Program Information | Course Information | W&M Faculty | Dates | Deadlines | Program Fees | Eligibility | Handbooks
*Application extended through February 3, 2025!!!
Cambridge is a city on the River Cam in eastern England, home to the prestigious University of Cambridge, dating back to 1209. There are 31 University Colleges within the University of Cambridge system. University museums have exhibits on archaeology and anthropology, polar exploration, the history of science and zoology and much more.
Things to Do and See:
"Punting" on the River Cam; Fitzwilliam Museum https://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/; Mathematical Bridge connecting two parts of Queen's College https://www.queens.cam.ac.uk/; Wren Library, designed by Christopher Wren in 1676 and located at Trinity College.https://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/library/visitors/
Things to do in Cambridge: https://www.visitcambridge.org/
Christ's College: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLloNbxWoN0
Program Information:
William & Mary’s long-standing summer program in Cambridge, England, is housed in beautiful and historical Christ’s College, one of 31 colleges that comprise the University of Cambridge. Christ’s was founded in 1437 and later endowed by Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of King Henry VII. Cambridge is about an hour-long train trip from King's Cross Station in central London.
Courses for the Summer program generally meet from Mon-Thurs, with excursions on weekends. Possible excursions for this year's program may include day trip(s) to London, and trips to castles and other places of historical and cultural interest. W&M students are housed in comfortable single rooms in Christ's. The program price will include breakfast and partial supplements for other meals.
Summer 2025 Courses
All of the courses involve week-day class sessions and weekend trips to places relevant to the course material. Students will earn 6 credits on the program. Students will choose 2 of the three courses (all 3 credits each). Course options are:
1. HIST 212/THEA 225: Playing History in the UK: From Hamilton to Ink
2. PSYC 470: Historical and Cultural Influences on Child Development
3. PSYC 470: British Contributions to Child Psychology
There is a required 1 credit course to be taken in the Spring prior to departure, which you will be registered for following program acceptance. This course is designed specifically for students going on the summer program and is intended to enhance your cross-cultural understanding of Cambridge and to cover a variety of pre-departure information. The scheduling of this course will be dependent on the class times possible for program participants.
Courses are taught by W&M faculty. Grades will appear on the W&M transcript and will be included in GPA calculations.
Course Descriptions:
Psy 470: Historical and Cultural Influences on Child Development
Course Description: How are children viewed from different cultures and over different centuries? This course explores historical and cultural perspectives on childhood as reflected in text (e.g., journalism, popular press, children’s literature), art (e.g., posters, paintings), and policies (e.g., child labor laws).
We will explore issues related to child mortality, child labor laws, children in war, children at play, and the changing historical nature of the family in the US, Europe, Africa, India, China, and the Middle East, with a focus on England as the site where the course will be taught.
Psy 470: British Contributions to Child Psychology
Course Description: The UK has contributed brilliant scientists to the field of developmental psychology from the birth of the field with Charles Darwin (b. 1809), to the mid 20th century with John Bowlby (b. 1907), through today with Prof. Baron Cohen (b. 1958). In this class, we will review the contributions of five ground breaking scientists from Britain and their contributions to developmental science. The highlighted psychologist will be introduced at the start of the week and discussed in relation to the social, political and cultural context in which they developed their theory and life’s work. We will also consider contemporaries of the highlighted psychologist and their lasting influence on the field of developmental psychology today.
HIST 212/THEA 225: Playing History in the UK: From Hamilton to Ink
Course Description: Theatre and performance can lift us out of the mundane. Yes, it can entertain us, but it can also transform us and how we see the world. To the consternation of some historians, traditional theatre, performance art, and historical reenactment hold tremendous power to shape our cultural memory. This started long before Hamilton. This course will engage with the study of the past differently from traditional history courses. It uses several American and British history plays (broadly defined), historical scholarship, plus site visits to engage questions of memory, public history, and the nature of truth in the 21st century. Prior theatre or history experience is not required.
W&M Faculty Program Director:
Professor Jay Watkins
Teaching Faculty: Professor Danielle Dallaire
Term:
Arrival date: July 11, 2025
Departure date: August 15, 2025
Deadlines:
Application ( $75) Deadline: December 2, 2024 --- EXTENDED February 3, 2025
With a deposit ( $750) due deadline: March 7, 2025 (Friday prior to Spring break)
And a balance due deadline: April 1, 2025
Application fee information:
The application fee is due by the deadline and should be paid online at the GEO Marketplace Store. Whoever is making the payment will need student 93#, email, and phone number. The application fee is refundable in the event that you are not accepted into the program or the program is canceled by W&M.
Program Fees:
2025 Program Fee: $8125
Students are responsible for airfare, visa expenses if applicable, personal expenses and some meals.
To view the estimated costs for this program and important payment information, please visit here.
Reves Summer Scholarships are available for this program.
If applying for a Reves Summer Scholarship, please apply to the W&M faculty-led application BEFORE applying to the Reves Summer Scholarship.
Program Features:
- Welcome dinner
- On-Site Orientation
- Ground transportation
- Fulfills COLL 300
- Farewell dinner
- Some excursion admissions tickets
- Some day or weekend excursions
- CISI Insurance
- Housing
- WiFi
- Gym Access
- On-Site support services
- W&M credits taught by W&M faculty
- Breakfast M-F and dinner M-Th are included in the program price. Some meals are included on excursions
Eligibility:
- Students must be an active W&M undergraduate student in good standing, not on academic or disciplinary probation during time abroad, and eligible to take classes at the W&M Williamsburg campus to study abroad.
- Students currently on-campus must successfully complete 1 credit spring course.
- For more information about eligibility, please visit our Policies that Affect You page.
Handbooks:
Click to view the Summer Abroad Handbook 2025
