Don’t just learn about health care in a classroom—immerse yourself through theory and practice in compelling public health issues in the United Kingdom and Kingston, Jamaica, that are affecting local communities, countries, and the global population right now.
The curriculum for this program was created to meet the academic needs and interests of students in pre-professional medical studies and public health majors and minors, as well as students studying Anthropology, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, or Sociology.
Through our program, you discover the different perspectives, challenges, and needs of diverse populations in London and Kingston with a once-in-a-lifetime service learning opportunity.
Your course load includes:
London will also be your classroom. Meet with and learn from local medical professionals, epidemiologists, social anthropologists, and public policy-makers. Learn how the British health care system operates. Study the Jamaican community in London so you can compare when you spend time in Kingston. Everything you do will be a part of your learning experience.
In the final 10 days of the term, you participate in an extended course-related trip to Kingston, Jamaica; hosted by the University of the West Indies School of Nursing, Mona. There you will learn about the health care issues in a developing economy through lectures, discussions, and observation at community health clinics and local NGO's.
After you are admitted, refer to the Travel Dates section of the Predeparture Information in your MyIESabroad account before booking travel.
* You will depart London on Thursday, December 7, 2017 for Kingston, Jamaica. You must depart London and arrive in Kingston on December 7th. Arriving the day before or after is NOT acceptable.
*Note: as your QMUL course might not be confirmed until late November, if you wish to book your airfare earlier, please book a ticket with low change fees in case you end up needing to change the ticket.
**You must depart London and arrive in Kingston on the exact date that is specified (April 19). Arriving the day before or after is NOT acceptable. Please note that you are required to purchase a multi-city ticket for this trip!
Our mission is simple: to provide you with the best study abroad program possible—which includes the highest quality academic and cultural experiences. That is why we partnered with the School of Medicine and Dentistry at Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL); the School of Health Sciences at City, University of London (City); and the University of West Indies School of Nursing, Mona, Jamaica.
This program offers unparalleled courses that explore Health and Human Sciences through an in-depth and hands-on approach. World-class professors at IES Abroad, QMUL, City, and the University of West Indies enhance your academic experience and provide you with new perspectives each day in class.
All IES Abroad courses are taught by British and international faculty, and are designed to offer you a unique academic experience, combining the traditions of your home campus with the best of the British university system.
You enroll in 16 credits per semester from the following required and optional program components:
Required Courses:
IES Abroad Study London Program Elective Course Please visit the Study London Program page to learn more about the elective courses offered in a variety of disciplines such as Art History, Communications & Media Studies, Film Studies, Fine Arts, History, Literature, Marketing, Sociology, or Women’s Studies.
This is a list of planned course offerings. After you are accepted, you will see a list of final course offerings in your MyIESabroad account.
University of West Indies School of Nursing, Mona - Jamaica The 10-day field study hosted by the University of the West Indies School of Nursing, Mona, immerses you in the everyday issues of health care delivery in a developing economy through lectures, discussions, and observation at community health clinics and local NGO’s. A number of lectures and seminar discussions planned specifically for you will cover an overview of public health, healers, and alternative medicine in Jamaican culture, the roles of the WHO and PAHO in health care delivery and research in Jamaica, and an overview of nursing education.
While you attend your 10-day field study in Kingston, Jamaica, you will attend lectures at the University of West Indies, School of Nursing, Mona. During this final portion of your study abroad experience, you’ll finish Social Welfare Policy in the United Kingdom and Jamaica: A Service Learning Perspective and Practicum.
Goals of this portion of the program are to demonstrate the different perspectives, challenges, and needs represented by different patient populations in terms of their interactions with mainstream health care systems; examine the roles of various stakeholders in the delivery of health care; and facilitate your engagement with public health at the community level, particularly for socially and economically vulnerable populations.
City, University of London (City) As a large, urban university with a strong international community, City, University of London gained its charter in 1966 (formerly Northampton Polytechnic, established in 1894). It joined the University of London in August 2016. The University of London system includes several other institutions with which IES Abroad in partnered—SOAS, Queen Mary, UCL, and the Courtauld, for example. City’s academic roots in industry and technology reflect its contemporary commitment to such disciplines as health sciences, business and engineering. City enrolls approximately 24,000 students, and its large international student body (more than 50 percent) makes it reflective of London’s incredibly multicultural population.
Courses available to IES Abroad students in the School of Health Sciences at City include:
Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL) Located in the diverse East End, QMUL maintains its own identity and community, and yet you are never more than a convenient Tube ride to the center of London. As a large institution with over 16,000 students, QMUL offers an extensive range of challenging academic options. In addition, the college has a long history of internationalism: 20 percent of the student body comes from outside the United Kingdom, with more than 100 countries represented in the international student population. The following courses in QMUL’s School of Medicine and Dentistry are available to IES Abroad students:
*Enrollment in ICM5005 requires that students have previously taken an introductory course in epidemiology and statistics.
Service learning and practicum are essential components to the Health Practice & Policy Program, providing an invaluable cultural experience, practical exposure to the demands of community health care and policy, and development of professional and personal skills.
All IES Abroad service learning placements and practica are supervised. Placement examples in London include public and private organizations that are involved in providing healthcare, health care administration, and formulating and implementing public health policy. The practicum in Kingston takes place at community health clinics or NGOs.
IES Abroad London organizes course-related trips that complement IES Abroad courses and contribute to a general knowledge of British culture and society.
Many IES Abroad London field trip destinations double as course-related trips for students enrolled in specific courses. For course-related trips that are required for a course, the cost for the trip is included in the program fee. For field study trips that are recommended but not required, you are responsible for a portion of the trip cost. Past course-related trips include:
REQUIRED: A course-related trip to Kingston, Jamaica, complements your courses and helps you better understand the community health care challenges in a developing economy. This two-week field study is hosted by the University of West Indies School of Nursing, Mona.
We want to make sure that your greatest challenge is deciding which landmarks to see first or discovering the best café—not finding a place to live where you feel comfortable. We do our best to locate housing that is reflective of how the local students are living. Our goal is that when you leave London, it will feel like home.
Residence Hall (London) – You will live in an international student residence hall located in central London. You and another IES Abroad intern or student share a room with an attached bathroom and will either have access to a common kitchen with others on your floor or a kitchenette in your room. No meals are included, but there are many affordable eateries nearby. There are laundry facilities and common areas with wireless Internet (and 24-hour Internet access in your room) on various floors of the residence hall. Enjoy 24-hour security and a short walk to public transportation.
Student Apartments (Kingston) – You will be housed in apartments during your 10-day field study with the London Health Practice and Policy program. Each apartment houses 4 students, and the faculty on the trip are housed in adjacent apartments. Your housing, most food costs, and internal transportation are covered in the program fee.
Part of making you feel at home in England is doing our best to help you feel safe and cared for. Whether it is an orientation program that makes you feel prepared, housing that is well-located and comfortable, or the field trips that take you to places off the beaten path—we’re all about our student services. This is just one of the things we’re known for.
The IES Abroad orientation program takes place in and around London, and is designed to orient you to the program, your fellow students, and to London.
Additionally, CORE™, IES Abroad’s Comprehensive Orientation & Re-entry Program, begins during orientation and continues through the semester with activities focusing on academic and cultural adjustment, goal achievement, and preparing for the return home. Detailed information about academics, housing, public transportation, cultural adjustment, health and safety, and other important topics will also be covered.
Other highlights may include walking tours of London neighborhoods, and a field trip to Greenwich or Windsor Castle.
You also learn about the teaching methods of British professors and the educational format of the Study London Program, including internships, academic policies, and field trips. Students receive academic advising and finalize their course registration during orientation.
You have additional orientation sessions on enrollment at the University of the West Indies School of Nursing, City and QMUL. More information will be given to you upon arrival.
Redefine the way you live and learn in London through our cultural events, such as:
Even though your adventure starts in London, our field trips take you beyond the city to discover the culture and traditions of your host country. These trips are subsidized by IES Abroad, though additional costs may apply. Past destinations are listed below. IES Abroad field trip destinations, activities, and length of stay may vary according to term and availability.Stonehenge & Bath2 Days | Fall & SpringVisit mysterious Stonehenge and the ancient Roman baths in Bath.
Brighton1 Day | Fall & SpringExplore the historic maze of twisting alleyways and enjoy a visit to the Royal Pavilion, one of Europe’s most exotic royal palaces.
Liverpool1 Day | Fall & SpringSpend one Saturday experiencing Liverpool. Enjoy a guided tour around the city including a visit to the Beatles Museum.
Oxford or Cambridge1 Day | Fall & SpringVisit one of these historic university towns, with their picturesque colleges and punting (like a gondola) on the river.
Stratford-Upon-Avon1 Day | Fall & SpringVisit Shakespeare’s house, which is the place of his birth, and Holy Trinity Church, where he is burried.
This program also includes one course-related trip per semester that allows you to better understand first-hand the community health care challenges in a developing economy. Course-related trips are required, integral academic components of this program. The cost of the course-related trips is included in the IES Abroad program fee.
Jamaica 10 Days | Fall & SpringHosted by the University of the West Indies School of Nursing, Mona, the trip addresses multi-disciplinary topics, including the response of the nursing profession in Jamaica to global health challenges, current research on regional health care needs, and local public-private partnerships. At the end of the program, you depart for home from Jamaica. Housing in apartments, some food costs, and internal transportation are covered in the program fee. You are responsible for all airfare (to London, from London to Kingston, and from Kingston home).
About the Center
The IES Abroad London Center, situated in the central London neighborhood of Bloomsbury, is a two-minute walk from the British Museum.
Features include:
John brings over 15 years of experience with IES Abroad, including seven years with IES Abroad Milan and nearly three years with IES Abroad Siena before coming to IES Abroad London. During his time in Siena, John developed and implemented a banner program with a strong focus on cultural immersion and academic rigor. In Milan, he played a key role in improving and developing the Milan program, notably in the areas of student housing, student activities, orientation, and supervision of the student services staff. Prior to working for IES Abroad, John received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Italian Literature and Art History from Brigham Young University and worked in Geneva for the United Nations.
IES Abroad Staff
Kimberley Aparisio Assistant Director of Student Affairs
Sally HarrildAcademic Programmes Manager
Alice Kerby Direct Enrolment Programmes Coordinator
Dr. Diane AtkinsonAcademic Support
Simon CaustonSenior Student Affairs Manager
Natalie CrownStudent Affairs Coordinator
Beth LehlbachInternship Coordinator
Sachna Hanspal Internship Coordinator
Zosia RutkowskaAssistant Director of Customised Programmes
Emily BrownProgramme Assistant
Martin HannanOffice Manager
Elaine StauntonInternship Assistant
What is it really like to live in London? Check out our virtual tour of all the places you’ll come to know and love when you study abroad there—GO!
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