Castle Summer - Interdisciplinary Immersion
The Queen’s Summer Abroad program at Bader College offers a transformative 6-week summer experience where participants delve into comprehensive, hands-on coursework and projects, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to drive meaningful change in environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
Offered across a variety of disciplines, including Marine Biology, Film, History, and British Studies, students have the opportunity to learn at Herstmonceux Castle Estates living lab.
Highlights of the Castle Summer Program:
Benefit from one-on-one access to expert supervisors in your field.
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Castle Summer is a six-week study abroad program during which you will gain 9.0 units towards your degree in the unique setting of Herstmonceux Castle in Southern England.
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A carefully-curated list of courses gives credits towards many Majors, plus some Queen's certificates, plus a chance to design a research project course in your chosen Major.
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All students have an opportunity to do primary research, increasing their profile for entry to professional schools, and to present at an undergraduate conference.
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Castle Summer prepares second through final year students for the graduate school experience and gives them the workplace skills to impress employers, in courses focused on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
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And best of all, reduce your course load for the following semester(s).
Summer Research at Bader College
At Bader College we help you prepare for success. From learning how to undertake archival research, to digital archiving, to honing your public speaking and debating skills for law school at the end of term conference, the skills you develop will help you long after the program has finished. Using our instructors' connections, we will help you in your primary research in places such as the Black Cultural Archives in Brixton, Welcome Trust, British Library and other major cultural institutions in London, and support you as you prepare for the end of term conference. We will also support you in publishing your work in undergraduate journals.
When you submit your application for Castle Summer+, you will be asked to indicate which three courses you intend to study, and one of these may be RSCH 594/3.0 Independent Study. The prefix to your RSCH may be any course code in Arts and Science with the lead instructor's approval.
Participants wishing to enrol in Research 594 must be level 3 or higher by the time the program starts. Students wishing to take the 594/3.0 option this summer must declare their interest. Please fill and return this Independent Research Registration Form (Word Doc, 76KB)
Funding:
Financial assistance is available for your Queen's Summer Abroad experience, including:
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Bader College Upper Year Bursary: valued up to $4,000, available for eligible students Arts and Science.
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Undergraduate Research Fund (ASURF): variable, available to Queen's students who must have paid the ASURF student fee.
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Bader College Summer Study Award for History: valued at a mimimum of $1,000 per student. Awarded to students registered in a minimum of 6.0 units of HIST or HIST_SUBS at the Castle. (HIST402, HIST517, HIST594, IDIS304).
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University of Toronto students: up to $13,500 through the Bader International Bursary (for UofT undergrad students who are Ontario residents with financial need, ie. OSAP recipients. The Victoria University at the University of Toronto (VIC) is overseeing the Bader International Bursary. Find out more here.
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Dalhousie University students: up to $2,500 through the Bader College Grant
Please contact the Queen's Office of Undergraduate Admissions for more details.
Upper Year Summer Courses of Instruction:
I feel like this program has prepared me really well for my future studies. I have invaluable hands-on experience and it has taught me the skills I will need to research absolutely any topic I choose to study.
Yanping
FILM Major
Living and working with a small group of peers in a picturesque environment was phenomenal. You could debate politics in a wonderfully small class, grab some dinner, then go out for a sunset hike together.
Sebastien
POLS Major
The most rewarding part about Summer at the Castle was that the classes were so small allowing me to develop meaningful and productive relationships with my professors over the short course of six weeks. These relationships allow you to dive deep into the material and truly get the most out of each course taken.
Samantha
PSYC Major