Study Abroad
Steps to Studying Abroad with Political Science
Step 1 – Explore Options (London or Florence)
Step 2 – Reach out to the Program Directors (Professors Ian Down and Kirsten Widner)
Step 3 – Complete Application (https://volsabroad.utk.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=11273)
Step 4 – Make sure you have a passport and Visa (if needed)
Step 5 – Find Funding to support your trip
Step 6 – Book airline ticket
Step 7 – Have the time of your life!
The London Summer Program
The London Summer Program is a five week, six credit hour program examining the British Political System and British Political Culture (with the option of an additional five week, three credit hour internship in London). Students spend mornings in class and then undertake excursions to sites of historical and political relevance and/or have meetings with representatives of political parties.
The self-catering flats and the classrooms used for the program are located in central London and students will have ample free time to explore London and beyond, with much of the afternoons, the evenings and weekends free.
Site Visits
As part of the program we will visit many of the sites listed below, though the opportunity will exist to visit a host of other places of historical and political significance as well.
The Palace of Westminster (aka Houses of Parliament)
The House of Commons (lower house) and House of Lords (upper house) are both located within the Palace of Westminster, the oldest part of which, Westminster Hall, dates back to the late 11th century.
Westminster Abbey
Anglican church that dates back to 1066. The coronation site for English and British monarchs.
Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace was a Royal Palace from the time of Henry VIII until the late 18th century, different parts of which are preserved as they were during the reigns of Henry VIII, William III and George I and George II.
Churchill War Rooms
An underground complex, beneath Horse Guards parade, that housed the British cabinet during the Second World War, that now also houses a museum to Winston Churchill.
Tower of London
The Tower of London was the first castle to be built in England. It has historically housed high value prisoners (and seen many executions). Today it is home to the Crown Jewels, which include some of the largest diamonds in the world.
Military Museums
Checkout one of the many military museums in London – Imperial War Museum, Royal Air Force Museum, Guards Museum, Household Cavalry Museum, and others. A visit to the National Army Museum in 2017.
Windsor Castle
Dating back to the 11th century, Windsor Castle is the longest occupied Royal Palace in Europe and remains the weekend residence of Queen Elizabeth and a principal venue for hosting state visits.
Churchill War Rooms
The underground network of rooms and tunnels that hosted Churchill’s cabinet for most of the Second World War, and has been preserved as it was at the end of the war.
Stonehenge
An easy day trip out of London can take you to the best known Neolithic monument in the UK, the stone circle at Stonehenge.
Bath
On a day trip out of London we will visit the City of Bath, named after Roman baths that became a popular attraction for wealthy Britons in the 18th century.
Jeremy Bentham
Come and see a well-known 19th century political philosopher. Not his grave, his memorial, his statue, but himself, in the (well preserved) flesh!
The Magna Carta
Drawn up more than eight hundred years ago, Magna Carta was the earliest written attempt to constrain the powers of the Monarch, and a foundational document in the subsequent development of governance across the globe.
The Prime Meridian
Go truly global, with a foot simultaneously in the west and the east, by straddling the Prime Meridian outside the Greenwich Observatory, as students did in 2017.
The Queen
The State Opening of Parliament usually takes place in May or June each year, and, if it occurs during our visit and is feasible, we will attend the preceding procession from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament, as we were able to do in 2016.
Meetings
Meet Representatives of the Political Parties and Other Political Organizations
Students meeting with Hywel Williams MP, Plaid Cymru (the Party of Wales).
Students meeting with Lisa Cameron MP, Scottish National Party.
With Mike Wood MP, Conservative Party (Junior Minister, Department for International Trade).
Students meeting with Sinn Fein MPs Mickey Brady (left) and Francie Molloy (right)
In the House of Lords, with the Lord Paul Tyler, Liberal Democrat, Constitutional Affairs Spokesperson.
With Martin LeJeune, Director, Teneo Blue Rubicon, a public affairs firm.
With James White, Assistant Curate and Deacon, Church of England.
Optional Internship Opportunities
Stay Longer
Five weeks in London seem too short? Want a longer, more culturally immersive experience? Want the required 9 credit hours of study abroad academic credit in one program? All of these are possible through the Political Science London Program.
The program includes an optional five week internship, immediately following the standard five week program. Any student interested in the possibility of adding an internship to the program should contact Professor Down for further details (idown@utk.edu).
Jenna Ciesla (right) with Illinca Toderita (solicitor) and Nicoleta Isala (office manager) at Forest Corporate Ltd, a corporate and commercial firm of solicitors.
Hailey Opper (fourth from left, back row) with the team at Restorative Justice 4 All, a charitable institute concerned with putting social justice into practice through community projects.
Ella Blair with Karen Sng-Sugden – Chief Operating Officer of Support Through Court a charity providing free, independent assistance to people facing legal proceedings without representation.
Kenzie West with Lawrence Power, Head of Chambers at Whitestone, specializing in corporate and commercial law.
Layla Moore with Thomas Del Mar – founder of The Saleroom an online global auction marketplace for art and antiques.
Jeloux Enriquez with Marilyn Ambrose at City Law Firm, specializing in corporate law and emerging technology.
During summer 2021, Meredith (right) undertook an internship with Gillian Keegan MP (left), a government minister in the Department of Education. Here Meredith is holding Gillian Keegan’s red box, used for transporting sensitive documents by the Queen and government ministers.
Jackson (left) interned with the Council on Geostrategy in summer 2021. The Council is an independent non-profit focused on shaping Britain’s strategic engagement with the world. Here Jackson is seen with James Rogers, Director of Research and one of the Council’s co-founders.
In summer 2021, Isabelle (second from left) interned with the 2-3 Degrees Foundation, a non-profit aimed at inspiring and empowering young people to realize their potential. Isabelle is seen here with the 2-3 Degrees team.
Emma (second from right) undertook an internship at a barrister’s chambers in the Temple (one of the legal districts in London). Along with other women from her chambers she attended the Inner Temple Women’s Forum Garden Party, 3rd July 2019.
Accommodation
Central London Flats
Our accommodation in central London comprises “flats” (the British term for apartments), each of which typically has:
2 – 3 shared bedrooms
A living/dining room
With dining table and chairs, sofas, coffee table, TV and phone for incoming calls
A kitchen
With 1 – 2 freezer-refrigerator(s), microwave oven, stove, washer/dryer, dishwasher, toaster, electric kettle, cutlery and crockery
1 – 2 bathroom(s)
Building amenities typically include:
Elevators to all floors
Entry phone
On site Manager
Maid service (weekly – changing bedding and cleaning apartments)
Wireless Internet
Most recently we stayed at the Royal Mint Apartments, by the Tower of London. Check out further details and pictures of those flats.
The program includes a travel card that allows for free use of tubes, trains and buses within central London, so getting around is both free and very easy.
Programs Abroad Office
London Summer Program Detail
Get information about the London Summer Abroad Program from the UT Programs Abroad Office
Department Contact
Ian Down
Associate Professor
Department of Political Science
1008A McClung Tower
Knoxville, TN 37996-0410
Phone: (865) 974-7054
Email: idown@utk.edu
The Florence Summer Program
Spend five weeks reliving the Renaissance. Florence was Paris before Paris. It was the cradle of civilization. Relive the glory of Florence. See where Michelangelo sculpted and Leonardo thought. Live in the “New Rome” created by the Medici family. See where Machiavelli wrote, was exiled, tortured and returned to power. Take courses on comparative public policy, political theory, and comparative court systems and earn six credits. Spend your weekends touring Tuscany, or in Venice, Rome, Cinque Terra, and along the Amalfi Coast. And the food!!! Enjoy REAL Pizza. One problem though. Once you have had Gelato, ice cream will never be the same.
First image: visit Orvieto; Second image: an image of San Gimignano; within Florence, side trips include visits to the Accademia (see Michelangelo’s David), the Bargello (see the other Davids), the Uffizi, and the Duomo.