NYU > Study Abroad

Home > London > Academics > Specialized Programs

Fall Program in Africana Studies

NYU in London is delighted to continue its partnership with the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), one of the world's preeminent centers for research in African studies. This exciting new program is open to both NYU and non-NYU students during the fall term only and allows students to immerse themselves in academic life at a specialized British institution while taking course work at the NYU in London Center. As part of the program, students take two African studies courses at SOAS and at least one course in Africana studies at NYU in London. Courses available at SOAS include Perspectives on African Experience, Literature in African Languages, Contemporary African Literature, Language in Africa, and Culture in Africa.

Read what one professor had to say about the SOAS program this fall.

Let me tell you why teaching ‘Introduction to Pan-Africanism’ was so exhilarating this year. I teach the course to a combined group of students from NYU and SOAS: this year, we had eight of the former and seven of the latter, a very nice proportion. The NYU students have four weeks alone with me, and I use the time to teach them some basic concepts to do with Africa, slavery, colonialism and race. Then the SOAS students join us and we go into the canonical writings of the Pan-Africanist movement and the more recent theoretical texts engendered by them. Reading these texts can be intellectually demanding. It can also be a very emotional experience for the students, as it often impacts on their sense of who they are and where they belong. Because of this, the group environment in which the texts are discussed can have a decisive influence on teaching outcomes. The NYU/SOAS combination has made it possible for me to teach non-binary, non-essentialist modes of thinking in a way that would not be possible within any other institutional framework that I can think of. As a rule, American students tend to be unaware of the sheer size and diversity of Africa when they join the course. The SOAS contingent has tended to comprise Africans from different parts of the continent, and their life stories are the best possible illustration of the variety of African cultures, religions and languages. SOAS students, on the other hand, often have misconceptions about America and the African diaspora within it, which their American colleagues can help to interrogate and deconstruct. The two groups have also compared notes on the UK and American education systems and academic fields, and, of course, on identity politics and strategies of resistance across continents and nations. This year, class discussions and contributions have been particularly relevant and creative, with several students volunteering to make presentations not required by the course programme. The students also appeared to forge bonds of genuine friendship and collegiality. Some NYU students made extraordinary intellectual progress this year and I believe that this was facilitated by the cross-institutional environment in which the course is embedded. I feel privileged to be able to teach it under such circumstances.

Business

A key feature of the academic program at NYU in London is the business curriculum, designed to make the adventure of study abroad possible for students meeting the heavy demands of a business major. The business cluster at NYU in London includes 11 courses that are all standard sophomore and junior core subjects at most U.S. business schools, allowing students to maintain progress toward their degree while experiencing the diverse challenges and fresh perspectives that international study offers.

All courses are overseen by and meet the rigorous standards of the faculty of NYU's world-renowned Leonard N. Stern School of Business. The Stern School's programs in finance and in international business-both ranked second in the nation by U.S. News and World Report in 2004—are well represented here, as are courses in accounting.

Pre-Health

The academic program at NYU in London has been designed to give undergraduates majoring in the sciences and prehealth professions options that may enable them to continue their curriculum without interruption as they study abroad. The curriculum in London is a series of courses designed to replicate, lecture by lecture, lab by lab, the requirements of the NYU home departments. Laboratory facilities meet or exceed NYU's exacting standards. The average class size for lecture, lab, and recitation is 25 to 35 students, allowing for intensive individual attention from the professor. Organic Chemistry, Principles of Biology, and General Physics are offered each term; since they follow the same syllabi as those used in New York, interested students can study in London for either one or both semesters. Students receive their transcripts from NYU, and grades earned in these classes are acceptable to all AAMCAS medical schools in the United States. The NYU in London program is an exceptional opportunity for students in science and prehealth majors to work toward their degree while profiting from the combined advantages of a first-rate prehealth program and an international education experience.

Fall Mathematics Program in London

During the fall semester, NYU in London now offers a program that allows mathematics students to work toward their major, while gaining an international perspective in the diverse capital of England. The mathematics classes are kept small, allowing for an intensive pace and close interaction with professors who are leaders in their field. For example, you could enroll in two math courses and two or three liberal arts courses while abroad—an ideal semester for a sophomore or junior. Students complement their studies in mathematics by choosing from a wide variety of liberal arts courses in English, art history, economics, journalism, politics, and much more. . Laboratory sciences - biology, organic chemistry and physics - are also available. Classes meet at the NYU Center in London, a historic town house located in Bloomsbury near the British Museum and the University of London.

Art and Architecture in London

London is a vibrant city where there is a rich, ongoing debate about how city planners, architects, and artists can work together to improve city residents' quality of life. The Urban Design and Architecture Studies program at NYU has created a set of courses that engage this discussion by adding a layer of architectural field experience not normally found in urban design courses offered in the United States. For example, NYU in London offers a course on learning to view and sketch buildings through the eyes of an architect.