Introducing the
Middlebury College-CMRS Oxford Humanities Program, offering a semester or yearlong study abroad experience in Oxford, England. In partnership with Keble College at the University of Oxford, Middlebury College has assumed the direction and operation of the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies (CMRS) to establish its first study abroad site in the U.K.
Middlebury-CMRS offers an academically rigorous curriculum of reading seminars, field research, and Oxford’s traditional one-on-one tutorials. Its affiliation with Keble College and central location amidst the historic university provides multiple opportunities for students to engage in Oxford’s academic and cultural life. Rooted in the humanities, Middlebury-CMRS welcomes applicants from all academic disciplines. Students can apply for either fall or spring semester or full year, and will receive Middlebury College academic credit for their coursework.
Middlebury-CMRS is distinctive among study abroad programs in the UK because of its three academic components:
Research Course
Students take on a faculty-supervised individual project that culminates in a research paper based on work conducted in the libraries, art galleries, and museums in and around Oxford, including those that are part of the University of Oxford. Full-year students may take a second Readings Seminar in the Spring semester.
Readings Seminar
Students choose from topics in medieval, early modern, and modern subjects that include literature, history, art history, classics, philosophy, religion, and political and social theory. Readings seminars are small—usually no more than six students—and are taught by faculty from Oxford and other UK institutions. In conjunction with the seminars, visiting Oxford faculty offer a series of lectures each semester.
Individual Tutorials
Students take two one-on-one tutorials, which are a traditional and unique aspect of the Oxford educational system. Tutorials, which are offered in a wide variety of subjects in the humanities, are designed by the students through conversations with their academic advisors and are tailored to their individual academic goals and interests. They are taught by local faculty. To prepare for tutorials, students receive a comprehensive orientation as well as full academic support by the Middlebury-CMRS staff.
As associate members of Keble College, one of Oxford’s largest colleges, Middlebury-CMRS students are able to participate fully in university life. At Keble, a short walk from St. Michael’s, students can take meals at the dining hall, relax in the common room, and study in the Victorian library and reading rooms. Many students also join Keble sports teams and clubs, such as the college choir, the drama society, and the college newspaper. Students also have access to all branches of Oxford’s Bodleian Library, as well as university-wide sporting facilities and student associations, such as the famed debating society, and the Oxford Union. Former Middlebury-CMRS students emphasize the benefits of this kind of participation, which helped them make local friends and immerse themselves in Oxford life. Throughout the semester, Middlebury-CMRS administrators create opportunities for cultural activities and access to local events, concerts, and theatrical performances.
More information:
http://www.middlebury.edu/sa/medieval-renaissance-studies
