Penn English Program in London
Penn English majors already enjoy the advantages of studying in Philadelphia, a historical city central to American literature and publishing.
We therefore urge all English majors to complete their education in British literature through at least one semester of study at the University of London.
Click here for 2007-8 program information
The Program:
A centerpiece of the English major for two decades, the Penn London Program provides its participants with a chance to live and study in London alongside British students while eliminating the problem of transferring credits back to their home institution. Unlike other study-abroad programs at Penn, the Penn English Program in London is specifically sponsored by the English Department at Penn and is fully integrated into the major here at home. All courses you take at King's, Goldsmith's and Queen Mary count toward your English major and are worked out in advance, since you work closely with the Undergraduate Chair to insure your curriculum fits with your major at Penn.
Because it boasts two Faculty Directors (in 2006-7, Professors Suvir Kaul and Ania Loomba) and a considerable budget, the program dramatically enhances students' typical study-abroad experience. Students have the opportunity to choose to study in one of three different colleges of the University of London: King's College London, Goldsmith's, or Queen Mary. Each has a superb faculty with decided strengths in specific areas. Goldsmith's, for example, has long been known for its strengths in film and cultural studies; Queen Mary is especially strong in drama and 18th- and 19th-c literature; King's has a deserved reputation in medieval and renaissance literature. (Historically, a majority of Penn-in-Londoners have studied at King's.)
The centerpiece of the program is the Penn Theatre course (ENGL068). Participants study with the renowned Guardian theater critic, Michael Billington, and visit the theater weekly as part of this course. Students then take their other three English courses at their home British institution (King's, Goldsmith's, or Queen Mary). They also have the option to do a fifth course by doing an independent study (ENGL299) with the London Program Director or one of its Graduate Assistants; this is arranged one-on-one with the Director.
Of course, the other celebrated highlights of Penn English Program in London are its excursions - both in London and to places like the Lake District, Oxford, Cambridge, and Bath - all sponsored by the program.
Interested students should make two appointments, one to talk to the undergraduate chair (make the appointment with Loretta Williams in 130 Fisher-Bennett Hall, 898-7343), and one with the Office of International Programs, located at 3701 Chestnut St. Suite 1W.
Features of the program: Flexibility:
- The Program is open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
- Our students can go to
- An Enhanced Experience:
- Students in the Penn program live in university residence halls with British students, are full-fledged members of their respective colleges and of the
- At least one faculty member from Penn's English Department serves as Resident Director in
- No Bureaucratic Issues:
- Our students receive full credit for the courses they take when they return to
- Your usual financial aid package will continue to apply to the term or year you are abroad.
- Participants pay the usual Penn tuition (living costs like room and board, etc. do fluctuate according to the exchange rate).
You can also can take a look at the page for the current year's program. It's not too late to apply for next semester!
Penn believes that study abroad can be an important and enriching part of a liberal arts education. Each year, over 600 University of Pennsylvania undergraduate students attend credit-bearing programs abroad. The University offers an extraordinary range of programs in virtually every academic discipline and located in approximately fifty countr ies. Requirements for Admission:
Goldsmith's and Queen Mary: 3.0 cumulative GPA.
King's College London:
1) Three or more English Courses: You should have taken four English courses beyond Freshman Writing by the time you arrive at King's. As many of these as possible should be English literature courses (ENGL017-096, or ENGL218-599), preferably across a range of literary periods. Since the Film and American Studies programs at KCL are separate from the Department of English, we strongly recommend taking a variety of core literature surveys before heading to London.
2) A Cumulative GPA of at least 3.3 and a GPA of at least 3.5 in the major.
