David McRaney  |  Journalist

British studies taking applications

Would you like to travel across the Atlantic Ocean, nestle yourself in the heart of London and spend a month in Europe while gaining six hours of college credit?

Perhaps the USM British Studies Program is for you. The program, which recently began taking applicants for the 2006 session, is the largest program of its kind in London, and since its establishment 26 years ago, it has become one the most beloved institutions at the university.

"This is an incredible opportunity for students to expand their horizons," said David R. Davies, associate professor of journalism at USM and assistant director of the British Studies Program who has visited London seven times with his students.

The classes offered fit into many degree fields including art, English, geography, history, sociology and others.

Davies believes the program also makes a student more appealing after graduation by showing he or she is open to new things.

"International education impresses employers," he said. "People must have a degree of independence and initiative."

The classes offered in British Studies are not like those at home, said Davies. London becomes the classroom, and each class travels around the U.K. visiting museums, historic places and institutions related to their field.

"It doesn't make any sense to go all the way to London and sit in a classroom," added Davies.

Megan Watts, a junior journalism major from Gulfport, traveled to London in 2005.

"Seriously, it was the best class I've taken at USM," said Watts. "You will learn more in four weeks than you could in a whole semester."

Watts said classes begin around 8 a.m. Monday through Thursday and break for lunch before continuing into the afternoon. Students are free to roam Europe by train after class and on the weekends. Many choose to visit places like Paris or Amsterdam, but Watts said she opted for Brighton and Prague.

"Brighton is about 45 minutes South of London by train," she said. "It's where all the Londoners go for the weekends. It reminds you of Coney Island."

Davies said that students enter the program from around 35 universities, and a total of 175 took part in 2005.

As a result, students not only come into contact with people from around Europe but also fellow students from around America. Watts said she has kept in touch with though facebook with students she met from Vermont and St. Louis.

While in London, she visited clubs, pubs and restaurants, the Tower of London and Stanford Arms, and of course, learned a great deal in her journalism class.

To apply for the program or pick up a brochure, students can visit the fourth floor of the international building.

According to the official website at http://www.usm.edu/internationaledu/programs_2/british.htm, undergraduate students must have completed at least 54 semester hours and must have an overall grade point average of at least 2.0.

The cost of tuition, housing, flight and other fees totals $4,999 for undergraduates and $5,299 for graduates.

Students are housed in the King's College hall of residence, located adjacent to Waterloo Station, the River Thames, and the South Bank Arts Complex in the heart of London.

Each student receives a bedroom with a desk, wardrobe space, a small refrigerator, and a private bathroom. Kitchens are scattered throughout the complex, and laundry facilities, a gymnasium and the British Studies Program Office are on-site. Administrative staff and

American professors accompanying the program are housed with the students.

Financial aid is offered for the program.

"Whether you are filthy rich or dirt poor, assistance is available," said Davies. "No one comes back regretting spending the money."

Originally published in The Student Printz on December 8, 2005