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Petition Type: New
ID: 11106
Submitted: November 10, 2023 at 12:14:20 PM
First Name: Nathan
Last Name: Hannam
Pronoun: He/Him
Student Number: 20279531
Email: 20nh29@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BAH
Plan: PPE - Econ
Level of Study: 3
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Request to take more than 6.0 units of courses on a letter of permission through another institution
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: I’ve been accepted to the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) to study abroad for the Winter Semester. I’m in my third year at Queen’s and I’m in the PPE - Economics program which I absolutely love. That being said, one of the main reasons I was so interested in coming to Queen’s in the first place was the opportunity to get to go on exchange and study elsewhere. Despite not getting my desired schools through the Bilateral program, I was determined to study abroad and landed on Copenhagen as my top spot.
The first reason independent study is so appealing is because I get the chance to take courses and learn in a way that simply isn’t replicable at Queen’s. Part of the draw is the unique curricula and specific material being covered but there is also the component of an entirely unique and different lens. My hope is to gain some insight on the European perspective and learn from other international students as well. I also believe I’ll be able to contribute to the academic environment with my Canadian perspective and I’m excited to see what courses I end up taking. I’ve outlined some of my courses of particular interest below:
Courses of interest (description):
- Introduction to Japan’s History, Culture, and Society (history of Japan pre-WWII with a focus on primary sources)
- Course in Danish Culture (Danish history, literature, and art)
- Nordic Mythology (insight into Danish religion before Christianity)
- History and Cultural History of Poland (timeline from the Middle Ages right up to Polish communism)
- Democratization and ethno-religious conflict in Southeast Asia (exploring nation building and conflicts of interest in the region)
- Europe’s quest for ‘digital sovereignty’: Exploring EU in the global tech race (a combination of tech and legislature at the policy level)
There are certainly other courses I like, but I tried to just list a few of those that stood out as especially unique and/or interesting. The second reason I want to study abroad is for the cultural experience of Denmark itself. I’ve grown up in Canada my whole life in what I would argue has been a relatively comfortable and familiar setting, but travelling abroad affords me the opportunity to go out of comfort zone and have an unforgettable experience. I’ve found some restaurants and art galleries in Copenhagen that I’ll definitely check out and I’m also hoping to explore the country a bit more as well as some of the other nordic nations. It’s rare to get the chance to go to school somewhere completely new and I think Copenhagen and UCPH are an ideal destination.
The first reason independent study is so appealing is because I get the chance to take courses and learn in a way that simply isn’t replicable at Queen’s. Part of the draw is the unique curricula and specific material being covered but there is also the component of an entirely unique and different lens. My hope is to gain some insight on the European perspective and learn from other international students as well. I also believe I’ll be able to contribute to the academic environment with my Canadian perspective and I’m excited to see what courses I end up taking. I’ve outlined some of my courses of particular interest below:
Courses of interest (description):
- Introduction to Japan’s History, Culture, and Society (history of Japan pre-WWII with a focus on primary sources)
- Course in Danish Culture (Danish history, literature, and art)
- Nordic Mythology (insight into Danish religion before Christianity)
- History and Cultural History of Poland (timeline from the Middle Ages right up to Polish communism)
- Democratization and ethno-religious conflict in Southeast Asia (exploring nation building and conflicts of interest in the region)
- Europe’s quest for ‘digital sovereignty’: Exploring EU in the global tech race (a combination of tech and legislature at the policy level)
There are certainly other courses I like, but I tried to just list a few of those that stood out as especially unique and/or interesting. The second reason I want to study abroad is for the cultural experience of Denmark itself. I’ve grown up in Canada my whole life in what I would argue has been a relatively comfortable and familiar setting, but travelling abroad affords me the opportunity to go out of comfort zone and have an unforgettable experience. I’ve found some restaurants and art galleries in Copenhagen that I’ll definitely check out and I’m also hoping to explore the country a bit more as well as some of the other nordic nations. It’s rare to get the chance to go to school somewhere completely new and I think Copenhagen and UCPH are an ideal destination.
Academic Plan
Academic Plan: As far as my program and Academic Plan go, I’ve satisfied the majority of my course requirements. This means I can take electives and courses of personal interest while abroad and not have it impact my graduation timeline or degree fulfillment. Specifically, to satisfy my plan requirements I still need:
- 6 units of ECON at the 300-level or above
- 9 units of PHIL at the 200-level or above
- 3 units of POLS at the 200-level or above
I’m open to satisfying one or two of these while at UCPH (probably either in philosophy or politics) but it isn’t necessary since I can complete the credit requirements in fourth year. As for my BAH degree as a whole, I’m going to stay on track too. I plan on taking 4 courses in Copenhagen and since each one is worth 7.5 ECTS, this means I’ll have a full course load of 30 ECTS which translates to 15 credits here at Queen’s. In addition, I won’t be taking any COMM courses since I’ve already used my maximum allowance of 6 units to date and I don’t plan on taking any Queen’s courses while overseas. Beyond that I’m fairly certain there aren’t any other restrictions. I see studying abroad as a special opportunity to try and take courses from departments I wouldn’t normally choose or even have access to here at Queen’s. UCPH gives me that opportunity and in so doing is in no way disruptive to my academic progress at Queen’s either.
- 6 units of ECON at the 300-level or above
- 9 units of PHIL at the 200-level or above
- 3 units of POLS at the 200-level or above
I’m open to satisfying one or two of these while at UCPH (probably either in philosophy or politics) but it isn’t necessary since I can complete the credit requirements in fourth year. As for my BAH degree as a whole, I’m going to stay on track too. I plan on taking 4 courses in Copenhagen and since each one is worth 7.5 ECTS, this means I’ll have a full course load of 30 ECTS which translates to 15 credits here at Queen’s. In addition, I won’t be taking any COMM courses since I’ve already used my maximum allowance of 6 units to date and I don’t plan on taking any Queen’s courses while overseas. Beyond that I’m fairly certain there aren’t any other restrictions. I see studying abroad as a special opportunity to try and take courses from departments I wouldn’t normally choose or even have access to here at Queen’s. UCPH gives me that opportunity and in so doing is in no way disruptive to my academic progress at Queen’s either.
Documentation
Professional Letter Detail: NO DOC
Documentation Detail: Did not attach Undergrad Chair (Michael Barber) approval since was advised by IPO office it wasn't needed - happy to do so if this isn't correct or obtain other documents if needed