A three-week, direct enrollment program sponsored by Religious Education and the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at Brigham Young University in which students take courses taught by Woolf Institute professors and engage in the academic study of interreligious and interfaith relations at one of the world’s leading centers. Students will also engage in interfaith activities (e.g., traditional Jewish Sabbath meal) and visits to local museums, religious sites, and other historic destinations. In addition to being taught at one of the best and oldest universities in the world, participants engage and learn from other students from across the globe who hold different values, perspectives, and beliefs. Immersion into Cambridge life includes not only academics but also activities led by Cambridge affiliated students that are integral parts of Cambridge college life.
Woolf Institute at Cambridge
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DATES
29 June – 16 July (29 June – 4 July in London; 5 – 16 July in Cambridge)
HOUSING
Students are housed on-site at the newly built Woolf Institute on the grounds of Westminster College in the heart of Cambridge, or scattered around the center of Cambridge. Breakfast is included at Cambridge as well as some group meals.
COURSES AND FACULTY
The Woolf Institute program is a direct enrollment (DE), which means it is an independent international experience in which students immerse themselves in a foreign campus with other international students for a term. Thus, participants can expect a robust academic environment and diverse social milieu.
Students will enroll in the course Religion and Society from the Medieval to the Modern led by Dr. Esther-Miriam Wagner, Executive Director for the Woolf Institute. The course introduces students to the study of religion in society and to different aspects of the history of interfaith relations in Europe and in the Middle East. Themes that are covered in the course include communal identity and segregation policies, as well as contemporary issues such as Antisemitism and Islamophobia. Students will attend the course lectures, presentations, and roundtables during the two-week period and will also have opportunities to associate and participate in the vibrant intellectual conversations at Westminster College and the Woolf Institute. Students may receive BYU credit for the Woolf Institute courses. Students must receive approval from their departments prior to departure to have these courses count toward their major requirements or from the Dean of Religious Education to count toward Religious Education credit.
Participants may not take any other courses on this program, including BYU Online courses, without approval by the program director and ISP.
COST
The cost of the Woolf Institute Summer Program is about $3,500. This includes Latter-day Saint undergraduate full tuition (increased cost for graduate and non-Latter-day Saint students), international health insurance, housing, and approximately ten meals per week. This will also include accommodation fees.
Not included are airfare ($1,500–2,000), books, passport/visa fees, local transportation, and personal expenses.
TRAVEL
Students are responsible for purchasing their own airfare to and from the program sites. Airfare reservations must be made through BYU Travel. Students should contact a BYU Travel agent at:
BYU Travel | 280 HRCB | (801) 422-6293 | travel@byu.edu
ELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATION PROCESS
To participate in the Woolf Institute Summer School program, students must have a minimum GPA of 3.2+, be at least 18 years of age, and have spent at least one year on a degree course by the time the Woolf Institute program begins.
- Meet with Dr. Andrew Reed (andrew_reed@byu.edu) to address any queries or concerns before applying.
- Complete the online application at kennedy.byu.edu/apply, and pay the $35 (non-refundable) application fee.
- Apply directly to the Woolf Institute’s Summer School program (students must be accepted by BYU in order to apply to Cambridge). Applications are considered and accepted on a rolling basis, so applying early is encouraged. Cambridge closes the application when the program is full, regardless of the announced deadline.
- Early application Deadline: 1 December 2020
- Final Deadline: 5 February 2021
PREPARATION
Students must be adults, 18 years of age or older. After having submitted applications to the Kennedy Center and the Woolf Institute, accepted students are required to participate in an international, cross-cultural preparation course (IAS 201, 1 credit hour). This evening course will be held the second block during winter semester 2021. Satisfactory completion of the course is required.
BYU students are expected to keep all aspects of the BYU Honors Code and ISP rules during the Woolf Institute Summer School.
FUNDING SOURCES
Regular BYU tuition scholarships, Pell Grants, and Federal Insured Student Loans may be applied to study abroad programs. Students who submit the financial aid section of the ISP application and who have a current FAFSA form on file at the Financial Aid Office (A-41 ASB) will be considered for a study abroad scholarship and may be considered for other scholarships. They must indicate on their original online application that they want to be considered for financial aid.
Academic departments and colleges may assist with scholarships and grants. Private grants and scholarships outside of BYU may also assist (see kennedy.byu.edu/student/scholarships). Religious Education may assist with scholarships for students based on need and/or merit.
SCHEDULE AND TIME COMMITMENT
Students should make flight and travel arrangements so that they arrive in Cambridge at least one day before the program officially begins. They should also be committed to attending every class session and scheduled events.
INTERESTED STUDENTS SHOULD CONTACT
Andrew Reed
270 C JSB
andrew_reed@byu.edu
Paul Kerry
2149 JFSB
paul_kerry@byu.edu
PROGRAM ADJUSTMENTS
International Study Programs (ISP) reserves the right to cancel this program, revise its offerings, or make any adjustments to the preliminary cost. If it becomes necessary for ISP to cancel a program, all program payments made to BYU ISP will be refunded to the student’s BYU financial account. ISP is the only office authorized to cancel any of its programs.