Who can apply?
We welcome applications from all adults aged 18-80+, including university students, professionals, retirees and those with other experience, regardless of educational background. Courses are taught at approximately first-year undergraduate level.
Unfortunately we cannot accept applications from anyone under the age of 18. Students must be 18 or over before they submit an application.
Before applying, please ensure that you have read the programme requirements (including who can apply, English language requirements and visa guidance) and that you have understood our Booking terms and conditions .
How to apply
Making your course and accommodation choices
How long do you want to study for?
You can choose to study for one, two, three or four weeks allowing flexibility for when you are free. We ask you to arrive in Cambridge the Sunday before your week(s) of study and depart on the Saturday morning after breakfast following your last Friday classes.
Week 1: Sun 7 – Sat 13 July
Week 2: Sun 14 – Sat 20 July
Week 3: Sun 21 – Sat 27 July
Week 4: Sun 28 July – Sat 3 August
Courses run from Monday to Friday. For each week of study, you select a morning (Am) course and an afternoon (Pm) course. Some courses have 10 sessions over two weeks, some courses have 5 sessions over one week. (If you sign up for a 10-session course running over two weeks, you need to attend both weeks.) Our Creative Writing courses have 10 sessions over one week. The maximum class size is 25 students.
What do you want to study from our subject streams?
Courses fall into one or more of five different subject streams:
Business and Innovation (including Finance, Marketing, Creating Innovative Ideas) Global Challenges (including Politics, International Relations, Climate Change) History (including Archaeology , Medieval Studies , Ancient and Classical Worlds )Literature , Philosophy and the Visual Arts (including Creative Writing , Shakespeare, Modern Literature, Art History)Science (including Psychology, Genetics, Sustainability, Astronomy, Physics, Microbiology)
Select which courses you want to study and whether you want to choose 10 session courses (over two weeks) or five session courses (over one week) or a combination of both if you are staying for more than one week.
Course choices
If you're coming for one week you can select 2 x 5-session courses (one Am and one Pm ) or 1 x 10-session Creative Writing course (one Am and one Pm ).
Examples:
5-session courses
Week 1 Mornings (Am)
Week 1 Afternoons (Pm)
W15AmXX
W15PmXX
Creative Writing courses (10 sessions)
Week 1 Mornings (Am)
Week 1 Afternoons (Pm)
W1CWAmXX
W1CWPmXX
If you're coming for two weeks you can select 4 x 5-session courses (two Am and two Pm ), 2 x 10-session courses or a combination of both.
Examples:
Week 1:
10-session courses
Week 1 Mornings (Am)
Week 1 Afternoons (Pm)
W110AmXX
W110PmXX
Week 2:
Week 2 Mornings (Am)
Week 2 Afternoons (Pm)
W210AmXX
W210PmXX
OR
Week 1:
5-session courses
Week 1 Mornings (Am)
Week 1 Afternoons (Pm)
W15AmXX
W15PmXX
Week 2:
Week 2 Mornings (Am)
Week 2 Afternoons (Pm)
W25AmXX
W25PmXX
OR
A combination of 5- and 10-session courses
Weeks 1 & 2:
Week 1 Mornings (Am)
Week 1 Afternoons (Pm)
W15AmXX
W110PmXX
Week 2 Mornings (Am)
Week 2 Afternoons (Pm)
W25AmXX
W210PmXX
Applying
To apply for your courses online and pay by credit or debit card click the Apply Now button at the top of the Summer Programmes page. You will be taken to our secure online booking system where you can set up an account using your email address and then be taken through the application process step by step.
If your preferred courses are full at the time of applying you can add yourself to a waiting list and must select a second choice. You will be notified, by email, if a place becomes available. We recommend that you apply early to avoid missing out.
As part of the ID process, you will need to submit a recent colour photograph of yourself (head and shoulders only). You can either upload this while you are completing your online application or you can to email this to us.
Application deadline
Applications will be accepted until 23 June 2024 , two weeks before the start of the Summer Programme.
What happens once you have submitted your application?
Once you have completed your online application you will receive:
An email to acknowledge that your application has been submitted (NB: this is not confirmation of acceptance onto the Summer Programme)
A payment receipt email to confirm your registration fee has been received (15% of your overall fee: tuition + accommodation)
If you meet all of the requirements and have provided all of the relevant information your application will be processed and accepted.
NB: If you are applying via your University or Institution, please liaise with your group contact. We will check names and payment details against the list provided by your group contact.
If your application is incomplete (eg missing information about your language proficiency) you will receive an email from the Summer Programmes team requesting this information, and your application will be held as 'submitted' until this is received.
Once your application has been accepted you will receive:
An email to confirm your place on the Summer Programme
An email containing a PDF of your acceptance letter including allocated courses and accommodation if applicable. This letter can be used as supporting documentation for visa applications
You will also be emailed login details for the VLE (from end of March onwards), where you can access the Student Handbook, Course Materials and resources and information about your College accommodation.
What happens if I haven't received the above emails?
Some emails sent from our office and booking system are occasionally redirected to junk or spam folders. Please ensure that you check these folders regularly once you have applied.
Balance of payment deadline
The balance of payment date for the Summer Programme is 12 May 2024 , eight weeks before the start of the Summer Programme. If the full fee is not paid by this date the University reserves the right to cancel your application and allocate places to those who may be on waiting lists for courses.
Accessibility and support for students with additional requirements
We make every effort both to anticipate and to make reasonable adjustments to meet the needs of those students with additional requirements including those with unseen disabilities, including mental health conditions, and specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia.
It is essential that you let us know about any additional requirements as soon as possible so that we can offer you the support and advice you require before the start of the Summer Programme, enabling a smooth transition to your studies. Please ensure you include any additional requirements when applying for the Summer Programme.
If you indicate on your application form that you require additional support, you will be sent a Student Additional Requirements Form (SARF) to complete. The form asks for further details about your requirements and support needs, and requests that you submit supporting evidence. Any information shared will be treated in the strictest of confidence and only shared according to your disclosure. If you have any particular requirements or queries please contact the Student Support Team da@ice.cam.ac.uk
Language requirements
To ensure that all participants on the International Summer Programme are able to enjoy studying with us, you will need to be confident understanding and following discussions presented in written and spoken English at University level, and will need to demonstrate an appropriate level of English language proficiency.
If English is not your first (native) language, you will need to meet our English language requirements, by providing evidence of one of the following tests. These results should have been achieved in the same sitting, and no more than 4 years before the date of your application.
Please note that if you have previously attended our University of Cambridge Summer Programmes you are deemed to have already met this requirement and will not need to provide further proof of English language proficiency. You will be asked to upload proof of English language proficiency when applying.
Qualification Required Score
IELTS (Academic), IELTS for UKVI Academic or IELTS Indicator Minimum overall band score of 6.5 or above , with no less than 6.0 in each of the four components
C1 Advanced
CAE (Cambridge English Advanced)
Overall score of 180 , with no element lower than 176
Grade A or B or 176 points overall on the Cambridge English Scale
C2 Proficiency
CPE (Cambridge English Proficiency)
Overall score of 200 , with no element lower than 185
Grade C or above or 200 points overall on the Cambridge English Scale
TOEFL iBT or TOEFL Home Edition Overall score of 92 (with no individual element below 22)
Applicants who have 'narrowly missed' the minimum required levels in one of the accepted English Language tests will need to have a video call with one of our team.
We recognise that you may have undertaken all or part of your education in English and/or may have extensive experience using English on a regular basis in your professional life, and as such could reasonably be expected to fully participate in our Summer Programme without the above tests. If you think you may be eligible to apply on this basis, we ask you to provide evidence to support this: an employer recommendation or reference, a CV / link to your LinkedIn page, an article or website that shows your work.
Visa guidance
It is important to ensure that you have the correct visa which permits study on our Summer Programme. The University of Cambridge must comply with regulations issued by UK Visas and Immigration, part of the government’s Home Office. Please see our Visa Guidance web page for further information.
