MISSION
The Winter 2021 program at the London Centre, A New Grand Tour: Art, Music, and Culture in the Heart of London, offers a unique opportunity to study music, art, and English culture with a richness that can only come through on-site instruction, in-depth study, and personal experience.
Centered in and around London, classes will be structured in a way of gaining the most from the setting, requiring students to study on site in many of the world’s best museums and concert halls. In keeping with the Grand Tour of the past, it will take a holistic approach to education that will combine exploration, learning, and self-reflection, which will further their intellectual and spiritual growth and enrich their lives. This study abroad program will seek to capture the essential qualities of a Grand Tour, which encourages and requires students to explore the arts and by so doing explore who and what they are.
DATES
7 January–14 April 2021 (approximately)
HOUSING AND FOOD
Students and faculty reside in the BYU London Centre—two adjoining Victorian townhouses on Palace Court in an upscale London neighborhood. The Centre provides breakfast and dinner Sunday through Friday and has free laundry facilities, and Wi-Fi access.
MEALS AT THE LONDON CENTRE
All dinners and breakfasts at the London Centre are prepared and served communally. Student participants are required to help in food preparation and clean-up. Because of the communal nature of the meals, the BYU London Centre cannot meet special dietary needs nor can it ensure a safe environment for those with food allergies. Please also note that other than a communal microwave, students do not have accommodations in the Centre for meal preparation and may not bring their own accommodations to the Centre to prepare food for themselves. If you have dietary or allergy concerns, we recommend that you speak with the International Study Programs office before you apply.
COURSES
Accepted students will be required to register for 12 credit hours, which consist of the following paired courses taught and co-taught by James Swensen and Alex Woods:
- ARTHC 201 – Art History / World Civilization to 1500+ (fulfills GE World Civ credit)
- Music 202 – World Civilization since 1500 (fulfills GE World Civ credit and GE Arts)
- UNIV 210R – The British Experience – Art, Music, Architecture, & Religion (fulfills GE Global & Cultural Awareness)
- UNIV 218R – The History of the English Grand Tour, Past & Present (fulfills GE Social Science)
All accepted students must also register for IAS 201R (1 credit), a required pre-departure preparation course that will orient everyone to the program. If you live too far from Provo, we can make other arrangements. Participants may not take any other courses on this program, including BYU Online courses, without approval by the program director and ISP.
COST
$10,400–10,900
This cost estimate includes Latter-day Saint undergraduate full tuition (with increased costs for graduate and Non-Latter-day Saint students); housing; group admissions; program transportation; breakfast and dinner Sunday through Friday; and international health insurance coverage. Part-time BYU and non-BYU students pay an additional tuition fee of approximately $300 for the prep course.
Not included: Airfare to and from London, meals on Saturdays, lunches, passport fees, and personal expenses.
TRAVEL
Students are responsible for purchasing their own airfare to and from the program. Airfare reservations must be made through BYU Travel. Students should contact a BYU Travel agent at:
BYU Travel
280 HRCB
801-422-6293
travel@byu.edu
FUNDING SOURCES
Regular BYU tuition scholarships, Pell Grants, and Federal Insured Student Loans may be applied to study abroad programs. Students who submit the financial aid section of the ISP application and who also have a current FAFSA form on file at the Financial Aid Office (A-41 ASB) will be considered for a Study Abroad scholarship. Academic departments and colleges may assist with scholarships and grants. Private grants and scholarships outside of BYU may also assist (see kennedy.byu.edu/scholarships).
APPLICATION PROCESS
Students must be adults 18 years-of-age or older. Complete the online application as soon as possible at kennedy.byu.edu/apply. We will be accepting rolling admissions. The program could fill before the deadline. We’ll contact you as soon as your application is completed to schedule an interview, and after the interview, we’ll let you know via email of your acceptance into the program. The first payment is due upon acceptance. Please refer to the 2021 Payment Information document (see kennedy.byu.edu/isp-forms/ISPpayments2021.pdf).
Deadline: 1 October 2020
FACULTY DIRECTORS
James Swensen is an associate professor of Art History and the History of Photography in the Department of Comparative Arts & Letters. His research interests include documentary photography and the imagery of the American West and the Italian Grand Tour. He has co-directed six study abroad programs to Italy and across Europe. He will be traveling with his wife Katie and their four children.
Alexander Woods is an associate professor of Violin and the director of the BYU Baroque Ensemble at the School of Music. He has performed all over the world as a violinist and he can’t wait to explore the vibrant and diverse cultural offerings of London with the students of the London Centre. Alex will be traveling with his wife Aubrey (also a violinist) and their three children.
INTERESTED STUDENTS SHOULD CONTACT
James Swensen (james_swensen@byu.edu) or Alex Woods (alex_woods@byu.edu)
International Study Programs
101 HRCB
(801) 422-3686
isp@byu.edu
kennedy.byu.edu/isp
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.
