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For cost information go to the program budget sheet. Note: financial aid can be used for study abroad programs. For information on the application process view the Eligibility and Application link for information on Small Group Advising Sessions and London Launch Sessions.
London Launch Sessions
Launch sessions are held prior to the application period and attendance is required in order to apply for the program. The sessions give you an opportunity to meet the faculty directors, learn about the program components and what it is like to live, volunteer and study in London. If you are not able to attend the information session, please contact us directly for access to the application. LBS 2017 London Launch Session:
Eligibility
Final acceptance will be made after a selection interview. Note to Accepted Students: All students accepted into the London Business Semester are required to attend all scheduled pre-departure meetings and orientation sessions. These meetings will take place during the Spring semester, dates will be sent with approval notifications. Once accepted into the London Business Semester, you will need to sign a release for St. Thomas to obtain a criminal background check in order to be placed at your community service site in London (this is a legal requirement of the U.K.). The nature of some offenses may result in limits to the type of placement or restrict students altogether from obtaining a community service placement in London. Note that any reported offenses may be recorded onto your St. Thomas discipline record, and that serious offenses may result in disciplinary action by St. Thomas, including a determination that you are not eligible for Study Abroad programs.
The program is limited to 50 students.
Courses Offered Students are in courses only with other St. Thomas students. Students take at least 12 and up to 16 credits, plus BUSN 200. Courses listed below are subject to change.
BUSN 200 - Community Service (no academic credit): This experience is required of all business majors. The course follows the Statement of Purpose of the university to "develop morally responsible individuals who combine career competency . . .while fostering in the student a tradition of service to the public welfare." Students will develop an awareness of the challenges and responsibilities in meeting the diverse, changing needs of the community while experiencing personal growth and awareness. Students will choose from a variety of volunteer activities that follow the mission of St. Thomas and also afford them a unique experience in London. The course is graded S-D-R by Barbara Gorski, Director of Community Service at St. Thomas.
Note: BUSN 200 is a required part of the London Business Semester and a U.K. student visa is required to perform community service in London. All program participants are expected to apply for a visa and complete the required 40 hours of BUSN 200 Community Service. This process is detailed and requires multiple steps. The Office of Study Abroad will provide you complete information, but you must make the application yourself. You will be required to send your actual passport to the British Consulate in the summer for this purpose and you will not be able to travel internationally during that time; you will need to plan accordingly. We recommend applying for the visa the very first day possible (90 days plus one week before the program begins); students who apply by very early June typically report that they have their passport with visa returned to them within one month (and while there are no guarantees, it should mean that you would be able to travel internationally by mid-July). The U.K. Student Visa is issued for the actual program dates and only allows you to enter one week earlier and/or leave one week later than the validity period. More details and complete instruction is provided to students at pre-departure meetings. COJO370 - Intercultural Communication (4 semester credits): Study of the influence of cultural values on social behavior; examination of theories of intercultural communication; emphasis on effective intercultural interaction. This course fulfills the Human Diversity requirement in the core curriculum. Prerequisite: COJO 211 or sophomore standing.
St. Thomas' partner organization in London, the American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS), coordinates the on-site logistics of the program. AIFS staff members coordinate the student homestays, reserve classroom space, and make the community service placements, etc.
AIFS has an office directly across from the University of London Union (ULU). Classes are held in the ULU or in nearby buildings of the University of London. Student services are provided by the AIFS staff from their building, Dilke House. Students' mail may be sent in care of AIFS at this address: Student Name c/o AIFS Dilke House Malet Street London WC1E 7JN GREAT BRITAIN
Visit the AIFS site for more information:
Dilke House and the University of London Union are located in the Bloomsbury district of London, very near the British Museum. Using the Museum as a point of reference makes it easy to locate Dilke House on any London map.
The ULU contains a cafeteria, a bank, a bookstore, a workout room, and a student travel agency as well as classrooms. See the ULU web site at http://www.ulu.co.uk/.
London Business Semester students live in homestays with British families. The homestays are usually in North London, in the Crouch End and Muswell Hill areas, on the Northern and Piccadilly Tube lines. Students may end up living with a retired couple, a family with children, or a single person. British homestay environments can be different from American ones. European home stays may treat students like borders, rather than as members of the family. However, no homestay is a "typical" homestay, and students will find varying levels of interaction with their home stay hosts. My homestay was in Muswell Hill, which is about 50 minutes from the city center by bus or tube. I lived with a host-mom, Meg, and the family dog in a three-story Victorian home with my roommate. We had our own room to share and our host-mom gave us each a cabinet and fridge space to store food in the kitchen. Meg was a school teacher, so we saw her mostly in the evening and on weekends. She usually would ask us how our days went and if we needed anything, which was nice because she made us feel like a part of the family. I enjoyed my homestay experience because it allowed me to see a different part of London I would not have been able to see if I had stayed in a dorm. - Erin, past LBS participant My roommate and I lived in Northern London in an area called Hampstead, about a block away from Hampstead Heath. We lived with an older couple who were nice, had hosted many students over the years, and let us have our independence. We lived in a posh house, in a safe neighborhood, and were given our necessities. As college students who were living abroad for the first time, that’s all we really needed. Breakfast was left on the kitchen table for us in the mornings and we were able to come and go as we pleased. Now, I only look back at my time abroad with fond memories. - Alex, past LBS participant The homestay aspect of the program was something that I was very excited to experience along with all of the other adventures London offers. My homestay consisted of a British mom and her mother. Our host mom had kids, but they all lived outside the home. She gave us advice on how to get places, what things we should see, and was a good ‘second mom’. I had a great time at my homestay and recently went back to London, and I stopped in for a visit with my host mom. It was a positive experience and I feel that much more connected to London. - Mike, past LBS participant
Instructions for logging on to the AIFS website to download appropriate medical and insurance forms will be provided during the spring semester. View information about the international health insurance provided by AIFS here.
Tuesday, March 7: Meeting #1 McNeely Hall 100; 11:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Saturday April 8: Fall 2017 Semester Orientation OEC Auditorium; 8:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Thursday, April 13: Meeting #3 McNeely Hall 100; 11:55 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 25: Meeting #4 McNeely Hall 100; 11:55 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 9: Meeting #5 McNeely Hall 100; 11:55 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.