DUAL Summer School FAQs

Why should I go to university?

More and more people are realising that gaining a university degree is one of the best ways of improving their job and earnings prospects. University is also great fun and students at the University of Dundee have some of the best learning and social facilities in the country. In Scotland, around 50% of school leavers now enter Higher Education. Should one of them be you?

Might I be eligible for the DUAL Summer School?

Regardless of your age, if you fall short of university entry requirements for a good reason but have been involved in academic study within the last five years, our DUAL Summer School can help you earn an undergraduate place. Many candidates apply from school; others may be in employment or have been to college. Reasons for taking the DUAL Summer School route are many and varied.

Oliver had recently left a job. Kieran was worried that his school results might not be good enough to get him into a degree. Both had had a difficult time, so they both decided to try the DUAL Summer School at the same time - together - after all, they are father and son. "I thought it would be a help for us both to have someone else doing the same thing and supporting each other" said Oliver on completing the course. "We haven't had a summer holiday but it has been worth it because now we both have a place at university."

"Since its inception in 1993, the programme has provided almost 1200 individuals with an opportunity to access higher education. Over 1000 (84%) of those who started the programme progressed to higher education institutions. This level and duration of success is even more inspiring when one considers that the vast majority of students come from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds where there is limited family income, largely unskilled or unemployed parents and little or no parental experience of Higher Education".
Dr Damian O'Kane, University of Ulster

What if I don't have the grades to get into university?

We recognise that, sometimes, circumstances can lead to students under-performing at school or college.Your past performance may have been limited by the following factors:

being the first person in a family to go to university
having problems at home of one sort or another
having a low income
having suffered ill health
leaving school before getting the grades you deserve

We are aware that you may not have been able to translate your full potential into qualifications and that this may make entry to a top university very difficult. This is where our internationally renowned DUAL Summer School can help.

How can DUAL Summer School help me enter University?

The DUAL Summer School is an alternative route for eligible students to earn an undergraduate place at the University of Dundee.

It involves:

preparing for study by completing a Personal Academic Skills course, equipping you for university and beyond
successfully completing 3 taught introductory subject modules through weekly essay, practical, online and group tests and assignments, plus a final exam
sampling further subjects to help you find the right ones for you
getting lots of advice from a dedicated team of experts to help you along every step of the way. Each student is assigned their own Personal Tutor to work with throughout the course. Students who have completed the course the previous year (Student Leaders) are also constantly on hand to help students find what they need and ensure they progress well
gaining experience of student life and our extensive student facilities (including IT suites, Library and the Students' Union)
having great fun - just ask anyone who has tried it!

Is there a catch?

"The Wider Access Course you run has changed my life forever. I never thought it possible I could ever go to university and obtain a degree in life sciences."
2009 graduate

No! The course is FREE and a small bursary may be available.

Prove you are eligible for the course, motivated and willing to work with us and you will earn a place on the DUAL Summer School. All applicants are interviewed.

Over 1,400 students have already successfully used the DUAL Summer School to get a university place with most going on to earn a degree.

Please ensure you can attend the whole course which normally runs between early June and late July each year - you should reserve these months in your diary if you apply.

I am an international student - can I apply?

Non-EU students are invited to apply to DUAL Summer School. Preference will be given to those meeting disadvantage criteria. However, a fee applies for non-EU students. Contact us for details.

What subjects are available?

You will complete a "personal academic skills" course, and study three of the following subjects (your choices are discussed at interview):

"An excellent way of ensuring that individuals who do not meet conventional entry requirements but have a desire to study at a higher education level are given the opportunity to do so."
Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, during her June 2009 visit

* To study subjects marked with a *, you must be taking (or have taken) that subject at Higher Grade or similar (with or without passing it) within the last three years.

Why should I choose to study at the University of Dundee?

As well as having some of the best academic departments in the country, we also boast:

the best student to staff ratio of any Scottish university
excellence in research
80% of our students took up jobs on graduating
internationally acclaimed DUAL Summer School

What do former students say?

"Best summer of my life!"

"Brilliant preparation for study - soooo useful now I have made it into First Year"

"It's been good having my dad here (studying on DUAL Summer School) as well and studying together"

"Graduation day has been great. I have a degree and a bright future! But DUAL Summer School is where it all started and I will never forget that."

How do I apply and what about UCAS?

Please use our online application system - read the guidelines and complete the application by the end of April deadline. As you complete it, our application form will guide you through which degree areas DUAL may be able to help you with – for all other degrees you need to meet their standard entry requirements or their published alternatives.

If you require a paper application form, please write, email or telephone us using the contact details below.

All applications should reach us by the end of April and wherever possible by the end of January.
You will then be given advice and may be invited to an interview to see how we can help you.

Candidates should wherever possible also apply to UCAS by the deadline relating to their degree area of interest – for most degrees, this deadline is mid-January.

"The University (of Dundee) is serious about widening access and runs a free summer school each year, through which more than 1,000 candidates have gained a place to date." Sunday Times University Guide 2009

What are the course dates?

Course dates are Monday 10th June 2013 - Tuesday 23rd July 2013 inclusive - candidates must reserve these dates and be available throughout. Please note - this course includes evening and weekend self-study