Program Details
Location
London & Stratford-upon-Avon,
United Kingdom
Term
Spring Break
Housing
Hotel
Languages Taught In
English
Program Eligibility
Student Type
UofM Students
Student Year
Freshmen
Sophomores
Juniors
Seniors
GPA
2.5
About
Explore Shakespeare’s world in London and Stratford-upon-Avon through lenses of the early modern period and English literary culture of today. Spend your time exploring significant cultural sites through the eyes of Shakespeare. Attend performances of his famous plays while in London and enjoy walking tours of the Medieval village of Stratford-upon-Avon he once called home.
Program Model
Housing & Meals
You will live in shared rooms with fellow program participants. Welcome and farewell meals, and some additional meals are included in the program fee. We will eat additional meals in the housing or at local restaurants.
Excursions
Excursions in London may include:
- Shakespeare walking tour: Shakespeare's London
- Walking in Shakespeare’s footsteps: Shakespeare’s Theatre World, including visits to the Globe Theatre and Borough Market
- Visit to the British Museum
- Visit to the National Gallery
- Visit to Tate Britain
- Guided tour of Westminster Abbey
- Visit to the Tower of London
- Guided tour of St. Paul's Cathedral
- Multiple Theatre performances including a performance at the Globe Theatre complex
An overnight excursion to Shakespeare's hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon may include:
- Tour of Shakespeare’s birthplace
- Visit to Holy Trinity Church (where Shakespeare and his family are buried)
- Tour of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage (Shakespeare's wife’s home)
- Tour of Royal Shakespeare Company theaters
Flight
All program participants will take the coordinated group flight to and from the program site. The cost of the group flight is included in the program fee that will be posted to your student account. Do not book your own flight; you will receive information from the Learning Abroad Center about your seat on the group flight once your participation has been confirmed.
Learning Outcomes
- Socialize as global professionals who understand that human interaction and culture are relevant to achieving professional goals
- Discover and connect with the University of Minnesota campus and community
- Think critically, analyze topics, and appreciate diverse perspectives through pre-departure coursework, studying abroad, and guided reflection
- Function as an effective team member by utilizing personal strengths in a group setting
- Develop an understanding of the importance of future international and intercultural learning
- Understand the role of creativity, innovation, discovery, and expression across disciplines
- Acquire skills for effective citizenship and lifelong learning
Faculty & Staff
This seminar is taught by Dr. Katherine Scheil, a professor in the department of English in the College of Liberal Arts.
Program Structure
Program Level
3000-level course
Courseload
One 3-credit course
Course Schedule
This is an on-campus class during the spring semester that meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30–3:45 p.m.
The course goes abroad Spring break 2025: March 7–16, 2025
Students from other UofM campuses
There is an option to participate in the on-campus portion remotely. Reach out to the program leaders to confirm. You will need to work with your academic adviser and campus enrollment office and do a Multi-I enrollment for this program. There may be additional or different tuition owed as part of the program fee.
Coursework
If you are interested in English culture and how Shakespeare influenced today’s art and literature, this program is ideal for you. Explore performing and literary arts, both historical and modern, to understand how they have impacted English identity. While on campus, your projects will include reading and elaborating on Shakespeare’s works. While abroad, you’ll apply course concepts and gain memorable experience with English literary culture.
Receive Credit for: ENGL 3032
Draft Syllabus for Shakespeare in London & Stratford-upon-Avon (PDF)
Sustainability
The Learning Abroad Center is committed to sustainability and incorporating this into its programs. This course can be tied to Sustainable Development Goals through course content and program activities including:
SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being—We will focus on the "Still Dreaming" project, where a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream is performed in an assisted living facility, and residents demonstrate the therapeutic benefits and value of the arts. Even though most of the residents suffer from extreme memory loss, reading and performing Shakespeare are still skills that they can master and that bring them great joy and satisfaction.
Good Health & Well-Being is also studied when the class learns about Henry V. You will listen to a podcast on Stephan Wolfert's Milwaukee-based program that uses Shakespeare as a form of PTSD therapy in his weekly veterans-only acting classes. The group will discuss how reading and performing Shakespeare's plays have improved health and well-being for people around the world.
SDG 4: Quality Education—Discuss the place of Shakespeare in contemporary education, particularly since Shakespeare is often viewed as a poster child for an educated person. Yet, Shakespeare himself only completed the equivalent of a high school education. We will dissect our pre-conceived notions about education and attempt to determine "what is education?" using Shakespeare's educational background to help guide our discussions. When abroad, you will see how the physical environments of London and Stratford could have provided an alternative education for Shakespeare, one that underlines the value of studying abroad and the importance of experiencing physical spaces as forms of education.
SDG 5: Gender Equality—In this course, we discuss how to update the work of a writer who wrote for an all-male theatre company, so that women have important and influential roles in contemporary Shakespeare productions. You will also discuss the female characters that Shakespeare creates, and the complicated issues of historical early modern women and contemporary gender issues.
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption & Production—We follow this SDG by decreasing our carbon footprint wherever possible. Stratford is all-walking, but in London, we will walk wherever possible, rather than taking other forms of transportation. This not only decreases our carbon footprint, but is also better for observing the day-to-day life of the city, and noticing various historical components of the modern landscape related to Shakespeare.
Dates Details
Submit the online application and complete the assigned application checklist according to the appropriate deadline:
| Term | Program Dates | Application Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Spring Break 2025 | March 7–March 16, 2025 (tentative) | December 1, 2024 |
Program dates are subject to change.
If the deadline falls on a weekend, submit your materials on the following business day.
Important Note: Enrollment on this program is limited to 20 students. Admission is granted on a rolling basis and applications are reviewed in the order they are completed. Some programs may fill to capacity prior to the application deadline, therefore applying early is recommended. Additionally, applying early will allow for more time to plan ahead and prepare for the program.
Information Sessions
Join in-person or over Zoom. Register and learn more about this and other events on our event webpage.
| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, Nov. 21 | 12:00 p.m. | Hybrid Zoom & Heller Hall 230C |
On Campus Dates
Tuesdays & Thursdays from 2:30-3:45 p.m., on East Bank—Minneapolis Campus
Orientation Dates & Locations
The Learning Abroad Center facilitates a pre-departure orientation in collaboration with your program leader(s) in addition to any additional orientation sessions scheduled by your program leader(s). It is your responsibility to know the information shared at these orientations.
Orientation consists of several sessions, all of which are created to support your preparation to go abroad:
- Online Health & Safety Orientation: This asynchronous module can be accessed in your LAC checklist and is mandatory.
- LAC Seminar Pre-departure Orientation: This asynchronous module can be accessed in your LAC checklist and is mandatory. The discussion post is due before your LAC Program Orientation meeting.
- LAC Program Orientation: Program details and important UofM information will be covered (finances, health & safety, policies, insurance, etc.). This will be scheduled in collaboration with your program leader(s). Details will be sent to you via email from the LAC and/or your program leader(s). This is a mandatory meeting. **For embedded programs, this will likely be one of your class dates prior to departure.**
- Program Leader Orientation(s): Your program leader(s) will schedule 1–3 additional orientation sessions prior to departure. These will cover academic requirements and preparation, final travel and program logistics, cultural knowledge, and more. Details will be sent to you via email from your program leader(s). These are mandatory meetings. **For embedded programs, these will likely be included in your class dates prior to departure.**
The Learning Abroad Center also offers 2 optional orientations:
Fees
Spring Break 2025 cost of participation
The cost of participation includes airfare, housing, program administration, welcome and farewell meals, some additional meals, international health insurance, entrances to course-related excursions and site visits, airport transfers, and in-country transportation for all course related activities. You must also budget for passport and passport photos, a few meals, spending money, and miscellaneous living expenses.
If you do not see a budget estimate for the term you intend to go abroad, the fee has not yet been finalized. We strive to post fees for this program at least 30 days prior to the application deadline. The Learning Abroad Center will delay the posting of some fees until enrollments, inflation and exchange rates are determined. Note the average increase in fees will be 3–10%. Program fees are based on estimates and may change depending on international economic factors.
If you are registered for less than 13 credits, you will be charged tuition for this course in addition to the program fee.
Billing & Payments
Visit Billing for information about the billing process for application fees, deposits, and program fees.
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Visit Financial Information for information on using financial aid and scholarships for study abroad.
This program is considered part of spring enrollment for the purposes of registration and financial aid.
Bridging Loan
Bridging Loan, a no-interest/no-fees loan that funds the confirmation deposit and/or flights cost, is available for this program for eligible students going abroad during an eligible term.
Cancellation Policy
Before you apply to or confirm your participation on this program, review the Learning Abroad Center's Cancellation Policy to inform yourself of the timeline and financial obligations for canceling.
Spring Break 2025
Shakespeare in London & Stratford-upon-AvonSpring Break 2025 |
|
|---|---|
Program Fee
|
|
| Non-refundable deposit | $400 |
| Tuition and educational costs | $3,122 |
| International health insurance | $19 |
| Housing and/or meals | $654 |
| Transportation (if required and included in program fee) | $1,705 |
| Total Program Fee | $5,900 |
| Program discount for University of Minnesota and Big Ten students, if applicable | $0 |
| Total Program Fee with discount, if applicable | $5,900 |
Estimated Additional Expenses
|
|
| Costs Typically Incurred Prior to Departure These costs may need to be paid before your financial aid is disbursed for your term abroad. | |
| Transportation to and from program site | $0 |
| Passport/photos | $150 |
| Visa/required documentsElectronic Travel Authorization | $15 |
| Travel clinic/immunizations* | $50 |
| Housing deposit | $0 |
| Total Estimated Cost Incurred Prior to Departure | $215 |
| Costs Typically Incurred After Arrival in Host Country | |
| Texts/materials | $0 |
| Housing and/or meals not included in program feeLunches and Dinners not included in the program fee | $250 |
| Essential daily living expensesInternational phone plan, etc. | $150 |
| Total Estimated Cost Incurred After Arrival in Host Country | $400 |
Total Estimated Cost of Participation
|
|
| Total Estimated Cost of Participation | $6,515 |
| Spending money and personal travel Not included in financial aid calculation | $200 |
| Additional Notes & Information | |
| * Immunizations Note: This estimate is based on approximate cost of travel-related vaccinations and medications required for entry or recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Your costs may be higher or lower depending on your travel clinic, the specific immunizations and medication prescribed, and your insurance coverage. | |
Prepare
Be aware: Learning Abroad Center programs require a $50 application fee. This fee will be charged to your student account upon submission of an online application.
Apply
The COVID-19 vaccine series is strongly recommended, pursuant to CDC guidelines, but not required for participation in this program.
You will be charged a $50 application fee for each application you submit.
Complete
After you submit your application, you will receive an email notification confirming that your application was received. Submitted applications are assigned an application checklist, which will include the following items:
- Application Essay
Detailed descriptions and instructions for submitting each checklist item are included on the application checklist assigned to you.
Next Steps
- After you complete all required application checklist items, you will receive an automated email message indicating your application is ready to be reviewed.
- Your completed application will be reviewed by the Learning Abroad Center.
- If admitted, the Confirmation & Payment Agreement form will be added to your checklist. Complete this form to secure your spot on the program. By submitting the form, you also give your approval for the program deposit to be billed to your UofM student account.
- Complete the confirmation checklist, which include the following items in additional to program-specific forms:
- Passport Information
- Emergency Contacts
- Health Information Form
- Online Health & Safety Orientation
- Release & Waiver
- You will receive information about additional steps from the sponsoring college/department.
Register for On-Campus Course
Your participation on this program is secured by applying and confirming through the Learning Abroad Center application process.
You will also need to register for the on-campus course ENGL 3032.
Note: Registering for the course, but not confirming through the Learning Abroad Center, will not hold your spot in the program.
After You Apply
Before your program begins, review these resources.
Health & Safety
Learn more about staying healthy and safe abroad, including mental health and wellness, international travel insurance, and safety precautions.
Power of Attorney
Consider designating someone as your power of attorney to act as your legal representative while you’re abroad.
Student Identity
Consult our resources on student identities as you prepare for your abroad experience.
Travel Resources
Ready to go abroad? Our travel resources will help you pack and learn what to expect.
Program Contact
For further information or questions about this program, send an email to
Anna DeWitt at [email protected],
or call at
612.626.2234