London Winter

December 26, 2024 —January 08, 2025

Highlights

Imagine yourself ringing in the New Year in London.

London has been one of the world's most important and connected cities for most of the last millennia. It was the center of the world's largest empire, and from the late seventeenth to the early twentieth century, it was the financial capital of the Western world. It was the city of Shakespeare, Dickens, Johnson, Keats, and Blake. It has witnessed the plague, a Civil War, a supposedly Glorious Revolution, the Great Fire, the first Industrial Revolution, the birth of Romanticism, the Blitz, and Punk Rock. In other words, no other city is like it.

Experience the thrill of international travel and immerse yourself in a completely new environment, using London as your living classroom. Engage in class-specific activities designed to deepen your understanding of your chosen field and embark on exciting day trips to iconic destinations.

Join a community of like-minded peers and forge lifelong friendships as you expand your horizons and discover the world beyond your doorstep. Don't miss your chance to make memories that will last a lifetime – apply now!

What is included in the Program Fee?

  • A three-credit hour course
  • Cultural and class-related activities
  • Housing in double rooms
  • Full breakfast daily
  • Pre-departure advising and orientation
  • On-site orientation and administration by CCSA Program Directors
  • 24/7 emergency contact on-site and U.S.-based support
  • International health and travel delay insurance
  • At least one day trip outside of major city
  • One-way flights between major cities for programs with dual locations (eg: London & Dublin, London & Edinburgh)
  • Partial payment of on-site public transportation costs (see program pages for details)

Accommodations
In London, participants stay at a lovely, 4-star hotel in one of London’s finest central locations. Park Lane, The Royal Academy of the Arts, Buckingham Palace, Bond Street, and Hyde Park are a few minutes’ walk. From the nearby tube station, there is easy access to the city, Canary Wharf, Wembley Stadium, and all London mainline stations.

Hotel accommodations are based primarily on double occupancy with occasional use of triple rooms. Singles are available at an additional cost. A full English breakfast is provided daily.

CCSA Central Office

Contact Information

Kara Arvin - Applications

Erika Ryser - Payments

Denise Knisely - Travel

Mark Rogers

On-Site Director

Mark Rogers Mark C. Rogers teaches Communication at Walsh University. He has served on CCSA’s board since 1998 and has directed numerous programs in London, England, and Scotland. He has also taken students to Rome several times.

Kara Arvin

Assistant On-Site Director

Kara Arvin Kara Arvin is an Eastern Kentucky University graduate and was previously an assistant director on the London Mid-summer program in 2023. She studied abroad for two semesters in London, England, and Chiang Mai, Thailand. After graduation, she worked in Chongqing, China, before returning to the education abroad office at EKU. Arvin now works at CCSA as the Program Operations Coordinator and is excited to support students through their education abroad experience.

Group or Individual Travel Allowed

Option One - Group Travel

Travel together with faculty, staff and other participants from your CCSA program with our group travel. CCSA will purchase a airline ticket from select U.S. cities on your behalf. The airline cost will be included in your final bill from CCSA. In addition to the flight, you will also receive transport to/from the accommodation in the destination city and the airport.

You can check our currently available departure cities on our departures page CCSA highly recommends this option for those new to international travel.

Includes:
  • roundtrip air transportation from one of CCSA's designated U.S. departure cities.
  • roundtrip ground transportation between airport and the accommodation site.
  • CCSA faculty and staff to guide you through the immigration and customs process.

Option Two - Individual Travel

If you wish to make independent travel arrangements and depart from a city not listed or travel outside the program dates please choose INDEPENDENT TRAVEL from the selection below. You will book your own flights and arrange your own transportation to/from the airport and the accommodation site of the program. This is a great option for going early, staying late, or using airline miles to purchase tickets. We highly recommend participants not fly standby for these programs as a late arrival may negatively impact your grade.

Important Note for Independent Travelers: Please be aware that your check-in date may be up to 24 hours AFTER the program start date (program dates include travel time).

Check the CCSA website at https://ccsa.cc/departures for your scheduled date/time check-in.

* All prices are estimates based on prior programs. Final pricing will be published on the CCSA website by the first payment deadline.

Visas

Not required for U.S. citizens for less than a 3-month stay. Non-U.S. citizens are responsible for obtaining a visa as needed.

Program Dates
December 26, 2024 —January 08, 2025

Base Price
$4,689

Single Room Supplement
+ $1,202

Airfare
$1570

Payment Process
See our payments page
Enrollment Status: CLOSED

Application Deadline
October 13, 2024
Late applications accepted as space allowed; $30 late app fee applies.

Courses Offered

English / Literature / Pop Culture

Harry Potter on the Page and on the Screen

You've read the books and seen the movies. Now explore the Harry Potter phenomenon in contemporary British culture on-site in London. In our course, we will analyze and write about the film adaptations of Harry Potter and how they illustrate the issues involved when literature is converted into movies. We’ll also explore sites in Oxford and London that inspired the books and provided unforgettable locations for the movies, such as the London Zoo and Hampton Court Palace, in addition to touring the Harry Potter exhibit at Warner Brothers London studios. Muggles and wizards welcome!

Prerequisite: For upper-division credit, students must have completed the minimum written composition requirements at their home institution. Students will be expected to read the Harry Potter novels and watch the Harry Potter movies before the class begins.
WKU Course: ENG 290
Dr. John Alberti | 3 Cr. Hrs. |

English / Literature

Reading Vampires, Ghosts, and Cemeteries: Gothic London

We will encounter vampires, ghosts, murder, and cemeteries--in Gothic literature and in person as we explore London. Readings by Stoker, Walpole, Keats, Mary Shelley, Coleridge, Rowling, and Stevenson will inform our adventures in Highgate Cemetery, the British Museum, Westminster Abbey, and the Tower of London. In addition to exploring Jack the Ripper sites, we will experience Gothic architecture and visit Oxford University. If you enjoy sublime scenery and gruesome acts, join this journey through the Gothic tradition.

Prerequisite: First-year composition (typically ENG 101/102 or the equivalent).
WKU Course: ENG 399
Dr. Christopher Douglas | 3 Cr. Hrs. | U/H/G

History

London Through the Ages: A Journey into the Lives of its People

Explore the history of London by focusing on the people of London at key moments in the city’s history between 1600 and 1830. We’ll read their eyewitness accounts and then visit city sites linked to their stories. We’ll imagine Shakespeare’s London while visiting the Globe Theatre and appreciate how London recovered from the Great Fire from under the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral. We’ll grasp what medieval London was like at the Tower of London and recreate Victorian London at Dickens’s House. Exhibits on London’s history at the Museum of London and the British Museum will further enrich our understanding of what Londoners have experienced over the centuries.

Prerequisite: None. Open to students of all majors.
WKU Course: HIS 215
Dr. Bradford J. Wood | 3 Cr. Hrs. | U/G

Law / Pre-law / History

London’s Common Law: A Legal Legacy

Experience first-hand the bedrock of the British legal tradition with this rare opportunity. We will take a step back in time to visit London’s storied Inns of Court, where so many distinguished lawyers received their training. We will also witness wigged barristers in action today at the Old Bailey Criminal Court and the Royal Courts of Justice. This class enables students to recognize and articulate how U.S. civil and criminal statutes have evolved from the English common law and to glean how British courtrooms have shaped our legal legacy.

Prerequisite: None. Open to students of all majors, of special interest to law and pre-law students, or those interested in the history of legal traditions.
WKU Course: PS 420
Prof. Donna Bloemer | 3 Cr. Hrs. | U/H/G

Nonprofit Administration / Theatre / Interdisciplinary

Arts Management: Insights from London’s Cultural Institutions

Witness first-hand the management and administration of arts and culture organizations in London and learn how those institutions compare with their counterparts in the U.S. By visiting such sites as the Globe Theatre, the Royal Albert Concert Hall, the National Gallery, and the British Museum and Library, gain unique insights into the preservation and conservation of national culture, as well as a comparative understanding of the financial challenges faced by non-profit institutions. In addition, the influence and impact of tourism will be explored during visits to acclaimed historic sites, such as St Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London.

Prerequisite: None. Open to students of all majors; of special interest to students in business, cultural management, organizational leadership, art, theater, and history.

This course requires an additional $150 to cover theatre-related activities.
WKU Course: PERF 423
Dr. Elise Kieffer | 3 Cr. Hrs. | U/H/G

Photography / Communication

Camera and Culture: Travel Photography in London

Develop your visual communication skills while finding creative inspiration in the historical and contemporary photography archives at world-famous museums such as London's Victoria and Albert, Tate Modern, and National Portrait Gallery. Field trips to historic neighborhoods and celebrated tourist sites of London will provide subject matter for your photographic experiments while introducing you to aspects of local culture only available through the study abroad experience. In this class, you will acquire heightened technical photographic skills while engaging in cultural critiques and considering ethical issues aroused by modern tourism.

Prerequisite: None. Open to students of all majors.
WKU Course: TBD
Prof. Michael Kopp | 3 Cr. Hrs. | U

Psychology / History / English / Literature

Psychology of Dracula: Science, Literature, and the Supernatural

Bram Stoker's novel Dracula relied on new ideas in scientific psychology. In this class, we will explore developing ideas about hypnosis, sexuality, paranoia, hysteria, masochism, spirituality, and evolutionary continuity while examining how they were employed in Dracula. We will visit locations relevant to Stoker's life as well as his writing of Dracula, including Highgate Cemetery, the London Zoo, the British Museum, the Lyceum Theater (where Stoker worked), and the Victoria & Albert Museum.

Prerequisite: None. Open to students of all majors.
WKU Course: PSY 499; PSY 590
Dr. Robert W. Mitchell | 3 Cr. Hrs. | U

Speech Therapy / Communication Disorders / Education / Child & Family Studies

Finding Their Voice: Exploring Historical and Contemporary Speech-Language Therapy in England

As depicted in the 2014 film The King’s Speech, King George VI famously declared, “I have a right to be heard. I have a voice!” And thanks to speech therapy services in 1920s London, the king did indeed find his voice. This class explores the changing world of healthcare through the lens of speech-language therapy services. You will meet with therapists and advocates for speech therapy while also visiting the Royal College of Speech Language Pathology. This class will help you understand the experiences of speech-language patients and provide perspectives on aspects of the British National Health Service to compare and contrast with the “open-market” healthcare system in the U.S.

Prerequisite: None. Students in the field of speech-language pathology will be most interested in this course.
WKU Course: CD 496; SLP 596
Prof. Robyn A. Wahl | 3 Cr. Hrs. | U/G

Theatre / English / Literature

British Theatre on Location: Classics to Contemporary

Discover the thrilling world of London and explore English culture through professional theatre. Experience a diverse range of current productions, from the classics to the cutting edge; we will examine cultural trends and social issues through the lens of the theatre. The influence of English history will come alive as students visit theatres, museums, historic sites (e.g., Stratford-upon-Avon, the National Theatre, the Globe Theatre, Westminster Abbey, and more), and attend notable and dynamic theatre productions. Group discussions will be a vital part of class time in London, and guests from the field will visit the class on location.

Prerequisite: None. This course can be taken as a general elective or to satisfy a history/literature elective.

This course requires an additional $150 to cover theatre-related activities.
WKU Course: THEA 499
Prof. Jamey Strawn | 3 Cr. Hrs. | U/G
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