Freshmen Pack Their Bags for London

Starting in the 2019–2020 academic year, all CGS freshmen will matriculate into the college’s Boston-London Program. Since its inception five years ago, more than 1,200 CGS freshmen have begun their college career at BU in the spring semester, then traveled to London for an intensive summer of study. The program, which is the only one at BU to offer study abroad to freshman, integrates CGS courses with educational trips to museums, historical sites, and theaters.

“Students regularly describe the experience as transformative,” says Dean Natalie McKnight. “They love having a study abroad opportunity in their freshman year, and they appreciate getting to know their professors and fellow students on trips to performances and historical sites.”

The fall gap semester also gives students a chance to “reflect on what they hope to get out of their college experience,” says McKnight. Many use the time in enriching ways, like completing a master dive course in Honduras, researching age-related macular degeneration at Schepens Eye Research Institute, and interning at film production companies in Los Angeles.

For students unable to travel to London, CGS intends to provide a summer semester in Boston that will similarly integrate cultural trips into the curriculum.

—Alisa Harris