Eligibility
- 18 years of age or above
- Good academic and disciplinary standing at Penn State
- 3.3-3.7 cumulative GPA (depending on department) or better at the time of application
- Junior standing or above at the start of the program
- Students applying to study in the spring semester must apply by the July 15th deadline
Program Description
On this program, students will directly enroll in University College London and take classes alongside local students pursuing their degree at the university. Students will also be supported by the IES on-site staff who will give logistical support and plan cultural activities and excursions.
Founded in 1826, University College London (UCL) enrolls more than 23,000 students representing more than 140 countries. One of the top ranked universities worldwide, UCL was the first university in England to welcome students without regard to religion, race, gender, or class. More than 21 Nobel Prize winners are from the UCL community.
Dates
Fall: mid September-mid December
Spring: late December/early January-early June
Academic Year: mid September- early June
Program Note
This program may have limited space, so we recommend that you identify an appropriate backup program and complete the Education Abroad Backup Questionnaire in your Penn State Application when applying to this program. Should you not be accepted for your first-choice program, you will automatically be reviewed for your backup choice. For help on choosing an appropriate backup, please contact your education abroad adviser.
Location
With a population of over 8 million, London is the largest city in the United Kingdom and home to a diverse population which speaks as many as 300 languages. It is considered a hub for business, finance and tourism and is visited by over 19 million tourists a year. London is also a center for arts and culture with over 230 professional theaters and 250 museums including the British museum, home of the Rosetta Stone, and the National Gallery which houses 2300 paintings from a wide-range of historical periods. With a history going back to Roman times, one can explore many important historical sites and monuments including Westminster Abby the burial site for the British monarchy and important historical figures, Big Ben, the House of Parliament and Buckingham Palace. With Oxford, Cambridge, Brighton and Stonehenge only a few hours away, London is close to many of England’s most well-known points of interest.
The concentration of UCL’s academic buildings in Bloomsbury (Central London) reflects the location’s rich intellectual and literary history. Charles Dickens, Virginia Woolf, and Dylan Thomas (to name a few) once called Bloomsbury home. The British Museum, Oxford Street, Covent Garden, and the West End are all within easy walking distance of Bloomsbury.
Education Abroad in Countries with a Penn State Restricted Travel Designation
In order to comply with Penn State’s International Travel Policy, students interested in studying abroad in countries that Penn State has designated as “restricted” for travel, a petition for a waiver must be submitted. Once a petition is complete, and if the student is approved for study on the program in question, the student may be asked to meet with the Director of Education Abroad and the petition will be reviewed by the Penn State International Restricted Travel Committee (IRTC). The necessary petition will be included in the online application process for this program. To see if your program is taking place in a restricted travel country, please visit the Penn State Global website.
