Summer School Courses
Early Application Deadline: Sunday 15th March 2026
Final Application Deadline: Friday 17th April 2026
Tuition Fees
|
Duration |
Standard Fee |
Discounted Fee (30%)* |
|
1 week |
£770 |
£539 |
|
2 weeks |
£1300 |
£910 |
|
3 weeks |
£1600 |
£1120 |
*If you are from a partner institution or you apply by 15 March 2026, you will receive a 30% discount on tuition fees. Note that this fee structure does not apply to the course Opera Studio: Italian Belcanto (Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi, Puccini).
Dates
The Southampton Summer School runs from Sunday 5th July 2026 to Sunday 26th July 2026. Courses last 1 to 3 weeks during that period.
Pathways
You can choose to take a single course or multiple courses. Below are some possible pathways you could take for your University of Southampton Summer School experience. You are welcome to combine courses from different pathways. There are 3 examples of this below.
AI and Computing
High Performance Computing: Fundamentals of Cluster Computing and Parallel Processing
Course Lead: Dr Elena Vataga
Course duration: 1 week. Arrive Sunday 5 July 2026 and depart Sunday 12 July 2026.
Discover the power behind the world’s fastest computers.
This hands-on course introduces students from all disciplines to the core principles and real-world impact of High Performance Computing (HPC).
You’ll explore how modern clusters are built, how their resources are managed, and how parallel processing makes it possible to solve complex problems at scale.
Learn how large computing systems analyse massive datasets, power scientific simulations, and drive breakthroughs across fields such as physics, engineering, biology, medicine, and geography. Through guided practical sessions on the University of Southampton’s Iridis supercomputer, you’ll gain real experience using Linux, managing data, and running parallel computations on one of the UK’s most powerful academic HPC facilities.
Blending theory with hands-on practice, this course demystifies high-performance systems and gives you the skills and confidence to harness HPC for your own research, studies, or future career.
AI and Society: From Creativity to Justice and Global Challenges
Course Lead: Professor Les Carr and Courtney Lee
Course duration: 2 weeks. Arrive Sunday 12 July 2026 and depart Sunday 26 July 2026.
Artificial Intelligence is revolutionising society, creativity, and global challenges, and this course invites you to explore its transformative potential. University of Southampton is a global leader in AI research and innovation, and this course draws on multidisciplinary expertise at the cutting edge of this field.
Over 2 weeks, you'll gain insights into the diverse applications of AI, with the course delving into topics such as:
- AI in Court: Algorithms for Justice
- AI and Music: Creativity and Creative Industries
- AI and Democracy: Opinions, Elections, Hate, Trolls, and Bots
- AI and Art: Imagery, Artists and Artwork
- International AI: The United Nations of Responsible AI
Previous experience with data, maths and concepts in AI would be beneficial, however this is not a strict requirement. Please outline your suitability in a short statement when applying for your place on the course. Join us to learn how AI is shaping the world.
Global Business
Strategic Brand Management in the Digital Age
Course Lead: Cagla Dayangan
Course duration: 1 week. Arrive Sunday 5 July 2026 and depart Sunday 12 July 2026
In today’s world, strong brands shape consumer perceptions across every touchpoint. This course introduces students to the core principles of strategic brand management, covering brand equity, positioning, communication, and consumer–brand relationships in both online and offline contexts.
Through real-world cases, interactive group activities and a final pitch presentation, you’ll apply practical branding frameworks to analyse challenges and develop effective strategies. This course offers a fast-paced, hands-on opportunity to build confidence and capability in modern brand management.
Digital and Data-Driven Marketing: Turning Insight into Impact
Course Lead: Ms Sara Narimanfar
Course duration: 2 weeks. Arrive Sunday 12 July 2026 and depart Sunday 26 July 2026.
In today’s world, data sits at the heart of every great marketing decision. This hands-on course introduces you to the core principles and everyday practice of digital and data-driven marketing.
Starting from the customer journey, you will learn how to plan and measure activity across search, social, web, and email channels.
Practical workshops will help you develop skills in analysing reach, conversion, and cost-effectiveness, and in building dashboards to track performance. Through case studies and collaborative discussions, you will discover how to translate metrics into actionable insights.
By the end of this course, you will have an evidence-based toolkit for planning, evaluating, and optimising digital marketing activity across industries.
Global Business and Organisational Ethics
Course Lead: Dr Charlotte Unruh
Course duration: 1 week. Arrive Sunday 5 July 2026 and depart Sunday 12 July 2026
The world we live in is changing. Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, environmental concerns, and political tensions all raise important ethical questions for businesses. Utilise philosophical methods to explore the moral responsibility of corporations to their customers on this Global Business and Organisational Ethics course, and use the knowledge you have gained to develop solutions for ethical business practice in a changing world.
Supply Chain Management: Designing Smart, Sustainable, and Resilient Networks
Course Lead: Dr Fangsheng Ge
Course duration: 2 weeks. Arrive Sunday 12 July 2026 and depart Sunday 26 July 2026.
In today’s interconnected world, effective Supply Chain Management (SCM) is key to business success.
This intensive two-week course offers a practical introduction to the principles and strategies that drive efficient, resilient, and sustainable supply chains. Across ten interactive sessions, students explore the flow of products, including shipping, information, cash, and returns, examining how leading organisations design and optimise these networks.
Week 1 focuses on global challenges and supporting flows, while Week 2 dives deep into product flow management, covering inventory theory, advanced models, and coordination contracts.
Combining analytical tools with real-world application, this course equips students with the strategic insight and problem-solving skills essential for launching a successful career in supply chain management, logistics, or operations consulting.
Calculus at undergraduate year one level or above is required. Please specify your calculus level in your application form.
Business and Market Analysis: Turning Data into Strategic Insight
Course Lead: Dr Fanzhuo Zeng
Course duration: 2 weeks. Arrive Sunday 5 July 2026 and depart Sunday 19 July 2026.
Unlock the power of data to drive smarter business decisions in Business and Market Analysis, a two-week course for students eager to develop both analytical and consulting expertise.
Week one builds a solid statistical foundation, giving you the tools to interpret and visualise complex business data. In week two, you’ll step into the role of a consultant, learning how to design and execute real-world market research projects.
Led by expert instructors, this course blends quantitative rigor with practical problem-solving, helping you transform raw data into actionable insights and compelling recommendations. Whether you’re preparing for a career in business analytics, consulting, or research, you’ll leave this course with the confidence and skills to turn information into impact.
International Corporate Governance: the Shaping Forces of Law, Finance, and Culture
Course Lead: Professor Bruce Hearn
Course duration: 3 weeks. Arrive Sunday 5 July 2026 and depart Sunday 26 July 2026.
Discover how firms around the world are built, financed, and governed in this dynamic course on International Corporate Governance.
Explore why organisations take different forms in different countries, and what this means for business success in a global economy. You’ll investigate how legal systems, financial structures, and cultural contexts influence corporate design, from family-run conglomerates in Asia to shareholder-driven firms in the West.
Through real-world case studies, financial crisis analyses, and hands-on exercises, you’ll learn to connect theory with practice and develop the skills to evaluate corporate governance from a strategic, financial, and ethical perspective. Whether you’re preparing for a career in finance, law, consulting, or management, this course offers a global lens on the forces that shape firms.
International Entrepreneurial Governance, Accounting & Finance: Building and Financing a Global Start-Up
Course Lead: Professor Bruce Hearn
Course duration: 3 weeks. Arrive Sunday 5 July 2026 and depart Sunday 26 July 2026.
Guided by researcher-academics and seasoned practitioners, this course equips you with analytical, strategic, and financial tools essential to be a future founder, investor, or business leader in global entrepreneurship.
This engaging course introduces you to the financial and governance challenges unique to early-stage businesses. You’ll discover where investment decisions, ownership structures and governance models can determine a start-up’s success or failure. You’ll also gain insight into the international legal and institutional contexts that shape entrepreneurial activity worldwide.
This course brings together economic, accounting, and organisational perspectives through short lectures, interactive workshops, global case studies, and hands-on exercises. Join us this summer if you are keen to make an impact on the fast-moving world of global entrepreneurship.
Bioscience
Biodiversity: Discovering Past and Present Life Forms through DNA
Course lead: Dr Doreen Yu-Tuan Huang
Course duration: 1 week. Arrive Sunday 12 July 2026 and depart Sunday 19 July 2026.
Enter the world of molecular ecology and discover how DNA can reveal the hidden stories of life, both today and thousands of years ago. This course introduces you to environmental DNA (eDNA) and sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) as powerful tools for studying biodiversity in modern ecosystems and reconstructing past ecologies.
Through a blend of interactive lectures, hands-on laboratory experience, and real-world case studies, you’ll learn how to collect environmental samples, extract and analyse DNA using bioinformatic techniques to gain insight into present and past ecologies.
By the end of this course, you’ll be equipped to apply molecular methods to ecological questions, evaluate environmental change through time, and communicate your findings — skills highly valued in research, conservation, and environmental management.
Big Data Biology: Exploring Biological Systems Through Omics Analysis
Course Lead: Professor Rob Ewing and Dr Owen Rackham
Course duration: 1 week. Arrive Sunday 19 July 2026 and depart Sunday 26 July 2026.
Modern biology is being transformed by large-scale, data-driven approaches that reveal how organisms work as integrated systems. This course offers an exciting introduction to the world of omics technologies — genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics — and shows how they are reshaping research, biotechnology, and medicine.
Through hands-on workshops, you’ll learn how to analyse and visualise datasets using R, one of the most widely used programming languages in bioinformatics. No prior coding experience is required: the course provides step-by-step guidance for beginners, while offering more advanced challenges for more experienced students.
With a strong emphasis on practical problem-solving, you’ll gain confidence working with complex biological data and develop skills that are increasingly sought after in research and industry. By the end, you’ll understand how omics technologies work, how to interpret their outputs, and how big data is driving the next era of biological discovery.
Revolutionary Therapies in Cancer Treatment
Course Lead: Dr Yihua Wang
Course duration: 1 week. Arrive Sunday 12 July 2026 and depart Sunday 19 July 2026
Step into the future of cancer treatment and explore the revolutionary role of precision medicine. You'll learn all about targeted treatments that are tailored to the genetic, molecular, and cellular features of an individual patient's cancer, transforming the landscape of cancer care. You'll also delve into the opportunities and challenges of translating these therapies from the bench to real-world treatment.
Expert-led sessions provide insights into cutting-edge advancements in the field, with case studies to demonstrate the clinical applications of targeted therapies and the decision-making required in oncology. This course will advance your knowledge of the rapidly evolving field of cancer research and treatment!
The Neurobiology of Disease: Understanding Alzheimer’s
Course Lead: Professor Amritpal Mudher
Course duration: 1 week. Arrive Sunday 19 July 2026 and depart Sunday 26 July 2026
The neurobiology that underpins neurodegenerative disease has been a focus of intense and exciting research activity over the last several decades.
On this course, you will learn how neurobiology is harnessed to identify treatment and to create sensitive tests for early diagnosis of disease. This will be illustrated through the case study of Alzheimer's disease.
Health and Healthcare in the Modern World
Nursing Across the Life Course: Holistic Health, Care & Wellbeing from Childhood to Adulthood
Course Lead: Dr Chris Allen and Jasmine Snowden
Course duration: 1 week. Arrive Sunday 12 July 2026 and depart Sunday 19 July 2026.
This course invites you to explore the art, science, and spirit of nursing across the life course — from pre-conception and childhood through to later life and end-of-life care.
You will examine how nurses promote health and wellbeing within diverse communities by attending to the whole person and by recognising the influence of family, culture, environment, and faith on health experiences and outcomes.
Through a focus on holistic and compassionate care, you will learn to assess health and well-being across all stages of life and to plan person and family-centred care that nurtures physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs.
Throughout the course, you will engage with reflective practice, case stories, and simulated learning experiences that explore what it truly means to care. You will be encouraged to consider how empathy, dignity, and presence shape healing relationships and contribute to wellbeing.
Using innovative and experiential learning approaches, this course prepares you for further study or a rewarding career in healthcare. One grounded in human connection, ethical practice, and the holistic values at the heart of nursing.
Influencing Innovation and Change: Leadership and Management in Health and Social Care
Course Lead: Dr Chris Allen
Course duration: 1 week. Arrive Sunday 19 July 2026 and depart Sunday 26 July 2026.
This course is designed for students eager to develop leadership and management skills in health and social care. In an era defined by rapid technological advances, shifting patient needs, and complex systems, tomorrow’s healthcare professionals must do more than adapt – they must lead.
Explore how leadership theory translates into real-world practice to drive innovation, improve quality, and manage change across diverse care settings. Through simulation-based education, experiential learning, and interactive case studies, you’ll analyse five key themes: leadership, teamwork, change and innovation, service improvement, and risk and quality management.
Guided by experts, you’ll gain the confidence, insight, and practical tools to lead and influence safe, effective, and forward-thinking healthcare delivery. Perfect for future clinicians, managers, and health innovators ready to make a lasting impact.
Genomics: Unlocking our Genetic Code
Course Lead: Dr Reuben Pengelly
Course duration: 1 week. Arrive Sunday 12 July 2026 and depart Sunday 19 July 2026.
This course introduces you to the rapidly evolving field of medical genetics and genomics. Through a blend of lectures and hands-on workshops, participants will explore how genomic technologies are transforming our understanding of the causes of disease.
Students will learn to assess inheritance patterns in families, analyse genomic datasets and interpret genomic test results.
Designed for students with a life sciences (biology, genetics, healthcare) background, this course offers a practical and cutting-edge insight into how genomics is shaping the future of medicine, research, and personalised healthcare.
Any life sciences background will be accepted: biology, genetics, healthcare; please specify your academic background in your application form.
International Public Health: Inequality, Climate Change and Action
Course Lead: Professor Emma Plugge
Course duration: 1 week. Arrive Sunday 19 July 2026 and depart Sunday 26 July 2026.
Explore how health is shaped - and threatened - across borders in this energising, interactive course. International Public Health introduces you to the major global health challenges of our time, from widening health inequalities to the accelerating impacts of climate change. Through classroom debates, real-world case studies, and collaborative activities, you’ll discover how public health professionals analyse problems, design interventions, and advocate for healthier, fairer societies worldwide.
Whether you’re curious about global development, health policy, medicine, or sustainability, this course will equip you with foundational knowledge - and inspiration - to understand and address the health issues shaping our world today.
Global Culture and History
Public History and Global Cultural Heritage
Course leads: Dr Janek Gryta and Dr Charlotte Joy
Course duration: 2 weeks. Arrive Sunday 5 July 2026 and depart Sunday 19 July 2026.
How do we really know the past, and how do we feel it in the present? Is it through archives and monographs, or through visits to castles and ruins? What about podcasts, TikTok, or TV shows like Bridgerton?
Join Public History and Global Cultural Heritage at the University of Southampton to explore how historians and archaeologists interpret, preserve, and present the past. This immersive programme introduces students to the study of public history and global cultural heritage, combining classroom learning with hands-on experiences and site visits.
By the end of this 2-week programme, you’ll understand how history and archaeology shape our shared understanding of the past.
Read on for more information on each of the two components of the programme. You can attend the whole programme or one of the components.
Public History
Component duration: 1 week. Arrive Sunday 5 July 2026 and depart Sunday 12 July 2026.
This course offers an exciting taster of our three History MAs and is ideal for those interested in how historians bring the past to life. Historians from the University of Southampton work on everything from prestige TV dramas like House of the Dragon to museum exhibitions, podcasts, and historical reconstructions. You’ll learn how academic research shapes the stories we tell about the past—and how those stories resonate today.
Throughout the course, you’ll gain valuable insight into how the past is communicated to audiences around the world. Using a historical object, you will also create a plan for telling a story from the past in any format you choose — film, exhibition, podcast, digital media, or creative writing.
Cultural Heritage
Component duration: 1 week. Arrive Sunday 12 July 2026 and depart Sunday 19 July 2026.
Discover how archaeologists and heritage experts uncover and preserve the stories of our shared past and get a taste of University of Southampton’s MA in Global Cultural Heritage.
This course offers insight into how global cultural heritage is identified, interpreted, and protected across the world. Enjoy an expert-guided visit to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Stonehenge and learn about the UNESCO Cultural Conventions - from Intangible Cultural Heritage (Living Heritage), maritime cultural heritage to the protection of heritage in conflict. You’ll explore how we shape our understanding of humanity through the sites and heritage we strive to promote and protect.
Creativity & Cultural Leadership in a Technological World
Course Lead: Professor Patrick Duggan
Course duration: 2 weeks. Arrive Sunday 12 July 2026 and depart Sunday 26 July 2026.
Explore how creativity and cultural leadership can shape the future in a technological world. Through a mix of seminars, hands-on workshops, cultural visits and collaborative sprints, you’ll investigate how arts, humanities, and technology intersect to drive innovation and address global challenges.
Indicatively, you’ll experiment with human-centred design, generative AI, speculative futures and ethical approaches to digital transformation, while developing your own creative processes and leadership skills. This course offers an immersive, interdisciplinary experience that equips you to innovate and lead in a rapidly changing world.
Opera Studio: Italian Bel canto (Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi, Puccini)
Course Lead: Professor Francesco Izzo
Full tuition fee: £1715
Early application/partner tuition fee: £1200
Course duration: 1 week. Arrive Sunday 5 July 2026 and depart Sunday 12 July 2026.
For classical voice students and young artists: strengthen your singing skills and deepen your understanding of bel canto repertoire from Mozart to Puccini.
Attend technique and repertoire masterclasses with world-renowned artists and teachers, including celebrated soprano Lisette Oropesa (pictured), who will present the course's flagship masterclass, Baroque and Mozart specialist Italian soprano Francesca Aspromonte, distinguished conductor Sebastiano Rolli, a great specialist bel canto repertoire, and course director Francesco Izzo, one of today's leading scholars and pedagogues of Italian opera.
This intensive course consists of one-to-one lessons, workshops, and masterclasses, and opportunities to connect with internationally renowned singers, conductors, teachers, and scholars. Each participant will have a minimum of two one-to-one coaching sessions (45 minutes each) with Professor Izzo and two voice lessons (45 minutes each) with our voice teachers, and an Italian diction workshop with Izzo and Rolli. The course will introduce you to fundamental resources and music editions, provide insights into vocal technique and performance practices, and culminate with your performance of opera scenes at a final concert accompanied by Francesco Izzo on the piano! A professional video of the final concert will be provided to all participants.
Please apply using the button below. Once you have submitted your application form, you will be invited to submit a 5-10 minute audition video. More details will be given once you have applied.
Executive Assistant: Lucy Holder
Email: l.f.holder@soton.ac.uk
Main Responsibilities
Kieron Broadhead is Senior Executive Director for Students & Infrastructure and Deputy Vice President Operations at the University of Southampton. In this role he has responsibility for the leadership of all the non-academic student facing operations at the University.
Achievements and external responsibilities
Kieron has worked in a number of different types of HEI and has developed a keen interest and commitment to ensuring that student facing activities are strategically coherent and focussed on the many different groups that they support.