Academic Focus
This program gives students full access to the diverse course offerings at the University of Sussex, a university celebrated internationally for academic excellence. You may continue taking courses in your major or focus your studies in areas, such as the Arts and Humanities, for which Sussex is best known. Other electives are offered in areas such as Computer Science, European Studies, Management Studies and International Relations. You will study side-by-side with British students and other international students at Sussex's campus on the edge of the South Downs, just outside Brighton, one of Southern England’s most lively cities.
Early Start Program
This program features an Early Start option which is intended for Fall students studying at the University of Sussex who are interested in earning additional credits and extending their stay in Brighton. The Sussex in September program is a unique pre-semester session specifically designed for international students. Students will sign up for the Fall Semester, and then will select one Sussex in September course to complement their semester studies. You will arrive in Brighton approximately one month prior to the start of the fall semester.
Fall semester students typically take a schedule of classes totaling 48 University of Sussex credits and earn 12 US credits. The Sussex in September course is generally worth an additional 12 University of Sussex credits and 3 US credits. Courses offered at the University of Sussex vary in credit and range from 6 to 60 credits depending on the length of the course. Contact hours for each course also vary and may be comprised of lectures, seminars and tutorials. While most fall students take three to four courses, the actual number of courses in your schedule will vary based on the credit value of the courses you choose. Remember, it is up to the discretion of your academic advisor how many credits will be awarded.
Schedule Summary
The University of Sussex considers that active involvement in research benefits undergraduate teaching. Most members of faculty are involved in both teaching and research, and visiting students sometimes have an opportunity to engage in project work that brings them into direct contact with cutting-edge work in their field.
Regardless of whether or not you are taking art or science based courses, it is important that you know that the emphasis at Sussex is on independent study, and to make a success of your time you need to be both enthusiastic and self-disciplined in your work. The system is demanding, but once you adapt you will find the challenge it provides both stimulating and rewarding.*
Arts Based Courses
Teaching for arts based courses takes place primarily in small groups or in seminars. A variety of lectures is also provided as support. In each course the class meets for between one and a half and two and a half hours a week. You are expected to prepare for the meeting by reading widely from a course list and to be able to contribute actively to class discussion. The discussion is likely to be based on one or two papers prepared and presented by members of the class. You are also required to write between two and four essays per course each term.
Although the number of contact hours is probably smaller than you are used to, it would be a mistake to think that this means less work is required. In preparation for your classes, you are expected to read extensively, participate fully in discussions and develop your own ideas and arguments.*
Science Based Courses
Teaching in science and technology has three main elements: lectures, tutorials and other forms of learning support (e.g. problem-based classes and workshops), and laboratory work. Lectures provide the basic course information, which you then develop under the guidance of your tutors. Tutorials are compulsory gatherings of a small group of undergraduates and a member of faculty, for which work is set and discussed and ideas are elaborated and explored.
If you select courses from level (year) 1, you may have up to three tutorials a week. In level (year) 2 and 3 courses, as students become more experienced and independent, the number of tutorials is reduced and increasing use is made of seminars, workshops, exercise-based classes and project work, although individual tutor-undergraduate contact is retained.
Registration
You will be required to submit your course selections and alternates to the CEA headquarter office prior to departure for England. This will allow you to be pre-approved by the departments and/or lecturers for entry into your chosen courses. We strongly encourage you to take care in choosing your courses as registration is considered final prior to your arrival. If you are able to make changes upon arrival, you must complete this approval process on your own and it may be more difficult than you are used to. Students studying for the fall semester will choose a schedule of classes worth 48 University of Sussex credits. The number of classes you choose will depend on the credit value for each course. There are no required courses. To aid in the registration process, it is in your best interest to have courses, including alternates, approved by your academic advisor prior to departure.
To learn more about course requirements for your particular session as well as information regarding your host institution, you may click on the appropriate links above.
*Used with permission by the University of Sussex
