Castles in Canterbury, England

Study Abroad in Canterbury, England with The Buckham Overseas Study Program (BOSP)

This study abroad program gives English majors the opportunity to study at the University of Kent (UKC) at Canterbury in England. Contact Professor Helen Scott, Director of the BOSP Program, with any questions at hscott@uvm.edu. To be eligible for this study abroad program you will need:

  • To be an English major
  • A 3.0 GPA in your major and your overall studies
  • Completion of  English 100
  • Completion of at least 60 credits overall

 

Program Details​

  • This is a UVM sponsored program and the graded credits earned at Kent University will be transferred and will count towards your GPA.
  • UVM will bill students an amount to cover their UVM tuition, OIE student fee, and accommodation at UKC.
  • Most UVM financial aid, including tuition remission, applies to this program. If you receive aid from sources outside of UVM, you will need to verify whether that aid may be applied. Contact UVM Student Financial Services to review your specific financial aid offer as it applies to BOSP.
  • The Program is administrered through UVM's Office of International Education in partnership with the English department.
  • Admitted students receive a scholarship in the form of a round trip airfare to London.

 

Applications are due by the Friday of the second week of spring semester.

For your application you will need to include:

  • The cover page application (DOCX)
  • your most recent transcripts
  • a statement about why you want to study at the University of Kent (approximately 250 words)
  • two letters of recommendation, one from the English department and one from an outside department, along with two recommendation forms (DOCX).
  • a completed advising checklist (available at the English department)
  • and a writing sample

After admission into BOSP, students then complete the application process for UKC, with the assistance of the Buckham advisor. A current passport is required.​ ​

Canterbury cathedral

  • Why should you study in Canterbury, England?

    Canterbury is rich in history! Settled by ancient Romans, this was the site of the first Christian settlement in England and is home to the famous medieval cathedral. Canterbury is often seen as the Birthplace of English Literature and is the famous pilgrimage site for the characters in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.

    The ‘Garden of England’
    With a population similar to that of Burlington, Canterbury is the bustling commercial and cultural center of the region—an area known as the ‘Garden of England’—and is close to London (by train) and the European continent (by ferry or Chunnel).

     

Choose a timeline that works for you!

UKC's academic year consists of three ten-week terms--Autumn, Spring, and Summer--and runs from late September to the end of June.

  • Option I: September- December
  • ​Option II: January-June
  • Option III: The entire academic year: Late September until the end of June.
    (this option would require a visa for extended stay)

 

 

University of Kent at Canterbury

The University of Kent is an excellent modern university on a campus site that overlooks the city. Most teaching is through lectures and small seminars with a superb faculty.

The English department features concentrations in both canonical and postcolonial English Literature. The University has a long-time commitment to foreign students and has maintained a relationship with UVM for almost three decades.

 

Map oif England

Student poses with the cathedral in the background

BOSP Student Handbook

Check out the PDF icon BOSP handbook (PDF) written by a past participant, Beryl, which explains the program and what to expect through the lens of a student.

About Beryl:

Beryl was a participant in the Buckham Overseas Study Program during 2011-2012. In her free time she traveled to Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Italy, France, and all over England with friends from UVM and students from all over the world she met at the University of Kent at Canterbury.

Beryl graduated summa cum laude from the UVM Honors College. Her thesis on the Brontës, “Independence through Education: The Governess in Jane Eyre and Agnes Grey and Her Relation to Women's Identity in Nineteenth-Century England,” was inspired by a course she took at the University of Kent. She is currently working as an editorial assistant at Simon & Schuster.

The following is taken from a testimonial Beryl wrote for the University of Kent website:

‘I’m so happy I had the chance to spend my junior year abroad at Kent Uni! Canterbury is a truly beautiful city and from the first week I arrived I knew it was the right place for me.

Even though it is a small city, it bustles with delicious restaurants, pubs, and all the shops you could want. A nice bonus is that it’s close enough to London for easy day trips. It was the perfect size for me, because it wasn't too big and I could explore everything easily.… The way English classes are structured is very different than in the US. There is much more outside reading and much less in-class time. Luckily, my teachers were stellar and really made the most of each two-hour chunk. Some were English, two were Australian, and one was even American, so I had the chance to look at the world through many different viewpoints and backgrounds….

Even more than the academics, what most impressed me about Kent Uni was the people I met there. … I made friends at Kent that I know I'll keep forever; some are even planning to visit me in Vermont next year!... I can't imagine what my college experience would be like without Kent Uni; studying abroad in Canterbury for my junior year was the best decision I could have made.'

 

 

English row houses - Imagine Yourself in Canterbury

Need more information?

Please contact:

Office of Internation Education
Living Learning B101
studyabroad@uvm.edu
802 656 4296

Helen Scott,
BOSP Director
402 Old Mill, English Department
hscott@uvm.edu
802 656 1094

Alexander Lindsay,
Office of International Education
Living Learning B101