Dumfries Campus: the best of both worlds

The School of Interdisciplinary Studies is part of the University of Glasgow’s College of Social Sciences. We are based in the university town of Dumfries, in south west Scotland. The University of Glasgow is the fourth oldest university in the English-speaking world with a history of excellence in teaching and research. Studying at our Dumfries Campus gives students the best of both worlds: a world top 100 university* in a small campus setting.

*51st in the world, 9th in the UK and 2nd in Scotland. QS World University Rankings 2013.

A friendly, focused learning environment

• Small group teaching
• Great staff:student ratios
• A friendly, welcoming place to study
• A beautiful campus location
• Easy access to field work sites and work placements
• A low cost of living

What makes our programmes different?

Almost all students have access to work experience placement opportunities. These placements are credit-bearing and make up part of your degree programme. This type of applied learning enhances your career prospects and helps you develop essential skills and networks in your chosen field. 

We teach from an interdisciplinary perspective, so you can benefit from the expertise of academics across the sciences, social sciences and humanities.

A partnership campus

We are proud to be part of the unique and pioneering Dumfries Campus, sharing state-of-the-art facilities and a stunning rural setting with the following academic partners:

• The University of the West of Scotland
• Dumfries & Galloway College
• The Open University
• Scotland's Rural College
• The Crichton Carbon Centre

Facts and figures

• The University of Glasgow was founded in 1451, making it one of the oldest universities in the English-speaking world.
• Dumfries Campus was established in 1999. The foundation stone was laid by actor and then University Rector, Richard Wilson OBE.
• The University of Glasgow has around 300 students in Dumfries. Our campus partners have around 2500 students in Dumfries.
• The population of Dumfries is around 45,000.
• We welcome students from all over the UK, Europe and further afield including the USA, China, India, Azerbaijan, Australia and many other locations.
• The campus has a fascinating social and medical history. It was originally constructed as a Victorian ‘lunatic asylum’ and opened its doors in 1839. Mental health provision eventually changed and progressed, and the spectacular buildings were redeveloped for alternative purposes, providing an education and business hub for Dumfries & Galloway.