'Crime and deviance: nuts, sluts and perverts?'

Unlike traditional short courses, which tend to focus on a particular academic field, much of the Madingley Weekly Programme is multi-disciplinary, meaning you get to explore a variety of perspectives on each topic.

Topics include 'Sex and gender: men, women and social change', ‘Victorian values’, and 'Crime and deviance: nuts, sluts and perverts?'.

In ‘Victorian values’, for example, will draw on history, landscape history, science and social science to reach an understanding of some of the values the Victorians held dear. ‘Rights and identity’, meanwhile, takes you on a journey through genetics, archaeology, history, social anthropology and religion in considering how individuals, groups and nations construct their identities.

Director of Continuing Education, Dr Rebecca Lingwood says: “Our mission at ICE is to make the University’s unique expertise and resources accessible to as many people as possible. By introducing multi-disciplinary short courses, we are giving the public the opportunity to experience a wide range of scholarship at an affordable price.”

Starting in January 2012, the courses will consist of five sessions spread over five weeks.

The courses are all taught by leading Cambridge experts at Madingley Hall, a 16th-century manor house on the outskirts of Cambridge with state-of-the-art tuition and study facilities. A number of courses focused on single disciplines, for example English Literature and Art History will also be offered.

The Weekly Programme is one part of a restructure that has also made changes to the Certificate and Diploma Programme, ahead of the new academic year 2011/12.

All of the part-time Certificates, Diplomas and Advanced Diplomas are full awards of the University, and all students studying on a year’s course will be given University membership, a University card, and access to University facilities and services. The Institute has also created a number of bursaries to help students with their fees, and has introduced an instalment payment system so that students can stagger the cost of study.

Dr Lingwood says: “As the cost of study rises and the effects of recession continue to bite, it's crucial that universities explore new ways of structuring and delivering courses. We believe that part-time, flexible study programmes are a vital part of the University of Cambridge's portfolio, offering a way into higher education for many people for whom it would otherwise be inaccessible.”

A full list of courses can be found by using the following link: http://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/courses