Classes take place in the London Centre, a spacious, historic Georgian building in the Bloomsbury-Holborn area. The center offers a reading room, a computer room, building-wide Internet access, and a student lounge—all that you need to make a success of your studies. The program includes a wide variety of excursions in the U.K.
INDEPENDENT COURSES
As a student in London on the AHA program, you have an opportunity to take a course at a local university in London.
· City University of London
· Queen Mary University of London
Studying at a London university provides an excellent opportunity for you to integrate with local students and to explore more subject matter than is offered during the AHA program. For more information click here.
FALL SEMESTER 2008 COURSE LISTING
Click links for course descriptions.
Art in the Mechanical, Film and Digital Ages 1906-2006
Britain Today: Issues and Perspectives (mandatory)
Shakespeare the Dramatist
Advanced Studio Art
London: Biography of a City
Modern and Contemporary Art in London
The Play's the Thing: Writing for the Stage
SPRING SEMESTER 2009 COURSE LISTING
Click links for course descriptions.
Reading Virginia Woolf
Britain Today: Issues and Perspectives (mandatory)
Shakespeare the Dramatist
Advanced Studio Art
British Masters, 18th Century to the Present
'Theater, Audience and Society', Tragedy and Beyond
Empire, The British Experience: 1500-1960
Nineteenth and Twentieth Century English Novel
For course syllabi, click the course title link.
Britain Today: Issues and Perspectives (mandatory) (39 contact hours)
Fall Session Spring Session
Examine contemporary Britain in this interdisciplinary approach to history, politics, and the study of social trends. This mandatory course is excursion intensive and makes use of London's resources as a world capital and center of government.
Shakespeare the Dramatist (39 contact hours)
Discover Shakespeare's plays in production. Study six of his plays as scripts from the practical perspective of the actor and director. See at least eight Shakespeare productions in London or Stratford-upon-Avon.
Advanced Studio Art (20 contact hours)
Develop your critical thinking skills and visual vocabulary. Draw inspiration from the London art scene. Visit galleries and studios. Keep a sketchbook, meet artists, and present an end-of-semester exhibition to a nonspecialist audience.
Co-requisite for Advanced Studio Art are: Modern and Contemporary Art in London (fall semester only) OR British Masters, 18th Century to the Present (spring semester only)
London: Biography of a City (39 contact hours)
Throughout its history, London has been the political, cultural, trading and financial capital of England. Discover the history of London from its Roman origins to 1945, through primary source materials, historical maps and guided walks. Completes two projects based on your exploration of the London streets.
The Play's the Thing: Writing for the Stage
(39 contact hours)
Explore new plays on the London stage as a stimulus for personal creative writing. Build a critique of contemporary stage work, examine inspiration, probe individual creativity, evolve plot, develop character and understand structure; and develop your own writing style. Write a one-act play and see at least six new and current London productions.
British Masters, 18th Century to the Present
(39 contact hours)
Study the evolution of the British school from the foundation of the Royal Academy in the eighteenth century to today's "Brit Pack." Examine contemporary artists and their work, patrons, and treatment by public opinion and the media.
Modern and Contemporary Art in London
(39 contact hours)
Study works on display in the museums and galleries of London and attempt to relate the current confusing range of artistic styles with the revolutionary ideas of the first twenty-five years of the 20th century, the impact of two world wars, and more recent global and social events.
Empire: The British Experience, 1500-1960
(39 contact hours)
Explore the way Britain's imperial experience shaped the world and reformed the country using the abundant primary historical sources available in London. Discover how the growth of the city and the country was dependent at each stage on human, material, and financial resources of the Empire. Examine the impact that growth had on the changing national consciousness.
'Theater, Audience and Society', Tragedy and Beyond
(39 contact hours)
Study a substantial series of texts and attend at least eight plays. Explore theater and its ability to shape the thinking of its audience. Examine various theatrical theories including tragedy and catharsis, social theater, political theater, the avant-garde, and the theater of gender, race, and sexual orientation.
Nineteenth-and Twentieth-Century English Novel (39 contact hours)
Analyze the nineteenth- and twentieth-century English novel in terms of historical content and literary technique. Examine the development of the genre; compare and contrast various fictional techniques and styles; and explore the nature of narrative and the changes that the novel has undergone in the past century.
FALL SEMESTER 2008 VISITING FACULTY MEMBER COURSES
U.S. Visiting Faculty Member: Professor James B. Thompson, Department of Art and Art History, Willamette University
Art in the Mechanical, Film and Digital Ages 1906-2006 (39 contact hours)
An exploration of the innovative technological developments that influenced both, art making and cultural visual perceptions. We will look at the invention of photography and its subsequent impact on mechanical reproductive methods of conveying visual information, the ramifications of edited motion pictures during the film age on our perceptions of the space/time continuum, and the influence of digital technology on new art making processes as well as on the new emphasis awarded “conceptual” practices. We will concentrate on the current position of the City of London as the global leader in the contemporary art world.
U.S. Visiting Faculty Member: Professor Patricia Varas, Spanish Department, Willamette University
Reading Virginia Woolf (39 contact hours)
An introduction to some of her novels and writings. Readings will be chronological, exploring the characters, the narrative construction, and different topics that are key to understanding the writer, her work, and her times. Using texts that were chosen primarily because of the way they deal with the city of London, the course will analyze Woolf's literary tradition and her historical/social background both in class and through several excursions.
EXCURSIONS
England is your classroom—excursions to cultural and historical sites around the country are an integral part of your learning experience.
In fall 2008, you will visit Stratford-Upon-Avon to see "Hamlet" starring David Tennant and Patrick Stewart. You will also have the opportunity to explore Wales, visit galleries and museums, and see theater and concerts in London proper.
Past excursions include:
• Wales - fall semester
• Scotland - spring semester
• Canterbury and York
• Cambridge and Oxford
• Tower of London and the Houses of Parliament
• Windsor Castle and Hampton Court
Not all courses listed are offered every term. Course offerings are subject to change depending on enrollment and availability.
INDEPENDENT COURSES
Students who wish to take an independent course will need to:
· Submit additional application materials
· Be prepared to arrive early or stay late depending on the independent course calendar
· Pay the additional tuition and extended housing fees
To apply for courses at either university listed below, please contact Jenny Ostoj at jostoj@uoregon.edu. Both universities have supplemental materials required of applicants; you will send these materials to AHA. You must send in all required application materials by the deadline:
· Fall Semester deadline: June 5
· Spring Semester deadline: October 25
Extra courses are taken at your own additional cost, please contact Jenny Ostoj at jostoj@uoregon.edu. Course dates listed below are different from your AHA program dates. If you take part in an independent course you must be on site long enough to finish that course. Please note that both universities listed below require a minimum GPA of 3.0. No exceptions can be made.
CITY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON
http://www.city.ac.uk
Located only ten minutes from the AHA London Centre, this is the most convenient option for AHA students. City offers a full range of courses that could be attractive to AHA students, especially from Communications, Media, and English departments; for current information about specific course offerings, follow this link:
http://www.city.ac.uk/international/study_abroad/
academic_programme.html
QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON
http://www.qmul.ac.uk
Located a 45-minute commute from the AHA London Centre, QMC is less convenient for students to reach. On the other hand, QMC campus is a much more cohesive campus (City is a bit more urban), with good student facilities. QMC does not offer as many courses that would be attractive to AHA students, but one department that would be an ideal fit is the Drama department. The English department also has some courses that might interest an AHA student. For current information about specific course offerings, follow this link: http://www.qmul.ac.uk/courses/coursedirectory/index.php
ACADEMIC CREDIT
All courses offered in London are recognized and approved for academic credit by various NCSA and ILACA member institutions. Actual credit awarded is determined by the relevant department at your university in consultation with the study abroad office. Check with your study abroad adviser for more information.
INTERNSHIPS
The London Centre offers internships to qualified students wishing to add a practical dimension to their study abroad experience. The internship option is a combination of hands-on experience and academic coursework. While spending approximately twenty hours per week in an internship placement, students carry a half-time academic load at the London Centre.
Internships vary by term. Past internships include:
• Public relations and marketing
• Education
• Publishing and journalism
• Arts management and museum administration
• Fashion and design
• Sciences and healthcare
Eligibility requirements apply. For more information, consult your study abroad adviser or contact AHA International.
