London 2012 study abroad students pose in front of Queen Mary, University of London. University of Houston-Victoria students can apply for the 2013 summer program until March 15.

The University of Houston-Victoria is partnering with Midwestern State University to provide a study abroad program in London this summer.

This year’s program is July 4 through Aug. 3 and is hosted at Queen Mary, University of London. Students participating will earn six credits, with a combination of lectures and research.

Courses available include photography, international business, criminal justice, Shakespeare, sociology and public health. The program also has history courses about the English language, World War II or Tudor-Stuart Britain. Courses are taught by American professors and are accepted for credit by UHV.

Magen Besancon

But the study abroad is more than what is taught in each class, said Magen Besancon, the UHV international student services coordinator.

“The study abroad program does a great job of mixing classroom time with site visits and guest lectures from industry leaders,” she said. “Students get a real-life view about what they are studying. I’ve received excellent feedback from UHV students who have learned so much from this study abroad experience.”

Umaima Mal, a UHV senior biology student from Denison participated in the program last summer. She said she was able to use what she learned in her sociology class while exploring London.

Umaima Mal

“The professors encouraged us to go out and experience the city and culture,” she said. “This really allowed me to have a candid experience in London. It opened my eyes to how another society works compared with the U.S. I learned more than I would have just sitting in the classroom.”

The program also brings together students from a variety of universities that partner with the program.

“I made new friends who I never would have met outside of the study abroad program,” Mal said. “I’ve remained friends with several people I traveled with last year and plan on getting together with them again soon.”

The application deadline is March 15. To be eligible for the program, students must be in good academic standing, finished their freshman year and have at least 26 undergraduate hours completed by the time the program starts.

The cost for the program is $6,400 for undergraduates and $6,650 for graduate students. The cost includes tuition and fees, airfare from Dallas to London and single-room housing for one month in London. Some courses have additional fees. Financial aid is available to students, and a limited number of $1,000 scholarships are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

UHV offers a variety of other study abroad opportunities. Programs in Spain and Mexico are set up individually and allow students to be immersed in the Spanish language and local cultures. These programs can be taken at any time of the year. The UHV School of Business Administration also is hosting study abroad programs in Taiwan and China this summer.

For more information about the London, Spain or Mexico study abroad programs, contact Besancon at besanconm@uhv.edu or 361-570-4185. For more information about the Taiwan and China programs, contact Rosie McCusker, UHV School of Business Administration manager of student recruitment and marketing, at 832-842-2858 or mccuskerr@uhv.edu.