Frequently Asked Questions
Bader College courses are Queen’s University courses. Content-wise, the first-year courses offered at the Castle are identical to those at the Kingston campus with the extra benefit of the experiential learning opportunities (field studies) and small class sizes.
If you are a first year Bader College student, you will need a study visa. The UK government will provide Bader College with your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) letter which we will then issue to you. Once you receive your CAS letter, we recommend you apply for your student visa as soon as possible to avoid any delays in obtaining your visa.
If you are a citizen of the United Kingdom, you do not require a student visa if you have a British passport.
The Bader College team will meet students at Heathrow airport (London, UK) on arrival day. We’ll have coach buses ready to shuttle students to campus. We strongly encourage students to book flights that arrive in the morning at Heathrow.
Bader College students sign up for the National Health Service when they obtain their student visa. We have doctors and nurses that come onsite to attend to students and deliver prescriptions. The nearby town of Herstmonceux (10-minute drive) has a clinic and pharmacy.
The nearest hospital is a short 20-minute drive away. Bader College also has on-campus counsellors to assist with any mental health concerns.
Students entering second year from Bader College transition smoothly to life on the Kingston. The confidence and skills they gain through our small classes and tight-knit community allow them to excel on the Kingston campus socially and academically.
The Bader College mentors (former Castle students that have spent a year in Kingston) connect with incoming student week one to assist with navigating life in Kingston.
Queen’s Community Housing also gives preference to off-campus housing applicants coming from Bader College.
Bader College has a rotating menu that serves a wide variety of food. Our menu can be described as “international” with a focus on British cuisine. We also accommodate dietary restrictions. This year, in an effort to give students more control over their diets, we’ll be sharing detailed nutritional information about each meal.
Bader Hall is organized like a traditional North American student residence. There are two residents to a room, with rooms segregated by gender, although floors are co-ed. You can request a single room for an additional fee, however please note that priority is given to those with medical needs. You’ll have access to common spaces, including kitchenettes, study rooms, common rooms, a music room, as well as the gym. We’ll also provide you with bedding, towels, and a mini-fridge, so you won’t need to pack those items.
Queen’s University is closely monitoring the attack on Ukraine, both for the safety of our students and for the Queen’s faculty/staff currently residing there. Having reviewed the best advice available from both the Canadian and UK governments, as well as seeking advice from our International Office at Queen’s, we do not believe that there is any undue risk to the Bader College community at this time.
Drawing on our experience of rapidly evacuating the Bader College campus at the beginning of the Covid pandemic, we have contingency plans in place to keep students and faculty/staff safe and return rapidly home, should an emergency arise. We work closely with the Kingston campus and its health and international security consultant, International SOS, to support members of the university who are outside Canada, including those at Bader College.