Academics

Academic Program

All Cambridge Summer Schools consist of special subject courses combined with subject-related plenary lectures, and optional enrichment lectures on a wide variety of topics.

Each special subject class is limited to a maximum of 25 students so that you can get the most out of the interaction with your teacher. All classes involve an element of participation: you will be encouraged to discuss, debate and develop your own understanding of the issues raised in class with the guidance of your tutor.  It is expected that all students will prepare well by reading materials in advance.

The Cambridge International Summer Schools include eight basic options open to UO students for UO credit:

• International Summer School:
  The International Summer School (ISS) is an interdisciplinary program in which students may enroll in courses in several different subjects in the humanities and social sciences.  The ISS offers two different terms, one of four weeks’ duration (Term I), and one of two weeks’ duration (Term II).  UO students may participate in the four-week Term I as a stand-alone option, or in the full six weeks of the ISS program.  Term II is not open to UO students as a stand-alone option. (4 to 6 weeks)
• Art History Summer School:
  The Art History Summer School has a reputation for lively discussion and exchange of ideas, which continue far beyond the scheduled sessions, extending across the program’s residential community.  The program theme, different each year, is reflected in plenary lectures and courses alike.  It will appeal to all who are intrigued by some of the most famous images that we recognize today, and who are keen to find out about the origins, influences and impact of these images.  (3 weeks)
• History Summer School:
  The History School offers a range of courses in the field of history, covering both multiple periods and several different approaches to the study of history.  The program offers scope for detailed study of specific historical topics, from the Middle Ages to the present day.  There is an emphasis on British history, but analysis of a wider European and global context plays an important part in the program.  (3 weeks)
• Literature Summer School:
  The University has been running a specialist Literature Summer School for nineteen years.  The program offers a unique opportunity to live and study in surroundings that have sustained a long and distinguished literary tradition.  Former students at Cambridge include poets, playwrights and novelists such as Spenser, Milton, Coleridge, Byron, Tennyson, Marlowe, and more recent figures such as Rupert Brooke, E. M. Forster, Ted Hughes, Christopher Isherwood, Malcolm Lowry, Sylvia Plath, Salman Rushdie, and Tom Stoppard.  (3 weeks)
• Medieval Studies School:
  The Medieval Studies Summer School, first held in 1996, presents a valuable opportunity for anyone with a primary interest in any area of medieval studies to undertake interdisciplinary study.  The School includes the approaches of history, literature, and other fields to consider the medieval period from a holistic perspective.  Students undertake their studies in a setting rich in medieval heritage as well as extensive collections.  (3 weeks)
• Science Summer School:
  Cambridge is renowned globally for the quality of its scientific research and education.  Science teaching at Cambridge combines the benefits of breadth and flexibility with the opportunity to study in depth at the frontiers of science.  The Science Summer School draws on this approach and the wealth of scientific excellence at Cambridge and has, in its planning and execution, benefited greatly from the advice and support of leading academics.  The Science Summer School presents a valuable opportunity to undertake interdisciplinary study in the Sciences with some of the University’s finest teachers.  It is intended primarily for second to final-year undergraduates, with at least a basic grounding in the sciences.  (3 weeks)
• Shakespeare Summer School:
  The Shakespeare Summer School was first run in 1994.  Cambridge has a reputation for radical and innovative Shakespeare scholarship and interpretation, and many prominent actors and directors have studied here.  The Shakespeare Summer School offers you exposure to the latest developments in Shakespeare studies and takes an interdisciplinary approach, combining the perspectives of literature, theater arts, and cultural studies.  You will also have the opportunity to visit the reconstructed Globe Theatre, and to attend productions in London, Cambridge and Stratford.  (3 weeks)

Combination Programs
In addition, because many of the Schools are of short duration and are scheduled in different parts of the summer, UO students may also combine participation in any one of the Schools in Group A below with participation in any one of the Schools in Group B.  (Note that the scheduling of each School is subject to change from year to year, so the combinations possible in 2008 may differ from those that will be possible in the future.)  Students in combined programs will pay the full tuition and fees, and the full housing costs, for each School (though they only need to pay one airfare, and the UO portion of their study abroad fee is charged only once for the entire program).  Students should also note that different Schools use different housing arrangements, so it is likely students will need to move to a different location between any two consecutive Schools.

Group A Schools  (July 6 to 26, 2008)

• Art History summer school.
• History summer school.
• Literature summer school

Group B Schools  (July 27 to August 16, 2008)

• Medieval Studies summer school.
• Shakespeare summer school

10-day Sessions Not Open.  The UO currently does not support regular study abroad programs of less than three weeks’ duration.  Therefore, the half (10-day) sessions offered by certain Cambridge International Summer Schools are not open to UO participants.

Faculty Director
Martha Bayless is a faculty member in the University of Oregon’s Department of English and the Medieval Studies Program.  Professor Bayless will serve as the faculty director for the 2008 program for the Medieval and Shakespeare Schools only.  Dr. Bayless’ role is advisory: she will assist students with difficulties on site, help in orientation, and arrange one or more group activities or optional excursions.  Dr. Bayless’ expertise is especially useful, since she is an alumna of Cambridge herself.  All courses, however, are taught by the Cambridge International Summer Schools faculty.

Academic Rules for UO Participants

Students should note the following UO policies for this program:

1. All UO participants must carry the full course load in Cambridge, must attend the plenary lectures as well as the subject courses, must complete all required readings for the Cambridge courses before arriving at the site, and must submit formal essays for evaluation by the Cambridge faculty for at least two of the subject courses in which they are enrolled in each School, and for least four subject courses in the full six-week International Summer School, Terms I and II.
2. Cambridge program courses assessed by final essay may only be taken for a letter grade.  There is no P/NP grading option for these courses.
3. Students who fail to submit one or both essays for formal evaluation in Cambridge will receive grades of F for those courses on their UO transcripts.
4. UO students may not audit any courses in the UO Cambridge program.  (Students who do not need academic credit for their participation in the Cambridge program may apply directly to Cambridge and need not write any formal essays.  Such students do not need to apply through Study Abroad Programs.)
5. Professor Bayless and Study Abroad Programs will convert students’ essay evaluations to UO grades, using the Cambridge standards for UK-to-US conversion.  Grades earned will be recorded on students’ UO transcripts.
6. All students who regularly attend lectures and courses in Cambridge and pass their essays will receive at least elective credit at the UO.  Individual departments are responsible for deciding whether students receive major-applicable credit in their respective majors.  Students majoring in medieval studies and participating in the Medieval Studies School will receive credit toward the major, under the supervision of Professor Bayless.
7. Students will generally receive seven (7) UO credits for every three weeks of study in this program, or nine (9) credits for participation in the four-week Term I School.  As a rule, students will receive two to three (2-3) credits for each of the subject courses in which they write graded essays, and one (1) credit each in the plenary lecture and the remaining subject courses.  The 1-credit courses will be graded as P/NP only at the UO and will receive the mark of P* when students pass the program.

Registration and Credits

Students participating in this program will be registered at the University of Oregon and will receive UO credits for courses taken at Cambridge.  The student’s course work will be reviewed and evaluated by appropriate academic departments at the UO.  Students must keep detailed records of course outlines, reading lists, exam results, and other work completed to facilitate accurate evaluation by the academic departments at the UO.

Students are responsible for making sure that the courses they plan to take in England will meet major and minor requirements. Students are advised to consult with their academic advisor about their plans to study in the Cambridge program.

Course Equivalencies

Cambridge ISS courses change every summer, which creates a vibrant intellectual environment. However, it also means that we cannot report course equivalencies in advance. See “Academic Rules for UO Participants” above for general credit information.

Host Program Website

For general information on the Cambridge International Summer Schools: http://www.cont-ed.cam.ac.uk/intsummer/

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