Academics

Fields of Study: Humanities, Social Sciences, Science

The six-week program offers a wide range of courses across the humanities, social sciences, science, business, law, and arts. You’ll get to experience the unique “Cambridge-style” teaching method in small groups with a focus on intense classroom interaction, discussion, and individual feedback and support. The intensive courses are taught by British faculty with the same styles, formats, and expectations as other Cambridge college courses.

Unique study opportunities

  • Attend a series of plenary lectures offered by eminent specialists in their field for cultural and academic enrichment.
  • Investigate the neurobiology behind human behaviors, such as eating and drinking, and ways the brain deals with stress.
  • Examine political risk, how it affects the challenges and priorities of global businesses, and how businesses are re-calibrating their strategic plans.

Language

Language of Instruction: English

Language Study: None

Courses and credit

Requirements While Abroad

To successfully complete this program:

  • Take three courses (5 quarter/3.3 semester UC units each) for a total of 15 quarter/9.9 semester UC units.
  • You may take one course as pass/no pass.
  • Active participation and attendance is mandatory in all classes. There is a strict attendance policy.
  • Take the midterm and final exams and complete all required coursework and essays.

Current Program Courses

In this program you select three courses from a selection of over 30 available courses.  You are free to mix and match courses in science and math; economics, business, and management; social sciences, arts and humanities, and supervision. 

It’s best to be open-minded about how you select and combine your three courses. If possible, select one course in your major field, one course in the field of your minor or to fulfill a general requirement, and one course to discover and try something fun or completely different. Most courses have no prerequisites to ensure you can choose subjects outside of your major, and this includes science. 

With the program divided into two 3-week sessions, some courses take place over three weeks while other courses take place over the full six weeks. You will select your three courses based on one of the following course combinations:

  • One Module 3 course, one Module 1 course and one Module 2 course
  • Two Module 3 courses and one Module 1 or Module 2 course
  • Two Module 1 courses and one Module 2 course
  • One Module 1 course and two Module 2 courses
  • Three Module 3 courses

In place of your third course, you can also choose a supervision. The timing of the supervision option is counted as a Module 3 course.

Supervisions: Special Study Projects

The supervision system (one-on-one or small-group teaching) is one of the key strengths and advantages of the Cambridge undergraduate teaching system. Supervisions, similar to an independent study at UC, are both academically demanding and rewarding, and require significant initiative and enthusiasm for the study subject. Supervised study is especially popular among students working towards a thesis.

Supervision is modeled after the unique Cambridge/Oxford way of teaching that involves a minimum of contact hours but a very flexible student effort. The reward of supervision is intellectual and experiential, and you earn 5 UC quarter units independent of how many hours you might spend researching a topic beyond what is required. Supervision is a great way for you to get a taste of independent learning you would probably not encounter in the US until graduate school.

You may submit a proposal to replace one course with a supervision in which you develop your own proposal in a subject area of your choice.

Catalogs and resources

  • Course listings: See the Pembroke website for the most current course descriptions.
  • UCEAP Course Catalog: See a list of courses UC students have taken on this program.
  • Campus Credit Abroad: Learn the types of credit (major, minor, general education, elective) students from your campus received at this location.

Academic culture

Most courses are accessible to anyone as they require no prior knowledge. However, it may take you a couple of sessions until you have adapted to new ways of thinking and are comfortable using subject-specific language. Each course is 5 quarter/3.3 semester UC units and is based on 12 lectures and 8 seminars, with each teaching session lasting 1¼ hours. For most purposes, lecture groups are capped at 30 and seminars at 15 to ensure that you have the opportunity to be heard and to get to know your instructors well. Outside of the classroom, you can get additional academic support through daily drop-in sessions where you can discuss academic issues of any kind. Program Assistants may also organize essay writing sessions.

Grades

You will earn direct UC credit and grades for all coursework. Grades for this program are usually available by mid October.

Tip: If you intend to put yourself on your campus degree list for graduation while on UCEAP, consult your campus advisors before departure about possible delays in the degree verification process.