Programs

Small class sizes and integrated field studies contribute to world class learning and exploration.

The BISC's internationally themed courses combine with field studies throughout England and Europe, introducing students to both academic excellence and exploration of the world.  We provide students with an international perspective, a strong grounding in communication, core degree courses, and a sense of social and global awareness. Queen's high standard of academic excellence is a hallmark fully shared at the Castle, with additional depth.

Your decision to study at the Castle is the choice to make a solid investment in your future — personally, academically, and professionally.

The First-Year Program at the BISC is the only program of its kind in Canada in which students spend a full year studying abroad.  Academic data show that on average, incoming students from the BISC achieve higher grades than their classmates in Kingston in subsequent years of their undergraduate education.  Students in the First-Year Program are admitted to a full university degree program at Queen's University or a Canadian University Study Abroad Program partner university, completing their remaining year of undergraduate study in North America. 

The BISC Upper-Year Program emphasizes intercultural learning, offering a flexible choice of Queen's accredited courses — ranging from the Humanities and International Business, to Social Sciences and Nursing.  Open to over 35 of our international and domestic partners, learning is hands-on, diverse, and internationally acclaimed. Students from the finest universities around the world come together to share a truly international experience, in which they live, travel, and study together.  Upper-Year students must have already completed at least one year of university study. 

The Global Law Program reflects the commitment of the Queen's Faculty of Law to a global perspective in the study of law, offering students intensive and integrated academic programs in international law.  The programs include a week-long field-studies trip to key institutions in several European cities, including Brussels, The Hague, Paris, and Geneva.  Students may enrol in either International Business Law or Public International Law, with enrolment limited to 25 students per program. 

The usual course-load per student is five courses per term in the long Fall and Winter terms, three in the six-week Spring Term, and two in the four-week Summer Term. Most courses last for one term, although some are two-term courses taken over the Fall and Winter terms.  All courses give 0.5 credits per term, are fully accredited by Queen's University, and are normally transferable to other Universities.