Study and Internships in London
Academics
Take classes in a wide range of fields, while interning with a British company to gain professional skills and immerse yourself in British culture. You also have the option to participate in service-learning to engage with the local community.
This program is for you if you are interested in completing an internship or service-learning project related to your field of study, and/or if who would like to gain a deeper understanding of British culture. You can also earn major, minor and/or liberal education credit.
Academic Structure
Program type: Study & Internships in London is a study abroad center program. As such, program participants receive a lot of support from on-site staff and take classes with other US students. Classes are taught by British faculty.
Level: Upper-division coursework on British area studies
Term: Fall semester, spring semester, summer session
Prerequisites: 2.5 GPA
Courseload:
12-18 credits for fall or spring semester, 6 credits for summer session.
Due to the amount of time required for internship participation and the credit structure of the courses offered on this program, the minimum enrollment for students participating in an internship on the semester program is 12 credits. If you anticipate taking 12 credits, rather than 13+, the Learning Abroad Center recommends that you submit a “13 Credit Exemption Request” to your college advising office. This form can be found on the One Stop Student Services website. The reduced credit load approval does not alter standards of eligibility established for financial aid awards (loans, grants, scholarships, etc.), student-athletics, visa status, or any other agency requiring enrollment of 13 or more credits. It is your responsibility to consult with the appropriate office to ensure that a reduced credit load will not adversely affect your eligibility or student status. Your college will review your 13-credit exemption request and will ultimately determine if your request is approved.
Coursework
Check the course list for more information. Syllabi available upon request.
Internships
Over 1000 internship placements are available in almost any field. You will earn 3 summer or 6 semester credits through the internship combined with the Learning Through Internships course.
Past internships have been in the fields listed below, but it is not a complete list. If you do not see the field that you are interested in listed, inquire at the Learning Abroad Center about the possibility of doing an internship in that field.
- Accounting, Business, Finance or Economics
- Advertising, Marketing or Public Relations
- Anthropology
- Architecture
- Art, Film or Photography
- Communications, Journalism or Broadcasting
- Counseling
- Criminal Justice
- Music, Dance or Theater
- Education
- Engineering
- Environmental Studies
- Fashion
- Graphic Design
- Health
- Horticulture
- Human Resources
- Human Rights
- Law
- Medicine
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Social Work
- Sports Management
Review the CAPA Internship Handbook for additional information about the internship process and expectations.
Service-Learning
Service-Learning is an academic experience with a strong educational philosophy that utilizes community service, community-based research and other civic engagement activities along with regular reflection to meet course goals and community needs. Students will be placed in groups of 2–4 students with non-governmental organizations and other community service organizations.
The course is made up of 3 hours of class time and 8–10 hours group placements per week (for 10 weeks). The class will meet for the first three weeks in 3 hour sessions for an intensive series of lectures, training and discussions. In week 3 the representatives from the sites will come together with students for training and discussion. After this introductory period, group placements will begin, and classes continue as 1.5 hour weekly seminars (or out-of-class visits and activities) prior to project work, followed by 1.5 hour discussion sessions post project work. The final week will consist of final site work and visits, and a 3 hour class meeting, for final presentations and reflection on the projects, attended by site representatives.
Unlike in an internship, where the focus may be on professional development, the primary focus is to serve local communities and to develop the themes of the course while reflecting on the project goals in an academic setting. The service-learning placements and projects will meet needs identified by the community, as determined by the professor and the organization. Students will benefit both personally and academically from this experience in terms of reciprocity and co-learning. While there may be opportunities to gain professional skills at the placement, the primary focus will always be on the communities being served.
Academic Fit With a University of Minnesota Degree Plan
Many courses have already been reviewed to meet Liberal Education requirements. Go to the Liberal Education Database to search for courses or submit ones for approval.
Major Advising Pages tell you why University of Minnesota faculty think study abroad is important for a particular major, what the department wants students to think about when selecting a program, and gives helpful academic planning hints. There may also be profiles of students who studied abroad in your major.
