London phone booths on street
London, England

Semester in London

Study Program

Tentative Dates

-

16 weeks

Costs

Credit

12 - 16 semester hours

18 - 24 quarter hours

Eligibility

Application Deadline

Apply Now

Request Information

Tentative Dates

-

13 weeks

Costs

Credit

12 - 16 semester hours

18 - 24 quarter hours

Eligibility

Application Deadline

Apply Now

Request Information

Dates

-

13 weeks

Costs

Credit

12 - 16 semester hours

18 - 24 quarter hours

Eligibility

Application Deadline

The application deadline has passed.

Apply Now

Request Information

Dates

TBD

Credit

12 - 16 semester hours

18 - 24 quarter hours

Eligibility

Application Deadline

The application deadline has passed.

Apply Now

Request Information

Overview

Spend your semester living and learning in the capital of England! Designed for students from all academic backgrounds, the Semester in London program is the perfect chance to earn credits toward your degree while immersing yourself in British culture.    

When class is in session, you'll choose from a unique mix of flexible and diverse courses at CIEE London and CIEE's renowned partner institution, Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), one of England’s top-ranked universities known for its high-quality education and research. You may also enroll in courses with a local flavor, like business, politics, cuisine, or sustainability initiatives.  

Outside the classroom, you'll have every opportunity to actively participate in London’s local community. Immerse yourself in British culture with optional credit-bearing internships or volunteering opportunities. Don't stop there; round out your study abroad adventure by participating in co-curricular and extracurricular activities and off-the-beaten-path trips organized by CIEE to appreciate Great Britain’s impressive cultural attractions and landmarks.

Unique Experiences

\

LIVE IN ONE OF LONDON’S PRIME AREAS

with easy access to museums, historical treasures, shopping, restaurants, and more

LEARN ABOUT BRITAIN AND CHINA’S SHARED HISTORY

with a community-led tour of Chinatown

MAKE USE OF QMUL’S AMAZING FACILITIES

like its rooftop observatory or media suites

950

STUDY MODULES TO CHOOSE FROM

5TH

RANKED PARTNER UNIVERSITY IN LONDON

250

LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN LONDON

Experience
  • London financial district
  • london students float
  • London Big Ben red phone box

Your Destination

Home of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, London is a vibrant and cosmopolitan city. London is at the cutting edge of the arts scene and provides access to music, fashion, free museums, comedy, and theater. There are endless opportunities to find your perfect placement here and there are plenty of eclectic neighborhoods to explore during your time off. Home to nearly nine million people from all over the globe, you can hear 250 languages spoken in London. You will live and work in a busy, multicultural society. 

CIEE London is right in the heart of central London, within walking distance of all the tourist highlights of the city. Located in a beautiful Georgian square in the University District, just moments from the British Museum and 10 minutes from Trafalgar Square and its art galleries, CIEE London has a lounge, cafe, and study areas – perfect for meeting up with fellow students outside of class. In the Center, you are a 10-minute walk from the British Library, a 15-minute walk from seeing the free-ranging pelicans in St James’s Park, and a 20-minute walk to the London Eye.     

CIEE wants all our students to feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed while studying abroad. Local CIEE staff have provided details about conditions and cultural attitudes that students with specific identities might encounter in London.

The Culture

London Globe Theater performance

EXCURSIONS & ACTIVITIES

  • Tour London’s world-class art galleries, from The National Gallery, with its unrivaled collection of Old Masters, to Tate Modern where you can see art by international contemporary artists 
  • Investigate the legacies of post-colonialism with a visit to the Museum of London’s Sugar exhibition or the Bank of England’s Slavery Exhibition 
  • Visit Oxford or Cambridge and take walking tours through some of the famous beautiful colleges 
  • See where Macbeth was first performed and explore the celebrated 18th-century maze at Hampton Court Palace, a former royal palace of Henry VIII on the banks of the Thames 
  • Explore the Wellcome Collection, which charts the study of the evolutionary, historical, social, and institutional contexts of human development 
  • Discover street art and learn about the history of immigration on a walking tour of multicultural Brick Lane 
  • Participate in a steel drumming workshop and performance 
  • Get involved in university life by writing for the student newspaper and magazine or preparing a film or play for production
London intern working on laptop in cafe

PROJECTS

A for-credit internship allows students the opportunity to gain practical real-world work experience in a local company within a variety of industry sectors. Students can choose to intern for NGOs, schools, publishing companies, marketing agencies, businesses, and more. Internships include weekly classroom components that enrich the experience. 

Directed Independent Research is for qualified students who have demonstrated academic rigor and curiosity toward a particular research topic. Independent research topics will be approved by the CIEE London Director and must reflect a topic that is relevant to London or the UK. To be accepted into this course, students must submit a structured proposal with the topic of exploration, and the significance of the research topic as it relates to London/England, methodology, a literature review, and a schedule of research milestones. Upon research completion, students will present their findings to a panel of academics.

Program Blogs

From CIEE

How to Pack for a Semester Abroad in London

By College Study Abroad at CIEE

@cieestudyabroad What to pack for a semester abroad in London #cieestudyabroad #studyabroad #packinglist #packingessentials #london #england #europe #travelessentials I Think I Like When It Rains - WILLIS Heading to London... keep reading

Housing
Academics

Academics

Students take courses at CIEE London and can also take one course at our partner university, Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). 

CIEE London is set over three floors in a Georgian terrace overlooking Russell Square. It has its own classrooms, lounge, study, café, and terrace and is accessible by all students. Teaching takes place on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Students will study alongside other U.S. study abroad students. 

Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) is composed of five institutions – the oldest of which was founded in 1785. In 2000, it took on its formal name, Queen Mary University of London. Today, QMUL is the only campus university in London, supporting roughly 25,000+ students across its five campuses. At any given time, there are more than 1,000 study abroad students living and learning at QMUL, making this university a wonderful place to connect with like-minded international students. QMUL’s roots are in STEM, humanities, business, and law. Students can expect an immersive British international university experience while here. 

A note about QMUL assignment deadlines: Teaching takes place mid-September to mid-December for the fall semester and in almost all cases, fall-only students will complete their assignments within the teaching term. Exception: Students studying modules within the School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) will have online examinations in January. In the spring, some courses/modules may have exams in the examination period in May and others will require the online submission of final essays into May, after the program end date. Students should check their course/module choices carefully on arrival so that they know what to expect.

Arizona State University: Enhance your international academic coursework with optional online courses that best align with your degree requirements and interests. ASU offers thousands of online courses in asynchronous 7.5-week sessions that fit within the CIEE academic calendar, so you can study abroad with CIEE while continuing to meet all your academic goals.

GPA

3.0

Language Requirements

There are no specific language requirements for this program.

Additional Requirements

Please refer to the detailed Program Essential Eligibility Criteria.

Individual courses may have additional prerequisites; for CIEE courses, these are listed in the syllabi below. Students are responsible for having their own course approval conversations with their advisors. Your study abroad advisor and CIEE staff can help you understand your course options if you don't see a recommendation that fits your course needs.

Requirements

All students take four or five courses per semester, for a total of 12-16 credits. They can choose to take courses only with CIEE, or to take up to one course at QMUL.

Online Course Options: substitute up to one ASU online course

Program Credit

Total credit: 12-16 U.S. semester/18-24 quarter credits (15-16 semester credits recommended)

Course Credit

  • CIEE Courses: 3 U.S. semester/4.5 quarter credits; 45 contact hours 
  • CIEE Internship: 3 U.S. semester/4.5 quarter credits; 15 seminar hours, 100-120 internship placement hours 
  • CIEE Directed Independent Research: 3 U.S. semester/4.5 quarter credits; 15 contact hours, 100-120 research hours 
  • QMUL Courses: 4 U.S. semester/6 quarter credits; 150 notional hours

Individual courses may have additional prerequisites; for CIEE courses, these are listed in the syllabi below. Students are responsible for having their own course approval conversations with their advisors. Your study abroad advisor and CIEE staff can help you understand your course options if you don't see a recommendation that fits your course needs.

Academic Culture

Classes at CIEE and QMUL are typically scheduled Monday-Thursday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Students are expected to complete two to three hours of independent work for every hour in class. Some courses meet for 10 hours per week. Most courses combine lectures with local field trips and excursions to help students gain a better understanding of the local culture.

Class Format

Classes include seminars, lectures, and sometimes labs. They will require students to do independent work outside of class.

Grading

For QMUL: A final assignment will be administered at the end of each course. Dates for these are released at the beginning of each course and should be checked carefully before booking return journeys.

Individual courses may have additional prerequisites; for CIEE courses, these are listed in the syllabi below. Students are responsible for having their own course approval conversations with their advisors. Your study abroad advisor and CIEE staff can help you understand your course options if you don't see a recommendation that fits your course needs.

Language of Instruction

English

Individual courses may have additional prerequisites; for CIEE courses, these are listed in the syllabi below. Students are responsible for having their own course approval conversations with their advisors. Your study abroad advisor and CIEE staff can help you understand your course options if you don't see a recommendation that fits your course needs.

Courses

Course Information

Academic Projects

Course
Language
Semester Credit

Visual and Performing Arts

Course
Language
Semester Credit

Business, Economics, Management, and Marketing

Course
Language
Semester Credit

Communication, Journalism, and Media

Course
Language
Semester Credit

Health Professions and Related Programs

Course
Language
Semester Credit

History, Philosophy, Religion

Course
Language
Semester Credit

Literature, Linguistics, and Writing

Course
Language
Semester Credit

Social Sciences

Course
Language
Semester Credit

Academic Projects

Course
Language
Semester Credit

Visual and Performing Arts

Course
Language
Semester Credit

Business, Economics, Management, and Marketing

Course
Language
Semester Credit

Communication, Journalism, and Media

Course
Language
Semester Credit

Health Professions and Related Programs

Course
Language
Semester Credit

History, Philosophy, Religion

Course
Language
Semester Credit

Literature, Linguistics, and Writing

Course
Language
Semester Credit

Social Sciences

Course
Language
Semester Credit

Students can take a course in any discipline except medicine or dentistry. Preference for course/module allocation is given to those who require a course in order to stay on track to graduate from their home institution. Otherwise, course/module options requested by study abroad (associate) students are viewed equally alongside those requested by home students. 

One course can be taken at QMUL, chosen from a catalog of 950+ choices at Levels 4, 5, or 6. These levels equate to the U.K. degree system, where students graduate after three years of full-time undergraduate study. Level 4 is equivalent to the first year, Level 5 to the second year, and Level 6 to the third year. Please note: Level 7 is a postgraduate level and courses at this level should not be chosen when applying. Some modules (courses) may not be available to study abroad (associate) students, but these can be filtered out when searching for options. You can search via discipline via the online Module Directory. You can refine by level and semester of study too. Examples of courses available include: 

  • A History of the Internet 
  • Nuclear Physics 
  • Cognitive Psychology 
  • Tort Law for Business 
  • Cultural Geography 
  • The Buildings of London 
  • Pirates in the Golden Age 

A list of limits on courses/modules is added to the online Module Directory in March for the fall semester and August/September for the spring semester. Searching for courses at these times will give you the most up-to-date information on what will be available when you arrive at QMUL.

CIEE proudly partners with ASU to deliver asynchronous, 100% online coursework that aligns with your degree requirements from anywhere you study abroad.

CIEE and ASU offer courses online per program eligibility, at no additional charge. Be sure to review online courses with your home school advisor.

Check the CIEE Program Dates and ASU start dates below to maximize course options within your program! 

Search ASU Online Courses >

 

Program Options
Program Options

Note: This course listing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract between CIEE and any applicant, student, institution, or other party. The courses, as described, may be subject to change as a result of ongoing curricular revisions, assignment of lecturers and teaching staff, and program development. Courses may be canceled due to insufficient enrollment.
"(GI)" denotes courses that originated at CIEE's Global Institutes and that are offered at multiple CIEE sites.

Scholarships

Scholarships & Grants

CIEE offers scholarships and grants annually to help students like you make your study abroad dream a reality.

Students who apply to this program are eligible for the following scholarships and grants:

  • Ping Scholarships for Academic Excellence
  • Global Access Initiative (GAIN) Grants
  • CIEE Gilman Go Global Grant
  • MSI Grant

To be considered, submit the CIEE Scholarships & Grants application within your CIEE program application.

Learn more about scholarships

Dates & Fees

Dates & Fees

You get more for every dollar when you study abroad with CIEE, because our high-quality programs include everything from excursions to insurance. There are no hidden charges, and no disappointing surprises when you arrive.

Program

Application Due

Start Date

End Date

Fees & Housing

Program Spring 2025 16 weeks Start Date * End Date * Fees & Housing $21,950
Program Fall 2025 13 weeks Start Date * End Date * Fees & Housing $21,950
Program Fall 2024 13 weeks Application Due Deadline Passed Start Date End Date Fees & Housing $20,950
Program Academic year 2024-2025 Application Due Deadline Passed Start Date * End Date TBD*

*Dates for this program are provided as tentative dates. Please consult with your study abroad advisor to confirm dates before purchasing your flights.

To help you budget, keep in mind that students are responsible for the cost of international airfare, local transportation, books and supplies, visas, and personal expenses. In addition, your college or university may charge additional fees for study abroad, or may require you to receive a transcript via CIEE's School of Record, which carries an additional fee of $500.

Program Fees

CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel protection with benefits.

Participation Confirmation = $300*

Educational Costs = $14,556**

Housing = $6,900***

Insurance = $194

Total Fees = $21,950

Estimated Costs

Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration.

Meals not included in program fee = $1,480

International Airfare = $1,350††

Local Transportation = $600

Books & Supplies = $200

Visa Fees = $0†††

Personal expenses = $220††††

Total Costs = $3,850

Optional Housing

CIEE accommodation options are detailed in the Housing section. Based on availability, Select or Select Plus Housing can be chosen during the application process for an additional fee. Housing is assigned on a first-come, first-served basis; however, other factors may also be considered.

Select Housing Fee = $1,500

Financial Aid

CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $8 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, institutional and MSI grants, and Gilman Go Global Grants.

See Scholarships

*non-refundable fee

**direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students

***Housing fees listed are for financial aid purposes only and should not be considered a basis for calculation of refunds.

For groceries if you plan on making your own meals, budget more money if you plan on eating out regularly.

††round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure

†††Unless a student is completing an internship, there are no visa fees for academic programs under six months in the UK for US-passport holders. US-passport holders stay in the UK on a Visitor visa.

††††$100 emergency fund + cell phone expense + toiletries

Program Fees

CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel protection with benefits.

Participation Confirmation = $300*

Educational Costs = $14,556**

Housing = $6,900***

Insurance = $194

Total Fees = $21,950

Estimated Costs

Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration.

Meals not included in program fee = $1,295

International Airfare = $1,350††

Local Transportation = $600

Books & Supplies = $200

Visa Fees = $0†††

Personal expenses = $190††††

Total Costs = $3,635

Financial Aid

CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $8 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, institutional and MSI grants, and Gilman Go Global Grants.

See Scholarships

*non-refundable fee

**direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students

***Housing fees listed are for financial aid purposes only and should not be considered a basis for calculation of refunds.

For groceries if you plan on making your own meals, budget more money if you plan on eating out regularly.

††round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure

†††Unless a student is completing an internship, there are no visa fees for academic programs under six months in the UK for US-passport holders. US-passport holders stay in the UK on a Visitor visa.

††††$100 emergency fund + cell phone expense + toiletries

Program Fees

CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel protection with benefits.

Participation Confirmation = $300*

Educational Costs = $13,956**

Housing = $6,500***

Insurance = $194

Total Fees = $20,950

Estimated Costs

Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration.

Meals not included in program fee = $1,155

International Airfare = $1,250††

Local Transportation = $600

Books & Supplies = $200

Visa Fees = $0†††

Personal expenses = $190††††

Total Costs = $3,395

Optional Housing

CIEE accommodation options are detailed in the Housing section. Based on availability, Select or Select Plus Housing can be chosen during the application process for an additional fee. Housing is assigned on a first-come, first-served basis; however, other factors may also be considered.

Select Housing Fee = $750

Financial Aid

CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $8 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, institutional and MSI grants, and Gilman Go Global Grants.

See Scholarships

*non-refundable fee

**direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students

***Housing fees listed are for financial aid purposes only and should not be considered a basis for calculation of refunds.

For groceries if you plan on making your own meals, budget more money if you plan on eating out regularly.

††round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure

†††Unless a student is completing an internship, there are no visa fees for academic programs under six months in the UK for US-passport holders. US-passport holders stay in the UK on a Visitor visa.

††††$100 emergency fund + cell phone expense + toiletries

Program Fees

CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel protection with benefits.

Estimated Costs

Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration.

Financial Aid

CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $8 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, institutional and MSI grants, and Gilman Go Global Grants.

See Scholarships

What's Included

Tuition

Housing

Pre-departure Advising

Advising before you depart to set goals and answer questions

Optional on-site airport meet-and-greet

Orientation

Introduction to your program plus practical information about living in your host city

On-site Staff

Full-time program leadership and support in your city

Cultural and/or Co-curricular Activities

Excursions and/or Study Tours

Travel Protection

CIEE iNext travel protection

24/7 emergency on-site support

Staff

Our Staff

Mark Simmons

Center Director

Mark Simmons has an M.A. in History from the University of Aberdeen and a postgraduate degree in Administrative and Information Management from Napier University Edinburgh. 

Seán O’Donnell

Student Life Manager

Seán O’Donnell studied Anthropology at Goldsmiths – perhaps that’s why he is so good at working with students as they explore and study with us in London! He has worked...

Get Started Steps

Get Started

Here’s what you need to do to take the next steps:

1

Start an Application

You're one step closer to an amazing study abroad experience!

2

Connect With Your Campus Study Abroad Office

Share your plans and confirm you're on track to meet all required steps to go abroad.

3

Contact Us

Send us an email if you still have questions or need information about applying to this program.

Request Info