Politics in London

Language Requirement: None
Academic Standing by Program Start: Sophomore or Above
Location: Europe, United Kingdom, England
GPA: 2.75
Program Overview

Immerse yourself in current events and unprecedented political changes in the capital of the United Kingdom. Participate in two Political Science courses over a four-week experience that will explore differing perspectives on international government and policies. Meet political party leaders and discuss politics in United Kingdom in the aftermath of Brexit. With London as your classroom you’ll visit historical sites that will provide context for recent shifts in the political landscape.

Your classes will meet at the GEO in London Centre, a beautiful early Georgian town house in the heart of Bloomsbury in central London. Number 6 Great James Street was completed in 1721, and the wood paneling and ornate mahogany columns are original.

Scholarships: Applicants to this program have the option to apply for a program-specific scholarship. Award recipients are chosen based on academic merit, financial need, and overall quality of their essay.  Individual awards range from $500-$2500. To be considered, the Scholarship Essay must be completed by February 15. Please refer to the Scholarship Essay instructions in the program application or speak with your GEO advisor for more details.

We also encourage you to follow the GEO in London Centre on social media to see what current London students are learning about throughout the year!

Dates and Deadlines
 
Term Year Deadline Arrival Date Departure Date
Summer 2024 03/15/2024 07/28/2024 08/24/2024

Discount for Pell Recipients

To expand access to study abroad, GEO is offering a $400 discount for this program to UO students who currently have the Pell Grant as part of their federal financial aid (FAFSA).

Academic Details

You will enroll in two, four-credit classes while in London. These courses will combine classroom learning with experiential excursions that provide access to important locations and individuals within the political sphere of the United Kingdom and European Union. Political and Protest Art will be taught by a University of Oregon Political Science faculty member, Alison Gash. Contemporary British Politics will be taught by former Editor of BBC World Service News, Andrew Whitehead. 

Both courses are recognized and approved for academic credit at the University of Oregon and can apply to the Political Science major or minor.

View a sample weekly schedule for the program.

Course Equivalencies

UO students: please refer to the UO Course Equivalency Process and the UO Office of the Registrar Course Equivalency Database.

Non-UO students: Actual credit awarded is determined by the relevant department at your university in consultation with the study abroad office. Check with your study abroad advisor for more information.

Faculty and Staff

Dr Andrew Whitehead has been until recently the Editor of BBC World Service News, the BBC‘s biggest radio network reaching more than forty million listeners around the world. During his career, he has been a foreign correspondent, a correspondent covering British politics, a news presenter and a maker of award winning documentaries. He has spent a semester as a Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellow at the University of Michigan.

Dr Alison Gash's research focuses on the intersection of law and social policy with a specific interest in race, gender, sexuality and disability in the context of housing and family.  She is the author of Below the Radar: How Silence Can Save Civil Rights (Oxford University Press, 2015) as well as multiple articles on legal advocacy and collaborative governance published in JPART, Law & Social InquiryPolitics & PolicyLaws, and Polity.  Her work has appeared in NewsweekPoliticoFortuneWashington MonthlySlateLA Times, Chicago Tribune, and The Conversation

Housing Description

You will join a community of residents from many different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, as part of life in one of the University of London residence halls. The hall is located in central London, close to the GEO Centre, the British Museum, and the London Tube.

You will have your own single study and share bathrooms with other residents. All single rooms have a hand basin, fitted furniture consisting of a bed (including linens), desk, chair, and storage for clothes and books. Rooms are fitted with a telephone, Wi-Fi, and data socket.

The residence hall has study rooms, lounges, a computer lab, and laundry facilities available to students. Daily breakfast is included in the program fee and is taken in the hall's cafeteria. Shared refrigerators, microwaves, and kettles are also available in the hall common areas and there are grocery stores and restaurants within walking distance.