Is St. Andrew University a Catholic university???

Question

I am planning to apply for my PHD at St. Andrew University. I have been surfing the website but could not get a good sense of how life would be there. Is it a religous university or can anyone go and fit in?

Answer 1

St Andrew's is the third oldest English language university in the world. When it was founded in 1410, it did have a religious affiliation with the Catholic Faith. But back then, every western university had a religious affiliation with the Catholics.

As you may be aware, the UK had a falling out with the Catholic Church a couple of hundred years later. Universities like Cambridge, Oxford and St Andrew's stopped being Catholic universities.

It takes its name from the city, not its religious affiliation.

As a point of interest -- Catholic Universities are very different from most colleges that call themselves "Christian." In the US, schools like Notre Dame, Georgetown, Boston College and Villanova all have excellent academic reputations. One need not be Catholic to go there. Some religious studies classes may be required of undergraduates -- but they are academic classes (like Comparative Religions). PhD students would not be required to take any religious classes -- and would get a degree and education similar to a public or nonreligious private university. For example, the four universities I mentioned all have highly regarded law schools where many nonCatholics get their educations.

Answer 2

The one in Scotland? It's public. Anyone can go.