International Opportunities

The International Programs Office (IPO) can help launch you on a voyage of discovery.

Each year, hundreds of Queen's students earn credit toward their undergraduate degrees while studying in another country. Whether you wish to complete a full course load during a year or term abroad, or earn a single credit during a short-term program in another country, the IPO will work with you and your academic department(s) to identify a program suited to your learning goals. We urge you to consider all of your international study options as early as possible, so that you may plan ahead to incorporate a study abroad experience within your undergraduate program. Contact us by phone (613-533-2815), or by e-mail, or by visiting our website.

Study Abroad Opportunities

Bader International Study Centre (Herstmonceux Castle, East Sussex, England)

Featuring small classes and integrated field studies, the Bader International Study Centre (BISC) at Herstmonceux Castle offers students the opportunity to earn Queen's credits in an international setting. Courses focus on British, European and International themes, and are open to all students attending Queen's University. The innovative First Year Program enables a select group of students to spend their entire first year of undergraduate study in Britain. Upper-year students may also opt to spend one or two terms at the castle during any year of study. The BISC offers courses in the Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer terms. For course offerings at the Castle, click this link.

Exchanges

Queen's offers a number of formal exchange programs, which enable students to study at our partner institutions while paying standard tuition to Queen's. We have more than 80 exchange destinations available in over 20 different countries, including Argentina, Australia, Chile, China, Cuba, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the West Indies. Most of our exchange partners feature English as the language of instruction, although immersion in host country languages is often available. Students in almost any Arts or Science discipline can find a matching academic program from among our exchange partners. You are eligible to spend one or two terms on exchange during your third year, and must apply at the beginning of the Winter term of your second year to be considered.

Queen's Study Abroad Programs

A number of departments in the Faculty of Arts and Science offer unique study abroad opportunties for Arts and Science students. These programs allow students to earn Queen's credits while abroad. Students may be keen to take an Art History course in Venice, engage in Global Development Studies courses at Fudan University in Shanghai, experience Cuban culture firsthand while learning from an interdisciplinary team of Queen's professors, or perhaps participate in an archaeological dig in Jordan or Italy. By creating and providing these distinctive study abroad opportunies for their students, departments in the Faculty of Arts and Science are showing their support for incorporating an international experience into a degree program. More information about individual programs can be found here.

Independent Study Abroad

If you are looking for a specific study opportunity not available at the BISC or through Queen's international exchanges, don't be discouraged. With the independent study abroad option students can enroll directly in an accredited university and university-affiliated programs anywhere in the world. The IPO will work with you and your academic department(s) to determine whether your desired destination offers a program of study compatible with your degree requirements.

Most students are able to spend a year abroad without losing time or credit toward completion of their undergraduate degrees. Whether you choose an exchange program or an independent study abroad program, the IPO will assist you in transferring academic course credits towards your Queen's degree.

Financial Assistance: Queen's Commitment to International Education

Queen's commitment to international education is supported by a variety of scholarships and bursaries, designed to aid students on exchange or at the BISC in meeting the costs of these valued educational opportunities. Information on financial assistance for study abroad is available through the International Programs Office and the Office of Student Awards.

If you study abroad at one of our exchange partner universities, upon your return to Queen's you will also be eligible to apply for the Dean's Special Scholarship for Students Returning from Exchange.

International Studies Certificate

Enhance your education by including a formal international academic component in your degree studies. The Faculty of Arts and Science offers a Certificate in International Studies that is open to any student pursuing a degree at Queen's. Combining language acquisition with cultural and interdisciplinary learning and a study abroad component, the International Studies Certificate is awarded with your degree when you graduate, and is recognized on your academic transcript. With the International Studies Certificate, Queen's is helping to prepare citizens and leaders for an increasingly global society.

International Programs Office
Email: ipo@queensu.ca
Phone: 613-533-2815
Fax: 613-533-6453