England: Norwich
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Students wishing to study in Norwich, England, can choose from one of two programs: the Norwich Humanities Program or the Norwich Science Program. Both programs are led by resident directors who are Dickinson faculty members, and each program combines extensive field learning with its core courses. Humanities students undertake fieldwork in London as well as in the Norfolk region. Science-program participants may take a science of sustainability course that includes a field excursion to Iceland to study that country's thriving geothermal-energy sector.
Norwich, a 1,000-year-old city with 200,000 residents, combines the best of new and old England, from a trendy underground shopping mall to a Norman castle on a hill overlooking the community. Norwich also features pedestrian walkways (ancient streets too narrow for vehicles) where shops and cafés hang over the passageways. Norwich also boasts the oldest continually operating open-air market in England.
Just a short train ride northeast of London, Norwich is the ideal university town for students looking to gain an understanding of English culture by learning alongside British students.
The University of East Anglia
Dickinson College operates the largest study abroad program based at the University of East Anglia (UEA), located just a short bus ride from the center of Norwich. Typically, 25-30 students participate in the Norwich Humanities Program each year, and 10-15 students participate in the Norwich Science Program each semester, with several remaining at UEA for the entire academic year.
Classes are held at UEA's campus on "The Broads," 270 acres of open parkland on the outskirts of Norwich with views of rivers, woods and meadows from all angles. University buildings are connected by elevated pedestrian walkways.
UEA is well known for the quality of its academic programs, and the structure of the Dickinson programs allows students to select courses from a variety of "schools" (departments) at UEA while enrolled in two to three Dickinson core courses. Many UEA faculty members are leading scholars in their fields, and the university library contains 500,000 volumes and more than 2,500 periodicals. The campus offers many social opportunities through various clubs and organizations, and a new state-of-the-art sports facility provides for recreational pursuits.
Academics
Norwich Humanities Program:
The Norwich Humanities Program emphasizes an interdisciplinary curriculum with course offerings in a variety of subjects. The program offers students an opportunity to study abroad in England for the fall semester or academic year. In the fall, the Humanities Program begins with two weeks in London, where students begin an innovative interdisciplinary course (Humanities 209) that focuses on the history, culture, and literature of the city. Though some classroom work is involved, the majority of the students' time will be "in the field" as they actively research and study various aspects of London.
After the first two weeks, the program moves to Norwich. Students continue Humanities 209 work, shifting their focus to the history, culture, and literature of Norwich and the Norfolk regions. Before classes at UEA begin, a week-long orientation to the region, with daily excursions to nearby areas of interest, will introduce the students to their new home city and its surroundings. Work in Humanities 209 will continue throughout the semester, focusing on both regional and national issues.
During the spring semester, students design and begin work on a major research project associated with the Humanities 311 course. This project comprises an academic component, consisting of research conducted in the library, and an experiential component that takes students outside the university into the world of Norwich or beyond. For English majors, the experiential component may mean the study of a place in literature and involve visits to specific sites in or beyond East Anglia. For history majors, it may mean working in local archives or compiling oral histories. For art majors, a regional artist may be studied. Others choose volunteer work with a community organization or conduct independent research in the Norfolk region. Students will return to London for 10 days in early April to continue study, to take advantage of cultural opportunities, and to use the resources availbe to them there for their specific research projects.
In addition to the Humanities 209 and 210 courses, fall semester students enroll in three UEA courses during the fall semester. Academic year participants enroll in three courses at UEA during both semesters as well as a discipline-specific independent research project during the spring semester.
Norwich Science Program:
Participants in the Norwich Science Program have full access to the course offerings and research opportunities of a major research university, while at the same time participating in the program-specific curriculum offered by the Dickinson resident director. UEA has highly regarded programs in the sciences, particularly in the areas of environmental science, biology and chemistry.
In addition to the three UEA science courses taken each semester, a required Dickinson course is taught by the science program director. Prior to the start of the fall semester in Norwich, a four-week experiential History of Science course is held in London and various locations throughout England. In London, museums, libraries and historical sites are used as natural laboratories for investigating the development of science from the mid-1600s to the present. Other sites throughout England of historical significance to the Industrial Revolution also are visited. Using an active learning approach, students conduct walking tours, research the lives of individual scientists and present their findings to the group.
The spring semester Dickinson course, chosen at the discretion of the resident director, is either The Science of Sustainability or Science and Society. Both are general science courses, and both incorporate a field experience while engaging students in science-oriented topics. At the outset of the semester, The Science of Sustainability integrates experiential learning in Iceland so students can explore the strides this country has made in sustainable living and development. Science and Society begins in England, where students discover and discuss the interactions and ramifications of science and its impact on society in Great Britain and the European Union.
The excellent opportunities for research at UEA include project-based courses taken in the respective science schools and opportunities at the Norwich Research Park and the new Norfolk and Norwich Hospital/Medical School. Student research topics have included cancer cell genetics, cataract development, environmental politics in Europe and plant gene expression.
Excursions
Academic excursions and student field research are integral to the programs. In addition to the London- and/or Iceland-based field experiences at the beginning of each semester or academic year, past students have visited Blickling Hall (a 17th-century country house), Cromer (a Victorian-age railway resort on the North Norfolk coast), Wicken Fen (a nature preserve), and other locations.
On-Site Administration
Dickinson College professors serve as the resident directors of the Humanities Program and the Science Program. The resident directors plan and lead the academic program, advise students, and teach the Humanities 209 and 210 courses (for the Humanities Program), or the History of Science, Science of Sustainability, and/or Science and Society courses (for the Science Program). Dickinson resident directors also may collaborate with UEA colleagues on research efforts and potentially team-teach courses in their given areas of expertise.
Housing
Students are housed in furnished flats at the University of East Anglia in an area known as "the Village." Each student is housed in a single-occupancy dormitory room with a private bathroom and shares a common kitchen in the flat with five to seven other students. An effort is made to place students in an international setting, where they will meet representatives of many other countries. Students receive a weekly stipend, enabling them to purchase food and cook for themselves in their flats.
Quick Facts
Dates Program Fee* Application Deadline
Humanities (Year) late Aug. to mid-June $53,410 Feb. 15
Humanities (Fall) late Aug. to mid-Dec. $26,705 Feb. 15
Science (Year) late Aug. to mid-June $53,410 Feb. 15
Science (Fall) late Aug. to mid-Dec. $26,705 Feb. 15
Science (Spring) early Jan. to mid-Jun $26,705 Sept. 15
* This is the program fee for 2011-2012; the program fee for 2012-2013 will correspond to on-campus tuition and fees and will be determined during spring 2011.
Program Fee Includes
• tuition and fees
• room and board
• pre-departure and on-site orientations
• academic excursions
The program fee does not include primary health insurance, airfare, passport, visa, immunizations, optional travel, personal expenses, meals and housing during vacations, books or supplies.
Special Requirements & Recommendations
3.0 GPA
Humanities applicants are encouraged to take a course in English literature, a 200-level course in English history, and history of art, history of music, or theatre history, or classical archaeology prior to participating in the program.
Links
University of East Anglia International Office
British Council Pre-departure Guide
Current Dickinson in England Blog
Past Dickinson Students in the United Kingdom Blog
* Please contact the Office of Global Education for specific information regarding passports, visas, course registration, etc.
For more information, contact
The Norwich Humanities Program:
Prof. Susan Perabo, On-Campus Coordinator
Department of English
Dickinson College
P.O. Box 1773
Carlisle, PA 17013-2896
Phone: (717) 245-1847
E-mail: perabo@dickinson.edu
The Norwich Science Program:
Prof. Grant Braught, On-Campus Coordinator
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
Dickinson College
P.O. Box 1773
Carlisle, PA 17013-2896
Phone: (717) 245-1401
E-mail: braught@dickinson.edu