DATES: June 30 - July 20, 2013
ELIGIBILITY: This program is open to all upper-level (juniors and senior-standing students prior to start of program) undergraduate and graduate students, including students who do not attend George Mason University.
The program must be capped at 27 students, so complete an online application immediately.
PROGRAM FEE: $6,750; The program cost will include tuition, housing, all meals except Sat. & Sun. lunches, pre-departure orientation, International Student Identity Card, Emergency evacuation insurance, and an official certificate of participation from Oxford. The program cost does *not* include airfare.
6 UNDEGRADUATE or GRADUATE CREDITS will be offered in Sociology, Anthropology, History, Government and English. This means GRAD students may earn a full semester's worth of credits in less than one month, thereby saving time and money!
TYPE OF HOUSING: Single occupancy dorm rooms on Oxford's campus.
Excursions
London and Bath are both within striking distance (only 1-1.5 hours one-way) and public transportation to both places is very reasonable (~$40 roundtrip). Past students have also gone to Stratford-Upon-Avon, Shakespeare's birthplace.
CONTACT: Sarah Mournighan 703.993.2106 or toll free at (866) 468-1243
This popular summer program takes place over 3 weeks at the University of Oxford, one of the most prestigious academic universities in the world! With famous former undergraduates like J.R.R. Tolkien and campus locations that appear in the Harry Potter movies, Oxford boasts a fascinating history that dates all the way back to the 14th century.
Don't miss the unique opportunity to attend summer classes at Oxford, a place whose beauty is sure to inspire you daily and leave you hungry to learn more. Students may participate in either the English Literature Program *OR* the History, Politics & Society Program.
Only 3 George Mason University Center for Global Education students may attend each of the courses listed below. These will be assigned on a first-come, first-serve, basis... so complete your online application today!
2009 participants at the program's Closing Dinner
The English Literature Program consists of a daily lecture program given by leading scholars and distinguished speakers and study in small seminar groups with specialist tutors. Undergraduate students take two mandatory courses, Critical Reading and Shakespeare on Stage and Screen. Summer 2013 graduate students will take two courses chosen from the list below. Each course has two two-hour meetings per week, and classes will usually contain no more than twelve participants. Classes offered are:
- Chaucer: Sacred and Profane
- Shakespeare and his Sources
- The English Romantic Poets
- Jane Austen
- Victorian Fiction
- Modernist Fiction
- Contemporary British Fiction
CLICK HERE FOR COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
The English Literature program is capped at 15 participants (limited to 3 undergraduate spots and 12 graduate level spots available) so complete an online application asap! If we have more than 15 applicants at the application deadline, this program will go to competitive acceptances.
The History, Politics & Society Program consists of
a daily lecture program given by leading scholars and distinguished speakers and study in small seminar groups with specialist tutors. Course options for 2013 include:
- British Politics, 1900-1945
- The Changing Face of Britain
- The Contemporary Middle East
- The European Union in Perspective
- Human Rights: Principles and Practice in the Contemporary World
- International Development: Challenges in a Changing Climate
- People Power: Contemporary Revolutions since 1986
- Political Economy in a Globalised World
- Warfare in the Modern World
CLICK HERE FOR COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
The History, Politics & Society program is capped at 12 participants total so complete an online application asap to afford yourself more choices! If we have more than 12 applicants at the application deadline, this program will go to competitive acceptances.
Testimonial: From a section called "Fun Facts" on Heather's blog, a 2010 Oxford Summer Program participant:
Today is the official halfway point in my study abroad program! It's been work, work, work these past few days. I've been trying to churn out these two papers so I can relax and enjoy the remainder of my time here. I've been doing approximately 8 or 9 hours per day of school work (3.5 hours of seminars/lecture and 4.5 or 5.5 hours of homework). There's still so much I want to see around Oxford, so I am motivated to wrap it up! I want to visit Carfax Tower, Oxford Castle, the Ashmolean Museum, and more! In doing some research about what I still need to explore, I stumbled upon some fun facts about Oxford, and I'd like to share...
- Oxford's population is 150,000, of which 42,000 are students.
- Hitler intended to set up his Nazi headquarters in Oxford if he conquered England. The site that he chose is now part of the Bodleian Library.
- Oxford has more published writers per square mile than anywhere else in the world.
- Oxford is home to the creators of Alice in Wonderland, The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Inspector Morse, and has also provided filming locations for Harry Potter.
- The University of Cambridge, known to this day in Oxford as 'the other place', was actually founded by Oxford scholars.
- Oxford University has educated 25 British Prime Ministers, including Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair.
- Other famous Oxford scholars include: Bill Clinton, Hugh Grant, TS Eliot, Oscar Wilde, Lewis Carroll, JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis, Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Christopher Wren, William Penn, Stephen Hawking, and many more.
Read more and view photos from Heather's experience at: http://heatherpritchett.blogspot.com
SCHOLARSHIP: One Monroe "Chip" Whitton Scholarships will be awarded to undergraduate students at George Mason University with a minimum GPA of 3.0. To be considered for the scholarship students must participate in a Summer Program in the UK or Ireland
To apply submit:
One academic letter of reference.
A 500 word essay detailing how you hope to benefit from this study abroad experience.
Your application must be submitted to the Center for Global Education in Johnson Center Room 235 with your complete program application materials including your on-line application, application fee and supplementary application materials.
Additional Application Materials--students need to turn in the following with their Oxford application:
>> A brief statement of purpose (350-400 words) detailing your *academic* reasons for wishing to attend the summer school. This should include what you hope to get out of the program, and what you are likely to contribute to the intellectual life of the summer school. This may include details of literature courses you have previously taken, or the relevance of the summer school to your present course of study or professional development. It is essential that applicants clearly state their reasons for wishing to enroll in specific courses.
>> An official
copy of your transcript.
>> A letter of recommendation, from a current or former faculty member.
>> Five passport-sized photographs (i.e. 3 x 3.5cm, or 1.25 x 1.5in), with your *full name* printed on the back of each. These are for library registration and administrative purposes.
Faculty Director
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Beth Hoffmann received her Ph.D. in Performance Studies from the University of California, Berkeley (2008). Her research focuses on the aesthetics and politics of contemporary British performance, ranging from traditional drama to visually-based live art. Her areas of teaching specialization include modern and contemporary Anglo-European drama; British live art, "alternative performance," and experimental theatre; British cultural studies; and performance theory with an emphasis on intersections of textuality, performativity, and subjectivity.
*CGE reserves the right to make changes to a program in light of currency fluctuations, changing security and safety conditions, or any other unforeseen circumstances.


