston University reserves the right to cancel a class due to insufficient student enrolments.
Contact us
If you have any questions about Kingston University's 4-week or 2-week summer schools, please contact:
Study Abroad International Learning (SAIL) Office
Kingston University
Ground Floor, Yorkon Building
Kingston Hill campus
Kingston upon Thames
KT2 7LB
United Kingdom
Call: +44 (0)20 8417 3639 (Thursday afternoons only)
Email: summer@kingston.ac.uk
Please note, this email is only for the international summer school. If you are interested in other Kingston University open short courses, you must complete their contact form to start correspondence, as these are run by other departments in the University.
