University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

NOTE: While you are considering in-person study abroad experience, we encourage you to explore virtual international opportunities due to travel restrictions caused by COVID-19. It is difficult to predict when in-person experiences will be available and we don’t want you to miss out on a valuable international experience that will prepare you for the globalized virtual world that awaits you upon graduation.

 Earn academic credit and use your financial aid.

Click here for more details or call 414-229-4846 to discuss further.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Picture a 15th century castle as your home, with Europe as your classroom.  This is not your normal university experience. This is the Bader International Study Center (BISC) at Herstmonceux Castle.  Located in the heart of East Sussex, England, just south of London, the Castle is rooted in a language and lifestyle that are sufficiently familiar and accessible to most university students, but also richly enhanced by the deep history and multicultural possibilities present in the region, the country and the continent.  When you walk over the moat coming into the Castle, you truly do cross over into a different world.  Your time at the Castle will take you and your education experience to some remarkable places.

Owned and operated by Queen's University in Ontario, Canada, the Castle was formerly used as Britain's Royal Observatory.  Renovated with modern facilities, the 15th Century structure is surrounded on three sides by a moat and has a formal garden in the back. The Castle sits on more than 500 acres of woods and fields in the beautiful countryside of East Sussex in "1066 Country," which refers to the area taken over by William the Conqueror during that time.

The academic setting for the program is the Herstmonceux Castle, the oldest brick building of any note still standing in England. In 1993, Drs. Alfred and Isabel Bader purchased and donated the Herstmonceux Estate to Queen's University, envisioning a unique facility for international study.

Dates
Students may participate in this program during the fall or spring semesters or the academic year.  The following are approximate term dates:

Fall semester:  September to December
Spring semester:  January to April
Academic Year**: September to April

**: Academic Year participants must note that the Castle is closed during the break between the fall and spring semesters. Therefore, it is the student's responsibility to find alternative housing during the break. While the Castle staff can provide information for accommodation options near the Castle, the student will be responsible for the additional costs.

Program Fee
Please see the top of the program page for cost information. Click on the term you are interested in and you will be directed to a budget sheet that contains program fees and other important financial information.

The program fee is set by Queen's University. Queen's will invoice UWM for the program cost and this cost will be posted to students' PAWS accounts along with CIE administrative fees and mandatory health insurance fees. Please visit the UWM study abroad "Fees & Policies" page for details about program fees. Students should consult the Queen's University website for latest program cost projections and inclusions and exclusions.

The program fee includes academic costs for 12-18 credits, CIE administrative fees, mandatory UW System health insurance, pre-departure and on-site orientations, airport pick-up in London, course-related excursions, shared dormitory room, and meals included in housing.

Academic Program
The Herstmonceux Castle program offers a wide variety of courses in many different fields of study. Generally there is a concentration on the arts and humanities with some language and social science in the fall, and a concentration on social science and business with some arts and humanities in the spring.

One of the most exciting features incorporated in this program is the field studies. Field studies are an essential and integrated element of BISC; a combination of classroom discussion and field study help anchor course material and great opportunity to absorb firsthand the extraordinary cosmopolitan riches of the United Kingdom and Europe.

Field studies fall into two categories: "program" and "course-specific". The midterm and cultural studies trips are the main program trips. Course-specific trips are directly related to course objectives. It should be noted that these required academic field studies trips are separate and distinct from the regular cultural and entertainment activities provided by the Castle.

Academic Culture
Students from Japan, China, Korea, Russia, Australia, Norway, the United States and Mexico to name a few, come together to share a truly international experience living, traveling, and studying together at BISC.

Academic Support
Although Herstmonceux Castle may have been built in the 15th Century, it has been updated to include many of the facilities and services students would expect to find on a traditional university campus. Students have access to the Castle library, computer facilities, sports and athletic facilities, a music studio, the observatory, and local transportation via a mini-bus.

Housing and Meals
Students live in Bader Hall, a five minute walk from the Castle, is located on the Herstmonceux Estate and is a modern coeducational residence that was completely renovated in 1994. Housing costs include a full meal plan.