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First-Year Experience in London

London FYE Courses and Credits

London FYE students will take 4 courses in London for a total of 16 credits. All students are required to enroll in a Scribner Seminar taught by a ߣƵ Faculty Coordinator and 3 additional courses offered by the program. All courses will include cultural activities that connect to course content and make use of London’s valuable resources. All courses have been developed specifically for our students and will be offered at the CEA CAPA Center. 

ߣƵ’s Scribner Seminar forms an important foundation for success at ߣƵ and introduces first-year students to a number of the College’s intellectual expectations and learning approaches. Each student will enroll in one of two Scribner Seminars offered in London.

Fall 2026 Scribner seminars

Course List

In addition to the Scribner Seminar, students will enroll in 3 additional courses, each taught by a CEA CAPA faculty member. All courses are worth 4 credits and students will earn a total of 16 credits in the fall semester in London. Below is the tentative list of courses to be offered in fall 2026.  This list is subject to change and courses may be cancelled due to low enrollment. 

This course examines modern works of art from the late nineteenth century through to the present.  The course begins by analyzing the ways in which the seeds of Modern Art were sown at the end of the nineteenth century, before moving on to work made during the twentieth century - particularly art produced in response to the First and Second World Wars; and touches on examples of contemporary practice throughout.  Students will experience a diverse range of works on display in London, including painting, printmaking, mixed media, photography, sculpture, installation, performance art, film, and video.

Core themes to be studied will include attitudes and ideas in modern and contemporary art practice and discourse; the effect of historical events on art and artists; sociological changes and advances in technology’s impact on the art world; explorations of materials and techniques; the value of art and the changing role of the artist; and the influence of globalization, ICT, climate change, financial crises and continuing global conflicts on art.

(4 credits)

In the early twenty-first century, museums are becoming increasingly more relevant to all parts of society, and exhibition displays are often controversial and politically charged. This course is an introduction to British society, culture, and museology. The course considers museums as reflections of the British psyche, unique cultural constructs that help us understand ‘Britishness’. We will also be looking at museums as institutions of 'global' heritage in the context of a global city, with a unique British perspective. As an introduction to museology, the course will look at the development of the modern museum and its operation, as well as interrogate the different types of museums. We will look at the impact British history, society and politics have had on London museums, their creation and their day-to-day operations and audiences. Taking advantage of our location, we will do field work in eight different museums, from the famous and vast ‘global’ British Museum to the small and privately-owned Saatchi Gallery.

Students will analyse the ways in which imperialism and its legacy, as well as Britain’s global relationships have influenced museum development and how this gives rise to the politics of patrimony. We will look at questions of cultural appropriation and the political debate on repatriation versus protection. This debate has recently been energized by the depredations of IS on what many would call the global heritage of Iraq and Syria. We will also be looking at material culture and what it says about individuals and society. Students will examine the choices, ethics, political and social meanings of both creating material culture, collecting it and the ethics of preservation and restoration. While the creation of material culture has specific psychological, social and often political meanings; collecting, preserving and displaying one particular object involves a very complex decision-making process which is influenced by the cultural values of the decision maker.  We will examine, for example, the impact of the Classical period on British society in the past and present, its importance to class and education in Britain, and how this is reflected in museum collections. Students will also look at the complex decision making of conservators and restorers. These decisions have social and political impact, choosing to emphasize one period and use over another. The course will also look closely at decision makers and their role in the museum industry, the origins of museums from individuals to trade exhibitions and current museum professionals, as well as the impact museum audiences have on the work of museums. Students will also examine the impact of communities on museum development, on exhibition creation, how engaged museums are with their communities, and how the unique diversity of London is reflected (or not) in its museums.

(4 credits)

The course explores the craft of creative writing through analysis of selected literature and poetry in relation to the city and explores the challenges of writing about place. We will examine different aspects of the city in relation to London narratives including the river, travel, urban spaces, solitude, ethnicity, particular boroughs, and characters (both fictional and real) as well as making use of practical exercises and field work.

(4 credits)

This introductory class for first year students examines the natural relationships between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere; human impacts on the natural environment, and global environmental issues: global warming, sea-level rise, and ozone depletion in the stratosphere. Global changes of the past are also studied to give perspective to forecasted changes. Includes writing exercises.

(4 credits)

Pre-requisite:  High school preparation including trigonometry; Appropriate scores on ߣƵ's Quantitative Reasoning Diagnostic Placement and ߣƵ's Calculus Placement Exam. Students may be exempt from the QR Diagnostic based on SAT and ACT test scores.

The topics included will be (but not limited to): functions, more on functions, limits, derivatives, a review of differentiation, the second derivative, advanced techniques in differentiation, related rates of change, calculating extrema, integration, Introduction to Riemann sums, methods of integration by parts and by substitution and the Mean Value theorem. 

The sessions draw on various learning formats - seminar, workshop, “chalk and talk”, guided research task (set tutorial tasks) – whose forms and purposes will be clearly explained, further encouraging students to become active and reflective learners who fully understand why these skills are both necessary and valuable in their chosen subject specialism.

(4 credits)

Cities around the world are striving to be ‘global’. This course focuses on the development of one of the greatest of these global cities, London, from the nineteenth through to the twenty-first century and investigates the nature and implications of its ‘globality’ for its built environment and social geography.  We will examine how the city has been transformed by the forces of industrialisation, imperialism and globalisation and consider the ways in which London and its inhabitants have been shaped by their relationships with the rest of the world.  Students will gain insight into London’s changing identity as a world city, with a particular emphasis on analysis of the city’s imperial, postcolonial and transatlantic connections; the ways in which past and present, local and global intertwine in the capital; and comparative study of urban change worldwide.  The course is organised chronologically: themes include the Victorian metropolis; London as an imperial space; representations of the city in media, film and popular culture; multicultural London; London as a commercial centre of global capitalism; the impact of urban ‘mega-events’; future scenarios of urban change.

(4 credits)

Theatre in the City will place students at the heart of the experience of theatre. What is a play, and what are its qualities, conditions and boundaries? Are there limits to what the theatre can represent in terms of subject matter? How are audiences engaged, stimulated and provoked, and to what end? What philosophical issues does the theatrical experience engage with, and how are they demonstrated within the live performance event? During our journey, we’ll consider the origins of theatre, the changing roles of performers and spectators over time, and also assess the theatre’s future prospects.

(4 credits)

Please note this list of courses is subject to change. Courses may be cancelled due to low enrollments. Click here for a printable version (pdf) of the 2026 London FYE advising guide.

If you have any questions about course registration for London or course offerings, please contact Kendra Nelson, the London FYE Program Manager. 

Credit

Credits and grades from the First-Year Experience in London will be ߣƵ credits and grades: students will receive ߣƵ credits, and grades received will count toward their ߣƵ GPA.

 

This page was updated February 26, 2026.