The College’s program at the University of Bristol provides qualified students with an opportunity to study for an autumn term or for an academic year at a British institution of international renown. This is an intense academic immersion program in which students take regular coursework in their program of study alongside local degree-seeking students at the university.
Through agreements made by the College with seven British universities and one Irish university, a select group of Chicago students can study for the autumn term or, in some cases, for an academic year in Great Britain or the Republic of Ireland.
The University of Bristol is the newest of the “old” civic universities. It was established as a university in 1909 through an amalgamation of older institutions including University College, Bristol (founded 1876) and Bristol Medical School (founded 1833). It has a student body of over 30,000 students, approximately two-thirds of them undergraduates. Bristol’s academic strengths are spread out over a number of fields though sciences (especially life sciences and mathematics) are a traditional strength. The admission competition for regular British students is normally stiff. The lively city of Bristol, located on the Avon River near the west coast of England at approximately the same latitude as London, is of medieval origin (with Roman antecedents). Though it was a major port through most of its existence, the silting up of the tidal Avon now limits the access of larger vessels to its harbors. Students may go for the Autumn Quarter or for the Academic Year.
Bristol provides housing in student residence halls (assuming a timely submission of the housing application).
Students can choose to study for either the Fall Term or for the entire academic year. That decision must be made by the time your application is turned into Study Abroad.
Study abroad students remain registered as full-time students in the College. They receive full credit for their work. Course titles, units of credit, and grades are placed on the College transcript. Since the use of these credits in a specific degree program is variable, students should consult with their academic adviser and program chair to determine exactly how credits may be distributed toward degree progress. All students are required to read and follow the Direct Enrollment Credit Guide ahead of committing to a direct enrollment program in order to fully understand the process.
Direct Enrollment Requirements
- Students are required to carry a full-time course load of minimum equivalence to three Chicago credits per term. At some institutions, the number of courses that constitute a full-time course load may be different than at Chicago due to differences in academic calendar or course weighting, in which case students should follow local regulations and consult with Study Abroad about equivalencies.
- Students are prohibited from being concurrently enrolled in courses at Chicago while abroad.
- The rules for registering, add/drop, and withdrawal from a course abroad are subject to the policies of the host university and at their sole discretion. The host institution is under no obligation to provide exceptions to their course procedure rules during a term abroad.
- Students are expected to complete all assigned work and exams before leaving the study abroad site at the end of their term abroad.
- Students are required to remain at their host university for the full length of their program dates, from the start of orientation until the end of scheduled examinations. Should they depart from their program abroad before the completion of scheduled instruction and examinations, either by way of a formal withdraw from the program or a self-arranged early departure, there is no guarantee they will receive credit for their term abroad and/or their grades may be negatively impacted.
- Some selected universities abroad require participants to attend the program for a full academic year. If students apply and are admitted to one of these programs, they may not leave the program after the first term. Credits and grades will be awarded only to students who complete the full academic year. Any student who leaves a full-year program early continues to be liable for all costs associated with the program.
Participants in the British and Irish programs pay regular College tuition and a nonrefundable study abroad administrative fee. The tuition is paid in conformity with the home campus payment schedule, and a deposit toward the nonrefundable study abroad administrative fee is submitted when accepting a place in a program. Students pay accommodation costs while in Great Britain or Ireland, either directly to the host university or, if the student is not living in university housing, to a landlord. Precise figures for the British and Irish programs for the 2024-2025 year are listed below:
Autumn or Academic Year tuition: as set by the Bursar’s Office
Study abroad administrative fee: $675
Out-of-pocket expenses include:
- round-trip airfare to and from the program site
- passport/visa fees
- transportation on site
- accommodation
- meals
- course materials
- personal entertainment and travel
- communications (most students bring or buy a cell phone)
- health insurance and upfront payments for care
- other miscellaneous expenses
Study abroad students retain their financial aid eligibility. For more information about financial aid resources, please see our Tuition, Fees, and Funding section.
The British and Irish programs are open to University of Chicago undergraduate students only. Applications from outside the University are not accepted.
These programs are designed for undergraduates in good academic and disciplinary standing who are beyond their second year in the College upon arrival in the UK or Ireland. Because there is a limit on the number of students who can participate in the British and Irish programs, admission is highly competitive. Applicants should present a solid academic transcript as well as sound academic reasons for wishing to study in England, Scotland, or Ireland. Students are expected to have conscientiously pursued general education requirements, and to have begun coursework in their major subject by the end of their second year. It is especially desirable that their transcript, which will show coursework through autumn quarter of the application year, presents at least one course in their major. British/Irish university students are more specialized at the same point in their university careers, so prerequisites for our visiting students are often rigid.
On the application, students are asked to rank five of the universities according to their preferences. If this initial application is approved, students then complete forms specific to the university to which they are applying. The College forwards this second application to the host university, which reserves the right of final decision.
Students wishing to apply to British/Irish programs must meet with Chris Fuglestad as a requirement of the application process. Students who do not arrange such a meeting before the close of the application cycle will not be considered.
To discuss the University of Bristol program and the possibility of participating, please contact Chris Fuglestad.
