Program Overview
The study abroad program focusing on the English criminal justice system offers students an opportunity to consider the impact of the English criminal justice system on the development of American criminal justice. In addition, similar to COMSTAD, students will get familiar to The New Scotland Yard's statistics based administrative management structure and will visit operations center of London's one of a kind video surveillance system.
Accordingly, this course will combine history of criminal justice system with law enforcement administration within the comparative criminal justice approach. Specifically, in the same context, student will also get lectures on the mind of a serial killer (Jack the Ripper), and alternate punishment solutions for the crowded prisons.
Students will tour English prison museums at the Clink and Clerkenwell and working prisons such as Pentonville, the oldest prison now in use in Britain. We will visit repositories of English history at the British museum and the Museum of London, where they actually display the remains of the noted Newgate Prison. One of the most popular visits is always the Tower of London, built in the 12th century and home to noted prisoners, including William Penn, Walter Raleigh, and King Henry VIII's ill-fated wives.
English legal traditions will be observed by touring the Inns of Court, sitting in on public trials at the Old Bailey, and visiting the Parliament. Students will also have the opportunity to visit police officials at local police stations in East London as well as Inner City probation officials. Crime and punishment will be given its due with a guided tour of the Jack the Ripper murders, a visit to the East London murder haunts of the Kray Brothers, and the sites of various notable murders.
Any pre-requisite courses are established by the faculty leader or department hosting the course. The following have been listed as pre-requisites for consideration to enroll in this course and travel on the embedded education abroad program:
- No pre-requisites.
- Must have second-year standing.
- The online course is open to students from all majors at any Penn State campus.
- Admission in the course and permission to travel with the group are at the discretion of the faculty leader and/or academic department hosting the course. Academic standing and disciplinary or conduct issues may impact eligibility.
Housing and Meals
During the embedded travel component, housing will consist of a hotel/hostel and apartment accommodations.
Program Costs
Students pay regular Penn State tuition (either in-state or out-of-state) for the credits associated with the embedded course. Travel costs, lodging, meals, excursions, and other fees are determined by the program budget which is set by the program leader. Please consult the program leader for additional information.
Financial Aid & Scholarships
The Embedded Programs Scholarship is issued through Penn State Global Education Abroad for students studying on approved Penn State embedded programs. There is no application required to be considered for this scholarship. The Education Abroad scholarship selection team will utilize course rosters submitted by the embedded course leaders and will determine eligible scholarship recipients based on financial need.
Because of the volume of eligible candidates, awards usually go to students with the highest level of financial need as determined by the Office of Student Aid. Among those with the highest need, preference may be given to students with higher cumulative grade point averages and/or to those with no prior Penn State education abroad experience.
For More Information
For more information about this course, please contact the program leader: Aris Karagiorgakis
by emailing azk340@psu.edu.
How to Apply
The process for enrolling in an embedded course varies according to the instructor and/or department. The program leader has indicated that in order to enroll in the course and travel component, students must submit an application at https://fayette.psu.edu/london by September 15, 2023. Selected students must pay a $500 deposit in order to be manually enrolled in the course.
Studying Abroad with a Disability
Many students with disabilities successfully study abroad each year. Please note that other cultures may have different attitudes and available accommodations regarding disabilities. While we cannot guarantee the accessibility of all program sites and locations, specific accommodations may be arranged in consultation with our office, the Student Disability Resources office, and our partners abroad. To prepare for success, students are strongly encouraged to research the country and program location to consider if and how they will manage their disabilities abroad in advance of selecting a program. Students with disabilities and other diverse backgrounds can begin their research on our Diversity Awareness Abroad page.
