Seminar course
Field
Seminars
A university-style seminar course in one academic field: 8 to 10 sessions of reading, discussion and writing with a researcher or specialist who works in it, for one to three students. Each seminar is written in full before it starts, and ends with a research essay or project marked against published criteria.
Who This Programme Is For
Students who want to study a field the way universities teach it
A Field Seminar is a structured course in one field: its key ideas, debates and methods, taught through reading, discussion and short written work, and finished with a research essay or project of the student's own. You do not need a research question to join.
Seminars also suit students deciding between fields, or exploring a subject their school does not teach. Each is led by someone who works in the field and pitched for pre-university students without simplifying the ideas.
Student Profiles
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The intellectually curious student
Has broad interests in a field and wants structured work on the ideas that shape it: reading, discussion and writing, with feedback.
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The subject explorer
Considering a field their school does not teach, such as neuroscience, international relations or architecture, and wants to study it before choosing a university course.
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The future Research Scholar
Planning one-to-one research later, and wants to arrive knowing the field's literature, debates and methods.
Best for
Students aged 14 to 18 (Year 10 through Year 13, or equivalent) who want to study a field in depth or prepare for research. Available across all six Aldevere fields.
Programme Contents
What's included
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A seminar written in full before it starts: a syllabus, an assessment brief, a research toolkit and a reading bank
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8 to 10 live sessions with a researcher or specialist in the field, usually one or two a week
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One to three students per seminar, so every student takes part in the discussion and gets individual feedback
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Short written responses between sessions, with feedback, to build the habits of academic writing
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A research essay or project, depending on the field, marked against published criteria
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A research conversation after marking, a written report on the student's work and a recommendation for what comes next
Outputs
What you'll produce
Every seminar ends in a finished piece of work, a research essay or a project depending on the field, built on the reading and discussion that lead up to it.
Analytical Reading Responses
Short written responses to academic texts, building the habit of close, critical reading and the ability to say what a text argues and why it matters.
Discussion Contributions
Active participation in structured academic discussion. The seminar format builds the confidence to put forward and defend an argument, which university seminars expect.
Research Essay or Project
A focused research essay or a design or practical project, depending on the field, built from your own question or brief, marked against published criteria, and followed by a research conversation about what comes next.
What every Aldevere programme includes
Field Seminars include all of these, as every Aldevere programme does.
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Designed before it begins
Every programme is written for the student before the first session: a syllabus, assessment brief and reading bank for a Field Seminar, a reading path and project plan for Research Scholar, and a written plan from the Academic Readiness Review for Academic Essentials.
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A mentor for the question
Students are matched to a mentor whose work fits their question. If no one in our network fits, we recruit someone who does.
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An academic adviser alongside the mentor
Every student also has an academic adviser, separate from the mentor, who looks after their progress and wellbeing from start to finish.
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Parents kept informed
Parents receive the schedule before the first session, progress updates at set points and whenever they ask, and a debrief at the end.
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A new mentor if the match is not working
If the match is not working, we change the mentor.
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A written report at the end
Every programme ends with a written report on the student's work, covering strengths, next steps and evidence of growth, and a recommendation for what comes next.
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Certificates
Each certificate says Completion only when every session was attended and the final work submitted. It carries its own number, and anyone the student shows it to, such as a university, can verify it at aldevere.com/verify with that number and the student's full name.
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References
Mentors are glad to write a reference for a student who has attended and taken the work seriously.
The student writes every word. Mentors question, teach and give feedback. Our academic integrity policy sets out what that means in practice.
With the family's consent, a referring counsellor is kept informed of the recommendation, the match and the student's progress. How counsellor referrals work.
Programme Details
At a glance
8–10
Sessions
Per seminar, usually one or two a week
1–3
Students
One to three students per seminar
6
Fields
Medicine, AI, Economics, Law, Humanities, Arts
$4,500
Fee
Whole seminar, no add-ons
$4,500, or £3,500 for families resident in the UK, who pay in sterling with no currency conversion. The fee is confirmed in writing after the interview and before payment, and covers the whole seminar, with no paid add-ons. Scholarships are awarded by nomination.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and accepted students are placed in the next available start window.
Apply
Ready to apply?
Tell us which field interests you and where you are in your studies; the interview can be booked once the application is submitted. After the interview we recommend a seminar and confirm the fee in writing, then confirm your mentor and start date before the first session.
Now placing students for the November start.