The University of Southern Mississippi will again offer students an
opportunity to study in London through five-week courses offered through
the British Studies Program.
Two of the many exciting courses you can take in London are the Royal
Britain and World War II classes. The courses carry six hours of
undergraduate or graduate credit in HIS 499, or 599 and 799. They are
offered from July 7, 2005-August 7, 2005, in London. Last year more than
150 students took part in the British Studies Program, the largest
London-based international program in the U.K.
Students studying Royal Britain hear lectures by British experts on the
monarchy; examine historical, artistic, and literary portraits of the kings
and queens; and visit palaces, castles, educational institutions, and
churches associated with royal rule. The focus will be on the ways in which
the monarchy has shaped political, social, economic, religious and
intellectual developments in Great Britain from the Anglo-Saxons to the
present.
Those who study World War II will have a unique chance to learn about the
events of the war from a European perspective. Distinguished British
historians, including professors from the Royal Military Academy at
Sandhurst, present lectures covering such topics as the fall of France, the
Russian Front, the Battle of Britain, women at war, and the Holocaust. The
class crosses the English Channel to Normandy for a four-day tour of the
battle area, following in the footsteps of America's "greatest generation."
The course is enriched by trips to Parliament, the university town of
Cambridge, and Duxford Airbase, home of the world's largest collection of
military aircraft. Students will also have the opportunity to conduct
primary research in the Public Record Office of the Imperial War Museum,
allowing them to experience World War II through the eyes of the
participants themselves.
The courses meet four days a week to allow ample time for touring. Students
typically visit two or three other countries on their own in the course of
their five-week stay.
You can get financial aid just as if these were courses you were taking in
the U.S. You apply through your school's financial aid office. There are no
prerequisites for the courses.
We stay in central London in King's College at one of their dormitories.
The rooms are small, but everyone gets a private room with fridge and
private bath. Each five flats share a kitchen. While few folks do a lot of
cooking, the kitchen is handy. The dorm has a large courtyard that is the
social center of the program. Students quickly make friends with the folks
in their class as well as students from across the country.
The dorm is on Stamford Street, a hundred yards or so from Waterloo Stat
ion. The central location puts you just a few minutes' walk from Trafalgar
Square, Leicester Square, and the theater district. Most folks walk when
they're headed to central London, it's so close.
The cost for the program is about $5,000, not including food and spending
money. While the amount may seem quite high, it's low when compared to
other schools' tuition for similar programs. And since it includes tuition,
air travel, and lodging, it's not as steep as it sounds. Moreover, student
loans are available for almost any student. So, money is not nearly the
worry that you think it is.
More info:
British Studies
Frances Sudduth, 601-266-4344
frances.sudduth@usm.edu
Hope to see you in London!
Posted by silbey at November 28, 2004 04:30 PM