Courses Faculty Housing and Meals How to participate How to apply Dates Cost

What is the Summer Intersession in London?

Westminster Abbey, the Globe Theatre, Regent’s Street, Big Ben, the River Thames, and the Tower of London -- these are just some of the places you will experience during your three-week intersession in London.

During these three weeks, you will take two courses designed to introduce you to a city filled with history and culture. Lectures, performances, walking tours, and cultural attractions complement readings from Geography and English literature.

What types of courses are offered?

We offer two concurrent courses:  GEOG 490: “London: a Life in Maps” and ENGL 395: “London on Stage and Screen.” Students are encouraged to enroll for both courses, as several course requirements overlap.

Both courses fulfill K-State’s General Education requirements and provide a total of six credit hours. The courses will be taught in classrooms just two blocks from the British Museum. When we aren’t in the classroom, we will be out exploring the city and its environs!

Course Descriptions

GEOG 490: “London: A Life in Maps ”

This course will focus upon British tourism, especially on tourism in London. It will include discussions concerning the history of tourism, economic tourism, and heritage tourism. Field exercises, some of which will be organized by students, are an integral part of this course!

Students will be required to navigate the London Underground system and find their way form London to several out of town venues (probably Stratford and Windsor) by train. Many of the exercises will be “twinned” with exercises in ENGL 395, which will both save time and make the experience more rewarding.

In addition to the field exercises, students will be expected to complete a term paper, due on July 1. Short reading summaries will also be due on site; students will carry an inexpensive book of readings over from the States.

 

ENGL 395: “London on Stage and Screen”

To take advantage of the London venue, this course will use as primary texts the plays, movies, museums, and other cultural opportunities of that great city. Though the class will read plays and/or scripts ahead of time, primary emphasis will be on attending and then discussing and writing about the contemporary literary scene in London. Class meeting schedules will differ from day to day in response to theatre, museum, and other opening times.

Students are graded on attendance at all scheduled events; written responses for a logbook of their day-to-day activities and for a journal in response to specific questions about their experiences (both logbook and journal will be collected by the instructor); peer-group and whole-class discussions; and a term paper based on their logbooks and journals.  Attendance at all scheduled events, reading and viewing all the texts, and consistent oral participation are required.

A complete reading list will be available in January, 2009.

How the Courses are Integrated

English and Geography faculty have worked hard to integrate the two courses, so that students can “double dip”: a student’s day-to-day activities in London will be integral to completing the work for both courses. Below are a few examples of this integration:

• The British Museum. For GEOG 490, students will read about and see the Elgin Marbles and complete a short assignment. Students will also tour artefacts from the British Empire, taking notes in their logbooks and entering reflections into their individual journals.

• The Globe Theatre. For GEOG 490, students will explore the role of the Globe in fostering tourism to London. For ENGL 395, students will read one of the plays being performed at the Globe and then see that performance, standing in the same physical space as the groundlings did in Shakespeare’s time. (To help students understand the key role that theatre played in London, students will also visit the Theatre Museum and, if possible, Covenant Garden.)

• Stratford-on-Avon. For GEOG 490, students will study the key role this venue has played in London tourism. For ENGL 395, students will read and then see one of the plays being performed at this theatre.

• The British Library. For ENGL 395, students will tour the British Library's outstanding literary collection, which includes manuscripts by Jane Austen, Wordsworth, Charlotte Brontë, Virginia Woolf, and a copy of Shakespeare's First Folio from 1623.

Who are the faculty?

GEOG 490 “London: A Life in Maps”  Prof. Karen De Bres, specialist in tourism, Europe, gender, cultural geography, urban geography.

ENGL 395: “London on Stage and Screen.”  Prof. Dean Hall, specialist in American and Commonwealth (Indian and Pakistani) literature and culture

Guest Lecture: Prof.Naomi Wood, specialist in Children's Literature and Culture and Victorian Studies

What kind of housing and meals are provided?

Students will reside in shared apartments within walking distance of the classroom building. Each flat has a kitchen, bathroom, and general living area in addition to sleeping quarters. A complimentary computer lab and small library are located near the classrooms. Students provide their own meals.

Visit Accent London for further information about the classroom facilities, housing accommodations, and area resources.

Who should participate?

Undergraduate students who want a concentrated study opportunity in London, taking courses that count towards their K-State degree. 

We welcome students who are open to the “study abroad” experience, ready to engage with a new culture and with exciting course material.

To complete the course work in the time provided and succeed in those courses, we recommend that students have a minimum GPA of 2.5.

Costs are minimal, considering that London is the third most expensive city in the world. Some scholarships are available; visit the Office of International Programs (OIP) in Fairchild for details.

What are the dates for the Summer 2009 Short Summer Course in London?

• May 26 - June 7 2009

How do I apply?

For application materials, visit http://www.ksu.edu/oip/faculty/facultyled/application.htm

For further information about courses, contact:

Professor Karen De Bres, Geography
785-532-3407
karendb@ksu.edu

Professor Dean Hall, English

785-532-2169
deanhall@ksu.edu

How much does it cost?

In addition to paying tuition and personal expenses, students will pay $3,625.00.  This amount includes:

• $2,150.00 (Accent housing, tickets for four plays, group leader expenses, and a refundable $100 security deposit)
• $225.00 (OIP administration fee, currency contingency fee)
• $1,000.00 (Round-trip airfare between KCI and London, transportation around London)
• $300.00 (additional events/excursions, course materials)

Additional expenses will include meals and may include passport fee and/or visa fee.

Note: To enroll in the program, this fee of $3,625.00 must be paid to the Office of International Programs by March 15, 2009. 

I’ve decided to participate in the program!  What should I do next?

Be sure to complete and submit your application to the Office of International Programs by February 15, 2009.

Be sure to submit your check for $3,625.00 to the Office of International Programs by March 15, 2009.

Finally, please review the page titled “Travel Tips: Summer Intersession in London”. This list, developed by the faculty, will help you have an enjoyable and successful Intersession in London!

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Department of English
108 E/CS Building
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas
66506-6501
english@ksu.edu
Phone (785) 532-6716
FAX (785) 532-2192