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Courses

Syllabi are for course approval and reference only. Students will receive up-to-date syllabi when their courses begin.

Classes are held at Boston University’s London Center, located in the elegant borough of South Kensington in central London. It houses the classrooms, library, computer and Internet facilities, and administrative offices of Boston University’s British programs. The London Centre has 17 staff members who supervise the academic programs, provide student-life services, assign and maintain housing, and support student and faculty research.

CGS BC 201 British Culture and Identity
This course will compare British and American experiences of culture: the differences, similarities and cross-influences. The course will aim to make the maximum use of London as a primary source, from its libraries and collections, to its spaces of work and leisure. 3 cr.

CGS HU 201 Humanities III
History of Western Ethics I is a rigorous course in the history of Western ethical thought from Socrates through Nietzsche. The course also includes selected films and literary works that embody philosophical ideas or dramatize ethical dilemmas. Primary texts are used throughout. 4 cr. Syllabus

CGS NS 201 Biological Science I
Evolution and Biodiversity: There is probably no question more fundamental than 'what is the origin of life'? In this course we look at the theory of chemical evolution and how it fits in to the broader theory of organic evolution and biodiversity. We will examine the properties of the major macromolecules such as lipids, proteins, carbohydrates and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) and discuss why these properties are important in relation to evolution. Finally, we will consider how energy is transformed in living systems and utilised to drive the processes, which underpin life as we know it. By understanding the theory of chemical evolution you will be in a better position to evaluate alternative theories of the origin of life. 4 cr.

CGS SS 201 Social Science III
Revolutions in China and Russia builds on the conceptual and historical materials of the freshman experience. The course centers on two case studies in rapid modernization: Russia and China. Russia, the Soviet Union, and its successor, the Confederation of Independent States, are considered as recent examples of rapid social change and serve as the basis for a comparison of the problems of modernization in contemporary China. The historical roots of Western industrialism, the culture of the non-Western peoples as it affects their responses to Western experiences, and the dramatic complexities of social change combine to challenge the students' grasp of the problems facing the modern world. 4 cr.

Four-Credit Electives (choose one)

CAS AH 381 London Architecture and Urbanism
This course aims to provide an introduction to the history of London and its buildings. The growth of the city as a historical phenomenon, covering early modern London to the present day and the development of various Architectural styles will be discussed in the context of social, political, economic and social change. The course is aimed at a wide audience, not architectural specialists, although some familiarity with British history is helpful. Several different faculty teach this course throughout the academic year. 4 cr.

CAS PO/IR 335 Britain and Europe - A New Beginning
This invaluable elective is offered five times a year as Elective A and B Options, running in both the Core and Placement phases in the Fall and Spring and the Core phase in the Summer semesters.

The course will examine the social, cultural, political and economic changes affecting both the UK and the continental states of the EU as the twenty first century gets under way. It will introduce the class to the debates as to the future of Britain, both in respect of membership of the EU and of the ‘new’ Britain of the new century. The future of the relationships between both the EU and the UK with regard to the USA will also be addressed. 4 cr.

CAS EN 368 Seminar in Shakespeare Studies
This course aims to provide the student with an appreciation of the nature of Shakespeare's achievement through the study of four plays in class sessions and the option of reading one other play that the student may choose for his or her directed study. The sessions will naturally involve some discussion of general background to Shakespeare and his works, with time being devoted to the various thematic, structural, and historical issues that arise from a study of his plays. For the greater part of the course however, time in class will be devoted to a close critical reading of various sections of the plays in order to give the student the opportunity to gain an intimate understanding of the verbal and dramatic qualities of Shakespeare's genius, and of the myriad ways in which meanings are expressed through the language, imagery, structure and dramatic possibilities of the works themselves. 4 cr.

COM FT 317 British Cinema and Society
This course offers a combined social history and technological survey of British film making since World War II. The selected films provide vivid points of departure for an understanding of how British society has evolved. The course surveys the changing nature of modern British culture and society, using the products of the British movie industry as the main source of evidence. Most films fall outside of the category of British films that have made an impact in the United States market. Students will witness the cinematic version of the "other side" of Britain. One of the main themes of this "other side" is social class, which sets the agenda for most of the themes explored in the class. Special attention is also given to the differences between cinematic and historical versions of such themes. 4 cr.

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Faculty

Mark Allen taught modern British literature for many years on the former Boston University / Oxford honours programme. He holds an MA in English literature from Mansfield College, Oxford. A swell as tutoring at many Oxford colleges, he has also lectured at various English universities and at the University of Venice. Most recently, he held a lectureship at St Edmund Hall, Oxford. He has published reviews and articles on Romanticism in several academic journals and also worked for the Oxford English Dictionary as an historical reader specialising in the works of Coleridge.

Paul Cousins: PhD, University of London. He is currently the senior tutor for the Boston University London Program and lectures part-time at the University of Kent, Canterbury. He has previously taught Management and Public Administration at Kingston University, South Bank Polytechnic, and Mid Kent College. He is the former editor of the London Review of Public Administration and has published extensively on the roles of the public services and on local government. As senior tutor, his role is to work with the assistant director for academic affairs and the resident director on academic matters, to assist with faculty appointments and the development of new courses, and to assist in the marking of the placement portfolios. He is also the main contact point on academic issues for other London faculty.

Mo Dodson holds an MPhil from Goldsmiths College (expecting PhD 2009), a Diploma in Art and Technique of Film from the London International Film School, and a Diploma in Modern Social and Cultural Studies from the University of London. He was formerly the Principal Lecturer in Cultural History and Media Studies at London Guildhall University. He lectures at other study abroad organisations in London, CAPA and Regents College. He was a regular contributor to the New Statesman and other journals on contemporary British Culture. He has collaborated on two books in the field, and has written many articles and chapters for other books.

Caroline Donnellan, BA, MA MPhil in History of Art, University College London. Caroline is also presently teaching at University College London and Birkbeck, Faculty of Continuing Education. She has also worked as a freelance lecturer in London galleries. She has published articles on 'Patrons and Propaganda' in Prints and Propaganda: The German Reformation, 1999 and 'Hoogstraten's House' in Object 5, 2002. Her main areas of academic interest include Northern European, as well as British art and architecture.

Terry Sullivan (MSc. London School of Economics) recently retired as Head of Politics at Kingston University. He is one of the longest serving members of the London Faculty having worked on the London Internship Program since 1985. His major teaching commitments are Issues in Contemporary Politics and British Politics on the Internship Program. He is senior tutor and teaches the History of Western Ethics for the College of General Studies.

Jason Tomes, D.Phil., International Studies, Nuffield College, Oxford; BA, Merton College, Oxford. He has lectured in British history, politics, and international relations at Oxford and at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland.

Julie Thompson, PhD, B.Sc. from the University of Hull. She has been teaching since 1982 and has held a variety of posts as a teacher, manager, and educational consultant for biology studies and learning skills. She is currently working toward a degree in osteopathy.

Richard Weight holds a PhD and MA in Modern British History form University College London, and a BA in History from Trinity College, Cambridge. Richard is a historian, broadcaster and consultant. He has been a Fellow of the Institute of Historical Research and is now a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and of the Royal Historical Society. He is a contributor to The Times and writes and presents documentaries for the BBC, including the award-winning Analysis series for Radio Four. As well as his university teaching, Richard lectures in Europe and Africa for the British Council and is a consultant to a variety of organisations, from film companies to think tanks. Richard is the author of several books, including Patriots: National Identity in Britain, 1940-2000 (2002), which was short listed for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing, and Modern Britain: The A-Z Guide (2003), which was an Independent Book of The Year. He is currently working on a major study of British youth culture, to be published in Britain and America by Random House. Richard will also be teaching a new youth culture course in the Spring.

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