London Winter

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.