Program Structure
The first six weeks students take a required course associated with their internship and an elective course. The second half of the term students choose an elective and participate in the internship and an internship seminar. The last two weeks of the term consist of completing the weekly seminar course and internship class, for a total of 15 weeks in London.
Core Phase
Week 1–Week 6
Students take the required core course to prepare for their internships, and one elective course. Students also meet with the program’s internship placement advisors to refine their area of work placement according to ability, professional goals, experience, and work habits.
Required Course
COM CM 521
British and European Marketing Strategy
Introduction to the strategic marketing concepts, tools and frameworks that underlie consumer marketing strategies. Analysis and assessment of companies operating in British and European markets that face increased global competition, demanding consumers and fast-evolving technologies. Examples used are updated to reflect current events.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Social Inquiry I
- Oral and/or Signed Communication
Students are automatically enrolled in the designated Core Course assigned to their track.
Core Phase Elective
Students enroll in one of the following elective courses. Some have a limited enrollment and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
CAS AH 319
Arts and Media in Britain: Decades of Culture
Fall Only
This course offers a historical and sociological understanding of post-war and contemporary British arts (visual arts, performing arts, pop music, literature and architecture) and media (BBC, newspapers and the commercial broadcasters), plus practical knowledge of journalistic reviewing skills.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Historical Consciousness
- Social Inquiry I
CAS AH 388
British Painting 1500-1900: From Holbein to the Pre-Raphaelites
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Aesthetic Exploration
- Historical Consciousness
CAS EC 322
The Political Economy of the Middle East and North Africa
This course provides an analytical framework for understanding the structural characteristics of the countries in the MENA region in the context of their human and natural resource availability and historical development.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Historical Consciousness
- Social Inquiry II
CAS EC 330/CAS IR 336
European Business Environment: Institutions and Enterprise
Provides learning and skills at the interface between international business, international relations, and other disciplines, through studying the system of EU “Competences” that provides comprehensive rules of conduct for firms. Includes Briefings by officials from EU Institutions, designed to build/test research/teamwork skills.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Social Inquiry II
- Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
- Teamwork/Collaboration
CAS EC 346
European Capital Markets
This course examines global and European financial markets. Students learn about the foreign exchange market, Eurocurrency, Eurobond and derivative markets. In addition, students study a range of financial instruments, such as bills and bonds, forwards, futures and options.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Quantitative Reasoning I
CAS EN 310
The Waste Land: British and Irish Writing since 1900
Recommended elective for all tracks.
Crossing TS Eliot’s The Waste Land, both figuratively and literally, we make an intensive study of significant works of major poets and writers who both helped to create and were created by the Modern Age, and of those they influenced.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Aesthetic Exploration
CAS EN 387
The Writer In The World: Meet the Writer
This course blends two complementary areas of study: the critical analysis of post-2000 literature (comprising mainly but not exclusively British literature) alongside the opportunity to conduct in-depth, wide-ranging interviews with a group of contemporary novelists, poets, dramatists, and non-fiction writers.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Aesthetic Exploration
- Creativity/Innovation
CAS HI 249/WS 310
London Women’s Social History: From Aphra Behn to the Blitz
Students on this course will analyse London women’s social history in this time period through primary source materials in archives and specialist libraries, museums and galleries, and guided walks through relevant public sites.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Historical Consciousness
- Research and Information Literacy
CAS HI 252/WS 310
Class, Politics and the Making of British Identity
This course explores shifts in power over a 500-year period, and considers the cultural effects of these changes. The impact of empire is also assessed. An understanding of the ‘invented’ and contested nature of British identity is the outcome.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Historical Consciousness
- Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
CAS MA 113
Elementary Statistics
Basic concepts of estimation and tests of hypotheses, ideas from probability; one-, two-, and multiple-sample problems. Applications in social sciences. Primarily for students in the social sciences who require a one-semester introduction to statistics; others should consider CAS MA 115 or MA 213. Please note that students cannot get credit for both CAS MA 113 and CAS MA 115. Carries MCS divisional credit in CAS.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Quantitative Reasoning II
- Critical Thinking
CAS PO 220/IR 335
Britain and Europe—A New Beginning
Examines the changing social, cultural, political, and economic structures of Britain at the end of the twentieth century. Introduction to current debates about the future of the United Kingdom in its relationship with Europe.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Historical Consciousness
- Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
CFA TH 508
Theatre Capital: Performance in London/London in Performance
Enrollment limited
Provides students with access to contemporary British theatre and the critical tools to understand and enjoy theatre from the perspectives of the playbooks and the productions themselves. This course surveys and offers explanation of the major developments that have taken place in British theatre since 1956. Coursework focuses on students’ theatre visits, which occur once every week and include both mainstream and fringe theatre productions. The plays are discussed prior to attendance, and students are expected to provide a critique of the works they have seen.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Aesthetic Exploration
- Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings
COM CM 334
Advertising in the UK
Recommended elective for Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations.
Focuses on London’s stellar reputation for creative and production excellence in advertising; examines how the advertising is shaped by the anti-sell, irony-modulated consumer culture, and emphasizes the way that deifying research risks diluting creative.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Aesthetic Exploration
- Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings
COM CM 457
Seminar in Global Promotional Strategies
This course develops both conceptual knowledge and practical skills to identify the most appropriate and cost-effective global promotional strategies and develop and implement successfully such a strategy in an increasingly competitive and volatile global environment.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Social Inquiry II
- Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
- Critical Thinking
COM FT 318
British Television History and Genre
Examines the content and form of British television programs, contrasting it with American programming. Special emphasis is placed on the study of genres and conventions. Genres will focus on drama, news, comedy, consumer affairs, children’s television, sports, and others, and these are explored in the light of Britain’s cultural and political identity.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Historical Consciousness
- Aesthetic Exploration
QST FE 449
Corporate Finance Management
Prerequisite: FE 323 Financial Management
Covers the financial manager’s role in obtaining and allocating funds. Includes topics such as cash budgeting, working capital analysis, dividend policy, capital investment analysis, and debt policy as well as their associated risks. Valuation of companies, mergers and acquisitions, and bankruptcy are covered. The course requires using financial models and spreadsheets. Applications are made to current events and everyday business finance
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Historical Consciousness
- Aesthetic Exploration
Internship Phase
Week 7–Week 13
Students participate in London’s work life through assigned internships that complement their particular academic concentration and personal goals. Students generally intern full time, four days a week, while enrolled in a weekly elective course and a non-unit co-curricular.
Advertising & Marketing
Study European marketing techniques and advertising strategy. Students have interned with marketing agencies, advertising agencies (limited availability) and in-house marketing agencies within the fashion, beauty, lifestyle, sports, food & beverage, consumer goods, ecommerce, technology, financial services, NGOs/non-profits and arts sectors.
Please note: These are examples of past internship placements only. While BU Study Abroad guarantees an internship to program participants, specific placements vary from term to term and may not always be available. Likewise, internship placements may be available in academic areas not listed.
Internship Course
Internship placements are contingent upon students’ past experiences, professional interests, and available opportunities in any given term, so flexibility is essential. Study Abroad will enroll students in a non-unit Hub co-curricular and a four-unit internship course, which includes a classroom component. Upon successful completion of the internship experience, students will receive a Hub requirement in the area Individual in the Community from the co-curricular HUB SA 330.
HUB SA 330 Study Abroad Internship
- Units: 0
- BU Hub areas:
- Individual in Community
Internship Components
- The student’s performance at the internship (evaluated by the supervisor)
- An internship seminar and related assignments (graded by BU London faculty)
Please note: The final internship course grade is determined solely by the coursework submitted for the internship seminar.
Internship Phase Electives
These courses are taught concurrently with the internship/work placement. Please note that some courses have a limited enrollment, and priority will be given to students registered in the track for which the course was designed.
CAS AH 381
London Architecture & Urbanism
Recommended elective for Arts & Arts Administration Track
This course introduces the history and development of London and its buildings. It is aimed at a wide audience, not architectural specialists. Different styles of architecture and their origins will be explored through a combination of lectures and walking tours
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Historical Consciousness
- Aesthetic Exploration
CAS AH 411
Exploring Art and History in London: The Value of Art
Recommended elective for Arts & Arts Administration Track
Art has many values: aesthetic, commercial, social, personal, and our responses depend on our own culture, education and life experience. Is art necessary? This course examines these and other topics whose common focus is the relationship between art and society.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Creativity/Innovation
- Aesthetic Exploration
CAS EC 360
Macroeconomics in Contemporary Europe
Recommended elective for “Economics & Finance and Management Tracks
This course covers central theoretical concepts and models aimed at understanding key topics in macroeconomics. At the end of this course you will be able to master fundamental macroeconomic concepts as well as understand key macroeconomic processes in Europe.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Social Inquiry II
CAS EN 145
Introduction to Performance
This course uses performance as a critical lens to think about agency, the body, knowledge, (in)visibility, community, ephemerality, documentation, accessibility, disability, audience, participation, medium-specificity, formal experimentation, and identity. With a focus on 20th and 21st-century performance in a visual and live art context, we will examine the multi-media, interdisciplinary work of the historical avant-gardes (such as Dada, Bauhaus, and Futurism) and performance as it appears in dance, live poetry readings, theatre, videos, and digital work, drawing on feminist, queer, and intersectional perspectives. Further, we will consider the differences between performance art and theatre as well as performative writing on the page. The seminar hopes to foster a critical sensibility through close reading, close listening, and attentive viewing of performance.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Aesthetic Exploration
- Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings
- Creativity/Innovation
CAS EN 357
Modern British Drama: A Critic’s Perspective
Offers a broad critical study of the major developments in British drama over the past 50 years. Through the eyes of a leading theater reviewer, the work of specific playwrights is analyzed in detail, and students are expected to produce written and oral critical analyses of plays read and observed during the course. Sierz.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Critical Thinking
- Aesthetic Exploration
- Ethical Reasoning
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 the general background of 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.
- Units: 4
CAS EN 388
Historical Fictions: Retrospection in Contemporary British Literature
An introduction to the psyche, culture, history, and writers of 21st century British literature, confronting aspects of the human condition. Students will enter the historical consciousness of contemporary British writers who look to the past to understand the present.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Historical Consciousness
- Aesthetic Exploration
CAS HI 243/IR 392
Crises and Readjustments in Post-War British Foreign Policy, 1945-1990
This course provides an overview of Britain’s relations with Europe between 1945 and 1992 in the context of ongoing debates concerning national sovereignty and national modernization, losing an empire and maintaining a world role, and the “special relationship” with the United States.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Historical Consciousness
- Social Inquiry I
- Research and Information Literacy
CAS HI 250
British Youth Culture from 1950 to the Present
How is generational identity created and maintained? Through the prism of youth movements in the United Kingdom, you will investigate how underground cults become mainstream culture in the context of changing attitudes to nationality, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Social Inquiry I
- Aesthetic Exploration
CAS HI 251
Cultural Capital: The History of Popular Culture in London
Prerequisite: completion of one university-level History course.
Traces the historical development of popular culture in London from the late seventeenth century to the present day. Concerned with texts (visual, aural, written) and sites. Organized chronologically and thematically, engages with theoretical perspectives. Engages with wider history of Britain.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Historical Consciousness
- Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
- Critical Thinking
CAS HI 253
London at War: From the Home Front to the Frontline
This chronologically structured course draws on theoretical understanding of historical development to inspire and enhance students’ critical engagement with ways in which the two world wars historically refashioned notions about gender, race/ethnicity, class and social identity, thereby transforming London.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Historical Consciousness
- Social Inquiry I
CAS IR 427
International Business in a European Framework
Recommended elective for Advertising & Marketing, Economics & Finance, Management, and Hospitality & Tourism Tracks
Students enrolled in Questrom IM 345 are not permitted to take CAS IR 427.
You will understand the importance of strategic management in international business, primarily across the United Kingdom and Europe, as it relates to innovation, competition, differing business cultures, policy-directed systems of regulation, financial market shocks and shifting corporate ethics.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
- Social Inquiry II
- Teamwork/Collaboration
CAS PO 223
Issues in Contemporary Politics and Ethics
This course examines the historical origins of and diverse philosophical positions on various contentious political and ethical issues today. Through reading, writing, exhibition or theatre visits and discussion, students will be encouraged and guided to foster a critical stance.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Historical Consciousness
- Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings
- Critical Thinking
CAS PO 224
Issues in Contemporary Politics and Ethics
Recommended elective for Pre-Law Track
This course will examine a range of important, controversial issues in contemporary British law. As the aim is to relate to current matters, the issues will vary each semester, but are likely to include such topics as the law and terrorism; law and morality; the new British Supreme Court; and the Right to Know. Cousins, Sullivan.
- Units: 4
COM CM 335
Seminar in Advertising Strategy
Recommended elective for Advertising & Marketing, Public Relations Tracks
Introduces advanced advertising and media theory, focusing on the role of advertising and its integration within contemporary marketing communications. To define the advertising management process, messages, media, measurement, and assess creative work critically in terms of strategy, objectives, and execution.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Oral and/or Signed Communication
- Creativity/Innovation
COM CM 417
Fundamentals of Creative Development
Prerequisite: COM CM 217 or COM CM 317
Focus is on the strategic creative process in advertising including concept development, copywriting, visualization, and design. Assignments require conceiving solutions to client marketing challenges across a range of media. Teaches foundations for development of effective advertising: problem definition, strategic development, and conceptual idea generation through tangible executions.
- Units: 4
COM CM 447
Strategic Brand Management in the UK Context
Recommended elective for Advertising & Marketing, Public Relations Tracks
This course develops theoretical and working knowledge of how brands create value for organizations, consumers and society at large. It develops theoretical and practical knowledge of how brands can be managed to help organizations achieve their marketing and strategic goals.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Oral and/or Signed Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Social Inquiry I
COM FT 317
British Cinema and Society
Recommended elective for Film, Radio & Television Track
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. Dodson.
- Units: 4
COM FT 344
Curating Contemporary European Cinema: Film Festivals and Film Culture
This course examines the economics and cultural politics of contemporary European cinema and what they reveal about national identity, culture, language, and values. The course considers the globalization process from film festival to global marketplace, and includes visits to local festivals and guest lectures.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
- Aesthetic Exploration
QST MK 467
International Marketing Management
Prerequisite: QST MK 323 Marketing Management.
Develops a critical appreciation of both the opportunities and challenges associated with the increasing globalization of markets. Students learn about the key environmental forces shaping the needs and preferences of the global consumer and the impact of foreign, political, and economic factors on the marketing mix.
- Units: 4
SAR HP 522
Health and Wellbeing across the Life Course
Recommended elective for Psychology & Health Sciences Track
Priority will be given to Sargent College students.
The course considers British perspectives on major challenges to health and wellbeing facing individuals and communities over the life course. You will develop skills in critical thinking about research and ethics in addressing such challenges through policy and practical initiatives.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Social Inquiry II
- Ethical Reasoning
- Critical Thinking