Introducing the new Bachelor of Arts, International Honours, from the University of St Andrews and the College of William & Mary
Collaborative international learning
The oldest university in Scotland and the second-oldest seat of learning in the United States have joined forces to offer a unique undergraduate degree programme. The B.A. International Honours will be awarded jointly by the University of St Andrews (founded in 1413) and the College of William & Mary (founded by Royal Charter in 1693) after four years of study at both institutions. The programme blends the best of the two historic universities to create an exciting new programme built on a centuries-old tradition of excellence.
William and Mary Brochure (PDF, 3,067 KB)
For more than 25 years St Andrews and William & Mary have bridged the Atlantic through study-abroad and exchange programmes. We have now moved our co-operation onto a new level by introducing an intercontinental degree partnership which will offer students unprecedented opportunities for collaborative learning and a richly varied experience of higher education.
How does the programme work?
The Bachelor of Arts, International Honours will be jointly awarded by both institutions and will carry the insignia of St Andrews and William & Mary.
The curricula for the four available degree options have been carefully designed to combine the breadth of the liberal arts education offered by William & Mary with the depth of study characteristic of a St Andrews degree.
Students will study for two of their four years at each of the participating institutions. They will spend the first year of the programme at one institution and the second year at the other. In consultation with their academic advisors they can then decide how they wish to allocate their third and forth years
To see the full programme requirements for the BA (International Honours) please see the 2011/12 Course Catalogue of study. Full regulations for current students are also available at BA Int Hons Regulations (PDF, 58 KB)
Throughout the programme students will be mentored by a dedicated programme advisor who will help them to select their academic curriculum from a large number of optional courses and modules. Apart from studying within their areas of specialisation, students will be invited to enrol in courses drawn from a variety of disciplines or offering interdisciplinary perspectives. Learning will take place within a range of formats including small-class teaching, lectures, seminars, individual supervision and independent research assignments. In their fourth year all students will complete an Honours dissertation or comparable capstone experience.
The programme is designed to encourage in all students a desire to pursue learning with curiosity, integrity, tolerance and intellectual rigour, and to develop in them analytical skills as well as the ability to present their ideas lucidly and engagingly both in written and oral formats.
Students on this programme will specialise in one of four subject areas:
- Economics
A good understanding of economics will allow an insight into a wide spectrum of social issues and problems, ranging from the most important and pressing that face the planet today, to every-day phenomena, central to the way society is organised, but that are often taken for granted. Students of economics learn to develop theoretical models and apply them, in order to gain an understanding of the issues mentioned above as well as most other real world social phenomena. They also gain a highly marketable set of skills. Having been trained in economics they will be able to think analytically, critically and strategically. They will have the wherewithal to reduce complicated problems to their important components, formulate solutions to these problems, and apply up-to-date theoretical ideas as a framework for understanding the real world.
Economics Curriculum Overview (PDF, 49 KB)
The School of Economics and Finance at St Andrews
The Department of Economics at the College of William and Mary
- English
The study of English Language and Literature at university develops techniques that enable students to read with close attention and to consider the ideas, human values, and historical forces that have helped to form English literature (and literature in English) and the English language. The opportunity to read, to discuss, and to reflect with clarity on a wide variety of texts develops analytical, descriptive and evaluative skills. Students learn to communicate more fluently, lucidly, economically and persuasively. These skills are both intrinsically enriching and eminently transferable. Graduates will be familiar with a wide range of representative English-language texts (plays, novels, poems and short stories) from mediaeval, early modern, modern and contemporary periods. As part of an English degree, students are invited to engage with English, Scottish, Irish, American and other literature in prose, verse and drama; several modules involve film. Creative writing can also be studied.
English graduates from the University of St Andrews and the College of William & Mary have built successful careers in fields as diverse as television and radio, journalism, publishing, teaching, acting, the law, politics, the civil service, the religious life and many branches of commerce, industry and finance.
English Curriculum Overview (PDF, 48 KB)
The School of English at St Andrews
The Department of English at the College of William and Mary
- History
St Andrews offers one of the most highly ranked and prestigious History undergraduate programmes in the UK. William & Mary’s Department of History provides a similarly demanding programme at the undergraduate level, and is home to a world-leading programme in Colonial America at the graduate level. A degree programme jointly delivered by these outstanding institutions has unique strengths. St Andrews has great expertise in the study of medieval and early modern Europe, in the history of Scotland, England, the British Empire, and in Middle Eastern history. William & Mary has a strong concentration in the history of North America from the early colonial period to the 20th century as well as excellent provision in the history of Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia.
In addition to benefitting from the complementary coverage of topics, areas and time periods offered by the two institutions, students will also profit from experiencing two quite different approaches to teaching. The broader lecture and discussion based courses at William & Mary dovetail neatly with the traditional approach of small seminar based courses at St Andrews.
History Curriculum Overview (PDF, 50 KB)
The School of History at St Andrews
The Department of History at the College of William and Mary
- International Relations
This programme will involve the study of International Relations at an advanced, research led level. Students will gain an understanding of how major features of the international system are understood to operate as well as of the major challenges it faces. The programme will bring together the distinctive strengths of the two institutions, enabling students to engage with a range of issues, both thematic and regional in nature. These will include questions relating to development, international political economy, environmental politics, human rights, the various impacts of globalization, forms of contemporary political violence and conflict prevention and resolution, as well as regional concentrations on Africa, Central, East and South Asia, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union and the Middle East. At the same time students will benefit from the very different epistemological and methodological approaches characteristic of the teaching of international relations in the two institutions.
International Relations Curriculum Overview (PDF, 49 KB)
The School of International Relations at St Andrews
The Department of Government at the College of William and Mary
Admissions requirements
Admission to the programme will be highly competitive and entry requirements are:
|
|
SQA Higher | A-Level | IB points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economics | AAAA | AAA | 38 |
| English | AAAA | AAA | 38 |
| History | AAAA | AAA | 38 |
| International Relations | AAAA | AAA | 38 |
Other international qualifications and entry requirements will be assessed at the equivalent level to the above.
For Admissions enquiries related to the BA International Honours degree please email international@st-andrews.ac.uk
Fees and Costs
The tuition fee for all students in the BA (International Honours) Programme regardless of domicile is $32,000 per year (2012-13 academic year). Students who commence their studies at the University of St Andrews will be charged the amount converted to GBP Sterling on 1 June preceding the start of each academic year. Students who commence their studies at the University of St Andrews pay tuition each year to the University of St Andrews regardless of which location they are studying at for that year.
Payment arrangements may be made with Finance
The tuition fee does not cover the following:
- Accommodation fees and associated costs
- General Council and Graduation or Completion fee (payable by St Andrews home students only)
- Special instructional fees (musical instruments, evening language courses etc.)
- Books, copying and printing fees
- Fines, reassessment of failed modules and other penalty fees
- Personal expenses
- Use of the Sports Centre
Means-tested scholarships will be available for students who are domiciled in Scotland.
Application details – how to apply
Applications will reopen in September 2011 and prospective students should apply to the institution where they intend to commence study.
Students wishing to begin their study at the University of St Andrews can apply either through our own direct application form (available on the right hand side of this page) or via the Common Application. Applicants should specify which subject area they wish to apply for (Economics, English, History and International Relations).
Students wishing to begin their study at the College of William & Mary should apply through the Common Application.
Each institution will have a parallel admission process with each honouring the admission decision of the other.
Applicants can apply for the programme to one institution only.
If you would like us to send you a copy of the brochure about this degree programme email us with your full postal address to international@st-andrews.ac.uk