Summer Study Abroad
About Program | Photos | Courses, Costs, & Dates | Contact Info | Info for Accepted Students
> Why NYU in London? | The NYU Center at Bedford Square | Housing | Faculty | Excursions In and Beyond London | FAQs | Links
London, England
June 23 - August 4, 2007
Application Deadline: Open
Director of the Program: Ernest Gilman, Professor, Department of English
Why NYU in London?
For over three decades, New York University in London has brought American undergraduates to Britain for summer study. Drawing students from colleges throughout the United States as well as from Washington Square, NYU in London provides a rich educational experience in a city that is a historic center for artistic and literary achievement. London;s theatre scene is unrivaled, as are its museums, galleries, churches, historical sites, and shops. From Shakespeare at the Globe to avant-garde productions on the fringe, from the Royal Ballet to the club scene, from high tea to fish and chips, from the regal quiet of St. James Park to the bustling street life of Soho—this vibrant city has something for everyone. Britain's convenient rail system allows easy travel throughout the country. Oxford and Cambridge are only an hour by train while the Lake District, Dublin, and Edinburgh are also easily accessible. The opportunity to enjoy both town and country during your summer abroad is not limited to the United Kingdom and Ireland. The "Chunnel" now makes it possible to take day trips to Paris or Brussels and provides convenient access to the rest of continental Europe.
NYU in London offers courses in British literature, modern drama in performance, art and architecture, Shakespeare in performance, and contemporary English politics. These courses are all advanced electives that will normally count for the major in their respective fields. We also offer a research seminar for graduate students. We take bus and walking tours of London as well as group excursions to Canterbury, Bath, and Stonehenge. Actors come to our theatre classes and members of Parliament to our politics class. Fieldwork and guided excursions are incorporated into other classes as well: architectural tours and museum visits, historical walking tours of literary districts, and visits to Parliament. Courses are taught by NYU faculty and by British university professors.
The NYU Center at Bedford Square
Imagine taking courses in the British novel in the same neighborhood where Virginia Woolf met with the Bloomsbury circle, or studying the art and architecture of London in a building that is itself a landmark in London's architectural history. Imagine reading about British culture in a back garden that borders on the British Museum. Imagine being a ten-minute tube ride from the National Gallery of Art, the New Tate Modern, the theatre district in the West End, Piccadilly Circus, Regent's Park and the other sites of one of the world's great cities. The NYU Center at Bedford Square makes all this possible.
Classes are held at the NYU Center in Bedford Square. This Bloomsbury location—a stone's throw from the British Museum and within walking distance of nearly everything else in central London—makes NYU in London a program of distinction whose diversity offers students in all disciplines the opportunity for immersion in the British academic world as well as in the vibrant culture of London.
This fully restored (and fully air-conditioned) academic center offers classroom space overlooking the gardens of Bedford Square. In addition to two computer rooms, audio-visual facilities, a library, and study lounges, the NYU Center houses the program's faculty offices and advisement staff. The NYU Center at Bedford Square offers an unparalleled summer experience just minutes from the Tottenham Court Road Tube Station, Oxford Street, and Soho Square.
Housing
The apartment complex rests in an excellent location, just a twenty minute walk or short tube ride to Bedford Square. Each apartment accommodates four or five people in doubles and triples. The complex has elevator service and features common areas with city views. All apartments provide fully equipped kitchens and a host of other modern facilities to make your stay both safe and comfortable.
Faculty
The following faculty of American and British instructors will offer courses in the 2006 Summer in London program:
Erik Bond, Ph.D., New York University
Ernest B. Gilman, Ph.D., Columbia University
Michael Douglas-Scott, Ph.D. University College London
Scott Kelly, Ph.D, London School of Economics
Kavita Ramdya, Ph.D. Boston University
Joy Wang, D. Phil., Oxford University
Excursions In and Beyond London
Students are encouraged to travel beyond London and throughout Britain (and, on long weekends, to Dublin, Amsterdam or Paris—all within easy reach). The 2007 program will organize at least two excursions for all enrolled students. In the past these have included visits to Stonehenge, to Shakespeare's birthplace at Stratford-upon-Avon, Salisbury Cathedral, and Wilton House. Classroom work is also geared toward making the best use of London's rich cultural and scholarly resources. Students may visit Parliament, The New Globe Theatre, Charles Dickens's house, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Sigmund Freud's house, the National Gallery, Somerset House, or Poet's Corner at Westminster Abbey.
FAQs
Will the classes I take at the NYU Center in London count towards my degree?
Yes. All NYU Summer in London courses carry four points of undergraduate
credit, but transfer of credits is up to the student's home school. All students should check with their departments to be sure that the specific courses chosen will count towards their major. All visiting students should take special care to review their NYU plans with their home school so as to get the necessary approvals before the summer session begins.
Are graduate students able to take undergraduate courses for credit?
No. All graduate students (that is, students matriculated in an M.A. or Ph.D. program) attending NYU Summer in London enroll in the (four-credit) graduate course "Reading and Research in London" and work on projects approved in advance both by their program advisor and by the Director of NYU Summer in London. The course offers an opportunity for directed independent study, ideally in areas where students can profit from the research facilities in London. Normally, students are working on masters or doctoral theses, or in some cases reading to prepare doctoral exams. Projects in creative writing as well as in literary or cultural studies are eligible. All students in the course (usually 6-8) meet as a group once a week to share their work with the others. Inquiries should be addressed to the Director at ernest.gilman@nyu.edu.
Graduate students may, with the director's permission, audit undergraduate classes.
How many courses may undergraduate students take?
All undergraduate students must enroll in two courses for a total of eight
points.
Is a meal plan available?
There is no food service in the dormitory. Students are responsible for their own meals. Each suite in the residence hall has cooking facilities, including stove, microwave, refrigerator, utensils and dishes. There are major supermarkets a few blocks from the residence hall with (among other things) a large selection of good prepared food. There are also any number of cafes, coffee bars, restaurants (Indian, Greek, sushi, Italian, vegetarian) and pubs in the immediate area of
Bedford Square and the residence hall. During orientation, you will get additional advice about stretching your food budget and local food options.
How much spending money do I need? Should I get travelers' checks? Will I be able to use my ATM?
This really depends on the individual, where he/she wants to go, what he/she wants to buy etc. Unfortunately this year the exchange rate is not favorable.