Designing the London Experience
The winter 2020 program at the London Centre, directed by Jamin Rowan (Department of English) and Mat Duerden (Department of Experience Design and Management), offers a unique integration of humanities and business. Students in this program will operate at the intersections of culture and experience design, literary criticism and design thinking, and urban planning and life design. As students explore London’s diverse neighborhoods, travel to cultural sites throughout the UK, and interact with experience providers at places such as Harry Potter Studio Tour and Arsenal Football Club’s Emirates Stadium, they will learn to think critically about what it means to design and live a good life as well as the ways that people use literary and cultural objects to tell stories about themselves and others.
The program is designed to get students out of the classroom and into London (and its hinterland) as much as possible. Through frequent and deep engagement with the places and people of the UK, students will learn not only how to analyze literary and artistic representations of those people and places but also how to make sense of the experiences that have been intentionally designed to give those people and places meaning. Students in this program will not be passive consumers of a pre-packaged program but will instead be asked to actively participate in the process of designing their London experience. Rather than write lengthy papers or take rigorous exams, students will be asked to design experiences in the city and at cultural sites for their classmates. Even the time students spend in the classroom will be experiential in nature as they use interactive methodologies, such as design thinking and LEGO® Serious Play®. In every dimension of the program, students will be asked to reflect in both formal and informal ways about the strategies that enable them to learn from their unique London Centre experiences.
DATES
7 Jan–13 Apr 2020
HOUSING
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, 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 all 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 co-taught by Jamin Rowan and Mat Duerden:
- 1st Course Pairing:
- UNIV 214R London Culture: Fulfills GE Arts
- EXDM 300 Creating a Good Life Through Experience Design: Fulfills GE Global & Cultural Awareness
- 2nd Course Pairing:
- ENGL 200 Literature of London and the UK: Fulfills GE Letters
- UNIV 218R Experience Design: Fulfills GE Social Sciences
All accepted students must also register for IAS 201R (1 credit hour), 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
$9,000–9,500
This cost estimate includes LDS undergraduate full tuition (with increased costs for graduate and non-LDS 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 $275 for the prep course
Not included: Airfare to and from London, meals on Saturdays, lunches, passport fees, and personal expenses.
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
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 e-mail of your acceptance into the program.
Deadline: 1 Oct 2019
FACULTY
Jamin Rowan is an associate professor in the English Department and specializes in urban literature and culture. Rowan is excited to explore the great city of London alongside students at the London Centre. He and his wife Ann have looked forward to bringing their children back to England since living in Southampton (UK) as newlyweds in 2000.
Mat Duerden is an associate professor in the Department of Experience Design and Management. Duerden’s teaching and research focus on experience design. He will be traveling with his wife Chenae and their four children. As a family they love playing outside, mountain biking, reading books together, and exploring new places.
INTERESTED STUDENTS SHOULD CONTACT
Jamin Rowan (jamin_rowan@byu.edu) or Mat Duerden (duerden@byu.edu)
International Study Programs
101 HRCB
(801) 422-3686
isp@byu.edu
kennedy.byu.edu/isp
PROGRAM ADJUSTMENTS
ISP reserves the right to cancel this program, revise its offerings, or make any adjustments to the preliminary cost estimates due to conditions beyond its control.
