Did you know that logarithms, the toaster, and the modern game of golf were invented in Scotland? Or that many movies and TV shows, such as Outlander and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, were filmed in Scotland? Culture, history, innovation, beautiful landscapes, and friendly people—Scotland has it all. Immerse yourself into the Scottish culture by exploring some of the 3,000 ancient castles, taking train rides through the beautiful Scottish countryside, visiting museums, enjoying the local cuisine, attending summer festivals, and much more. Scotland has something for everyone!
Explore the Vibrant City of Glasgow

Glasgow was the second city of the British Empire. The city’s wealth was reflected in its grand Victorian architecture, most of which survives today. Today, Scotland’s largest city is home to some of the trendiest neighborhoods in the UK. The West End won the Academy of Urbanism’s Great Neighbourhood Award in 2014. Glasgow is known for its friendly residents and banners around the city that declare, “People Make Glasgow.” Although you’ll be in an urban setting, Scottish railways provide quick and easy access to scenic lochs, hills, and glens.

Illinois Tech faculty teach all courses, which meet at the University of Glasgow campus. The University of Glasgow was founded in 1451, and is one of Scotland’s ancient universities. Classes will be conveniently scheduled three days a week to allow for weekend travel. You can reach Ireland, England, and Wales by train, bus, or ferry.

This program is open to students in all colleges who are not on academic probation. One social sciences course and one humanities course are offered, giving students the opportunity to earn “S” and “H” credit toward the Illinois Tech core curriculum requirements.

SSCI 285/385: Scotland: Economic, Social, and Political Change
Industry Associate Professor Rebecca Steffenson, Department of Social Sciences

This special topics course explores the evolution of the Scottish state and society since the creation of the new Scottish Parliament in the 1990's, paying particular attention to the recent debates over UK and EU membership. We will visit the Scottish Parliament, meet with political parties, and explore urban neighborhoods and seek answers to the following questions: Why did the Scottish Referendum to leave the UK fail? Why are Scots more pro-EU than other parts of the UK? What does “Brexit” mean for Scotland? Why do Scottish students get free university tuition while students in Northern Ireland, Wales, and England pay increasingly higher fees? How has Scotland coped with being a multi-ethnic, multi-religious state? Why is Scotland more tolerant of immigrants than other parts of Europe?

HUM 380: Scottish History
Professor Margaret Power, Department of Humanities

The history of Scotland is exciting! This class will examine the historical reality behind the best-known images of Scotland: whiskey, men in skirts (kilts), pipers, Macbeth, golf, and sheep. It will explore key aspects of Scottish history: the early inhabitants, the formation of the clans, the development of the Scottish nation, English colonization of Scotland and Scottish resistance, the impact of English colonization on Scotland, the immigration hundreds of thousands of Scots, and Scottish involvement in the British empire. The course will include visits to museums, castles, battle sites, among others, to see and experience Scottish history. Some of the specific sites we will visit are Kilmarten Glen, with more than 350 ancient monuments; the Antoine Wall, once the northern frontier of Roman Britain; Stirling Castle; and Culloden, where the last fight between Scottish nationalists and the English occurred in 1746.