Introductory Video
Since 1977, when BYU converted two stately Victorian row-houses on Hyde Park’s northern edge into its new overseas campus, the London Centre has served as the university’s premier study abroad location in Europe. Four decades of BYU students have now called the London Centre home. When not studying, eating, or sleeping in these historic West End mansions, students have used the Centre as a base for their explorations of the city, the British countryside, and beyond.
A semester at the London Centre remains one of the great bargains at BYU. The program cost listed below covers not only more travel and better accommodations than most study abroads but also includes healthy, chef-prepared meals four or five days a week. Fall 2021 promises to be a particularly vibrant term at the London Centre, as the city will be alive with great theatre, concerts, and festivals and the program will be led by BYU professors with extensive study abroad experience and expertise in British popular culture; European literature, art, history, and culture, and Experience Design.
Participants in this program will earn 12 credits toward graduation, develop close relationships with faculty mentors and their families, and tour some of the world’s greatest museums, cultural heritage sites, participate in unique structured experiences, and visit intriguing venues. Within London, students will attend West End plays and musicals, encounter people and cultures from across the world, and visit such iconic sites as the British Museum, the Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the National Gallery, and possibly even Platform 9 ¾. Our coach trips across England and Scotland will include stops at the Isle of Wight, Stonehenge, The Cotswolds, Oxford, Stourhead, Bath, Cornwall and Fountains Abbey. We will also study Shakespeare along the banks of the Avon and Beatrix Potter in The Lake District. Because of this program’s emphasis on popular culture and experience design, we will see Shakespeare performed in the restored Globe Theatre, attend a premier league football match, learn about the Beatles in Liverpool, retrace the steps of early tourists traveling to the Lake District, and visit locations that were used in film adaptations of Jane Austen’s novels. The program will also feature a five-day trip to Scotland.
DATES
31 August–6 December 2021
HOUSING AND FOOD
Students reside and take classes in the recently refurbished London Centre in the vibrant, conveniently located West End neighborhood of Bayswater. The Centre is a short Tube ride from most central London attractions and just minutes by foot from Kensington Gardens, Notting Hill, and hundreds of shops and restaurants. Program costs include self-serve breakfasts, chef-prepared dinners, and money to eat dinner out all days except Saturday. Students can generally lunch on PBJs or the previous night’s leftovers. The Centre offers free laundry facilities, a library, a lounge, and Wi-Fi access.
COURSES
Students will receive 12 credits, which can fulfill various GE and major/minor requirements or count as general hours toward graduation. All students will take the same four courses:
- ExDM 300: Creating a Good Life (3 credits, Professor Peter Ward). Fulfills GE Global and Cultural Awareness and counts toward major in Experience Design and Management and several minors with the Marriott School of Business.
- IHUM 280R: Humanities and British Popular Culture (3 credits, Professor Kerry Soper). Fulfills GE Letters requirement and counts toward major or minor in Interdisciplinary Humanities.
- IHUM 202: Western Civilization II (3 credits, Professor Kerry Soper). Fulfills GE Civ requirement.
- UNIV Soc 218R: Religion and Politics in a Global City (3 credits, Alan Phillips).
All accepted students living within 90 minutes of Provo must also register for IAS 201R (1 credit), a required pre-departure preparation course to be taught by Professors Soper and Ward during the second block of Winter 2021 semester.
COST
$10,400 to 10,900 (final amount will depend in part on US/UK exchange rates for 2021)
Program cost estimate includes full-time LDS undergraduate tuition (costs higher for graduate and non-LDS students); housing at the Centre; breakfast and dinner most days except Saturday; admission to program-related plays, museums, and historical sites; transportation within London; travel, lodging, and most breakfasts and dinners on program excursions within UK and international health insurance coverage. Part-time BYU and non-BYU students must pay an additional $250 for the Winter 2021 preparation course. Not included: airfare to/from London, meals on Saturdays, passport fees, and personal expenses.
TRAVEL
Students are responsible for purchasing their own airfare to and from the program sites. Airfare reservations must be made through BYU Travel. Students should contact a BYU Travel agent at:
BYU Travel | 801-422-6293 | travel@byu.edu | 280 HRCB
Participating students are required to have up-to-date COVID-19 vaccinations prior to departure.
FUNDING SOURCES
BYU tuition scholarships, Pell Grants, and Federal Insured Student Loans may be applied to study abroad programs. BYU students are strongly encouraged to request experiential education funding through their home department and/or college and the ORCA program. Those who complete the financial aid section of the ISP application and file a current FAFSA form at BYU’s Financial Aid Office (A-41 ASB) will also be considered for a need-based study abroad scholarship. Students may also pursue private grants and scholarships, including those listed online at kennedy.byu.edu/scholarships.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Students must be adults 18 years-of-age or older. While London Centre programs primarily serve undergraduates from BYU, students from other universities who are committed to a rigorous academic experience and adhering to BYU’s Honor Code are also invited to apply. Interested students may contact the faculty directors at any point. Applications are available online at kennedy.byu.edu/apply. While the final application deadline is February 1, 2021, the directors will be interviewing applicants on an ongoing basis and admitting strong candidates beginning in late 2020. Therefore, those submitting polished, academically-focused applications will improve their chances of being admitted to what will likely prove a highly selective program. The first payment is due upon acceptance. Please refer to the 2021 Payment Information document (see kennedy.byu.edu/isp-forms/ISPpayments2021.pdf).
Final Deadline: February 1, 2021
FACULTY DIRECTORS
Dr. Kerry Soper is a Professor in the Department of Comparative Arts and Letters who specializes in popular culture and art history. His research focuses on comedy and satire in comics, film, and television. He is also a professional landscape artist and humor columnist. He co-directed London Centre programs in 2008 and 2019. His wife, Lisa, and one of their four children will join the 2021 London program.
Dr. Peter Ward is an Associate Professor of Experience Design and Management in the BYU Marriott School has directed five study abroad programs and research trips to Europe, Iceland, and Uganda. His research focuses on how to conceptualize, implement, and evaluate experiences. He especially enjoys evaluating the customer journey and working to enhance the consumer experience at critical touchpoints. He also likes to rock climb, canyoneer, and ski. His wife and one of three children will join the 2021 London Program.
INTERESTED STUDENTS SHOULD CONTACT
International Study Programs
(801) 422-3686
isp@byu.edu
kennedy.byu.edu/isp
Dr. Kerry Soper
(801) 422-1242
kerry_soper@byu.edu
Dr. Peter Ward
(801) 422-3140
peter_ward@byu.edu
PROGRAM ADJUSTMENTS
International Study Programs (ISP) reserves the right to cancel this program, revise its offerings, or make any adjustments to the preliminary cost. If it becomes necessary for ISP to cancel a program, all program payments made to BYU ISP will be refunded to the student’s BYU financial account. ISP is the only office authorized to cancel any of its programs.
