Chichester, England
Chichester, located in West Sussex near England’s southern coast (and just 90 miles from London), has a long history going back to Roman times. There are still many sites of historic interest, such as the cathedral and the ancient city walls, along with a vibrant arts and cultural scene with its famous Festival Theatre, cinemas, galleries, and museums. A variety of restaurants, cafes, and pubs may be found in the city center, as well as a mix of famous High Street stores and specialty shops.
Chichester’s surrounding countryside is spectacular and offers excellent beaches, dramatic coastlines, and easy access to wooded parks and hiking trails. West Sussex and its environs still feels like "old England”, offering visitors a glimpse of the traditional England that rapidly is disappearing in more urban and industrial areas.
About the Program
Hobart and William Smith Colleges maintain an exchange program with the University of Chichester in England. With a student population of just a few thousand, the university provides a small, highly interactive and close-knit learning community for visiting students.
Established as a teaching college in the early 1800s, today the University of Chichester is a full-service university offering a wide-range of majors for both undergraduate and graduate students on two different campuses. HWS students will primarily study on the “Bishop Otter” campus. HWS students have the opportunity to study in a full immersion environment, taking classes and living alongside their British and international classmates, engaging with the campus and local community through service learning and student clubs, sport societies, and other associations.
Students who participate in this program can select courses from a variety of departments, including but not limited to: studio art, dance, music, sport and exercise science, history, philosophy, psychology, performing arts, and religious studies. The standard course load is comprised of 4 course modules, for which students will receive 4 HWS credits. All courses are taught by University of Chichester faculty. Some classes have a service-learning component. For specific information about courses and the program, please consult the University of Chichester website for international students here. A module (course) guide can also be found here.
ACADEMIC FOCUS
Due to the wide range of courses offered at the University of Chichester, this program can accommodate students from a variety of disciplines. It will be of particular interest to those in the performing arts and the visual arts, those interested in sport and exercise science, and for students of history, philosophy, and religion.
This program is open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors in good academic and social standing with a minimum GPA of 2.5. Due to the challenging nature of study abroad, student academic and disciplinary records will be carefully screened.
Students may request accommodation with a local host family or can apply to live in residence halls administered by the university. Some residence halls are linked to a dining hall with a set meal plan while others include furnished kitchens and allow students to prepare their own meals. In each residence hall, HWS students will be interspersed with British and other international students to facilitate integration into the campus community.
The Chichester program is not a “study abroad” program in the traditional sense in that HWS students will be directly enrolled at the university, While there will not be excursions designed specifically for HWS students, the university arranges outings to sites of local interest, including Arundel Castle and the local market, and also organizes day trips to destinations such as London, Bath, Windsor, Oxford and Stonehenge for a nominal fee. The university participates in “Host UK”, an organization offering students a (free) weekend homestay with a British family as part of a cultural exchange. Students are also free to organize their own travel during weekends or school holidays.
Students will be charged standard HWS tuition and fees, room fees, and a $600 administrative fee. This will cover tuition for a four-course semester, health insurance, housing, airport arrival services, and orientation program. Note that no board charge is included. Students will pay board fees directly to the University of Chichester or will prepare and pay for their own meals if they choose ‘self-catered’ housing. Students living in homestays will also prepare their own meals in the host's kitchen. While meal expenses will vary according to individual tastes, we estimate that $2100—$2300 should be sufficient for students who prepare their own meals.
Additional expenses not covered include airfare, books, visa (recommended), and personal expenses (laundry, entertainment, ground transportation, and independent travel). We estimate airfare for this program at $900—$1000 from the East Coast, train fare to Chichester at $75, books at $250, and visa at $135. It is difficult to give an accurate estimate of student expenses because student spending habits differ considerably. We would suggest a minimum of $1,500 above and beyond meal expenses. However, students on a tight budget should be able to manage with less. If you are concerned about finances, we strongly encourage you to talk to the CGE staff who can offer information and advice based on your specific situation.
HWS students must complete all components of the Global Education application in order to be considered for admission to this program.
- This program is offered every Spring semester.
- All components of the application must be submitted online by the published deadline. Specific deadline dates are set each semester and typically will be in late September/early October (for Fall programs) and late February/early March (for Spring programs).
Program Handbook
IMPORTANT: The handbook(s) below is/are the most recent handbook(s) published for this program. A new version, with updated information, will be made available each semester. Program participants will receive their updated handbook approximately 2-3 months prior to their program’s start date.
FALL HANDBOOK SPRING HANDBOOK
Please DO NOT MAKE TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS until you have received final confirmation of the program start/finish dates for the specific semester you are attending. Dates included in versions of the program handbook intended for previous semesters do not necessarily apply to future programs.
NOTE: The information above is subject to change. Please see the CGE for more information.
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