Cambridge University has been offering an interesting summer school program for years. You can brush up on your knowledge in various fields during the summer. You will be taught by lecturers from one of the best universities in the world and will reside in a college on the historic campus. This is not only a great experience, participating in a summer school will also look great on your resume. You will receive a certificate of participation and it is also possible to receive credits that you count towards your own university.
Cambridge Summer School 2020
- What is a summer school?
- Cambridge University Summer School Program
- On-campus accommodation
- Admission and language requirements English
What is a summer school?
A summer school is a course or series of courses offered by various universities during the summer holidays. At many universities with their own campus, students have to leave their room during the summer holidays. These rooms are then used to accommodate the participants in the summer school.
Typically, you enroll in a thematic school, such as a history summer school, or one that is entirely related to philosophy, Shakespeare, or art history. Often programs are also offered with an English language course (English for academic purposes). There is also a long and a short interdisciplinary program. The length of the course varies, usually from a week to a full month. Scholarships are rarely available for the schools, so you will have to pay the course fees yourself. If you choose to write a paper for a course and have it assessed, you may be able to receive credits for this that you can count at your own university.
Cambridge University Summer School Program
Cambridge University is one of the world’s most renowned universities. In England they continuously compete with Oxford for the best results. The university has a rich history and that is clearly visible on and around the campus. Cambridge is also known for putting a lot of effort into the Summer School. For years they have offered courses to thousands of students from all over the world who come to study for one or a few weeks. In the summer of 2020 they offered no fewer than thirteen different programs. Due to the global corona crisis, these courses could not take place. To give an idea of what kind of programs are offered, below an overview of the courses from 2020 *:
- Interdisciplinary Summer Program
- Ancient and Classical Worlds Summer Program
- Art and Visual Culture Summer Program
- Business and Entrepreneurship Summer Program
- Creative Writing Summer Program
- English Law and Legal Methods Summer Program
- History Summer Program
- Literature Summer Program
- Medieval Studies Summer Program
- Science Summer Program
- Shakespeare Summer Program
- Pre-University Summer Program
- Summer School in Applied Human Nutrition (NNEdPro)
* Cambridge University has indicated on its website that it will announce more information about the content of the 2021 summer schools in the fall of 2020.
With most programs you can choose a duration of one or two weeks. With the interdisciplinary program you can opt for two or four weeks. It is also possible to follow two programs one after the other. The courses only take place in July and August.
On-campus accommodation
With all its history, the Cambridge campus really appeals to the imagination. You will soon have to master all the rules, such as the fact that only graduates are allowed to walk on the grass and the other students must neatly follow the stone paths. When you participate in a summer school, you stay on campus. Only in exceptional cases do students reside elsewhere. But who wouldn’t want to stay at Clare College, Gonville & Caius, St. Cathrine’s or some other beautiful college?
The following accommodations were available in 2020 *:
- Selwyn College
- Newnham College
- Gonville and Caius
- St Catharine’s College
- Queen’s College
*Not all lectures are available for all programs. View the available lectures by program on the Cambridge University website.
The accommodations have different price ranges, whereby for a program of two weeks there can be a difference of 500 Euro in the costs between the cheapest and the most expensive sleeping place. Some accommodations do not include dinner and lunch, but most others do. You may experience some inconvenience from activities during the day. People often wait with this until the summer recess. When registering, you can indicate three preferences and the classification is made in order of arrival. For the prices of the programs, it is best to check the Cambridge website or order the brochure that can be sent to you free of charge.
Admission and language requirements English
There are basically no heavy demands to admission to summer courses. Students must be at least 18 years of age or older. Because the courses are of a high level, it is not advisable to participate if you are unsure whether you can handle the academic level. However, students of higher vocational education are in principle free to register.
The most important requirement for participation in the Summer School is that you High level of English language skills is. A certificate of a TOEFL test with a score of at least 600, CBT TOEFL of 250, iBT TOEFL of 100, IELTS of 6.5 or Cambridge CAE with a minimum score of C is required if you do not have such documentation. possibly include a certificate from a teacher or employer that indicates that your English is of a high level. In that case you will usually be contacted by telephone to check this.
