Study Abroad at Birkbeck, University of London, England

Courses

Where can I find a list of courses that the university offers?
All of the courses on offer are listed below, along with their course descriptions. Course descriptions give you a good overview of topics covered during the course. Please note that you will have to fulfill any prerequisites listed in the course description.

What if I need to take a required course?
Please be aware that IFSA-Butler cannot guarantee that your host university will offer a particular course, or that you will be allowed to take that particular course. However, if you need to take a required course, you may indicate that it is required on your course preference form. Your IFSA-Butler program advisor will communicate your needs to your host university.

Birkbeck, University of London Course Descriptions

Art History
Aspects of Modern Art in London: This course addresses the historical concept of modernity, avant-gardism, and theoretical criticism related to modernism. It examines the antecedents to modernism, including post-impressionism and surrealism. Examples are frequently drawn from works in London and surrounding areas.

Art and Architecture in London: This course aims to give students a thorough understanding of the changing nature of the patronage of arts in and around London through a study of some of the buildings and works of art produced between 1600 and 1830. The English cult of classicism in architecture is discussed through a study of the importance of the Grand Tour and the introduction and revivals of styles based on antiquity and their application to religious, domestic and public buildings. The importance of collections of works of art and the transmission of European styles in painting is considered, together with the emergence of a British school of painting and the establishment of the Royal Academy.

Business and Economics
Globalization: This course analyzes global developments and trends in economic activity. Key issues are the movements towards breaking down trade barriers, the globalization of trade and the role of organizations such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) in this process, the role of technology in driving world economic and trade growth, the impact of the collapse of the Communist bloc on the global economy; the role of developing economies in the new economic order, and strategies of different individual regions in coping with globalization trends.

International Business: An introduction to the environment of international business, the nature and determinants of basic international business strategies and the structural arrangements that foster the successful operations of international business. The course includes: the conception, theories and practices of international management, multinational corporate structures, a survey of the increasingly interdependent nature of business, business environments other than the U.S., and the impact of the European Union on international business strategies.

Sustainability and Climate Change: This course analyzes the relationship between business strategy and the ecological environment. It examines the emergence of the environment as a policy issue for business and outlines effective strategies for addressing the business threats and opportunities posed. Topics include economic growth and sustainability, business response to environmental pressure groups, the European Union (EU) Fifth Environmental Action program, and green marketing and eco-labeling.

Sports Business Management: This course analyzes the economics and business management of professional sports leagues in the U.K. with particular reference to soccer leagues (with some reference to European soccer leagues and competitions where appropriate), focusing in particular on the factors that distinguish the sports industry from other types of industry.

English Literature and Drama
Modern Theatre and the London Stage: This course examines key modern dramatists and movements of late 19th and 20th century theatre in Britain and Europe to help students develop a critical understanding of major plays. Students examine text and performance, as well as the crafts involved in theatre production. The class examines directing, acting, sets, lighting, costumes, make-up and other elements. Performers and guest lecturers are invited to some sessions, and the course includes a backstage visit to a major London theatre.

The Twentieth Century British Novel: An introduction to some of the major novelists of the 20th century (D.H. Lawrence, Virginia Woolf, George Orwell). Emphasis is on reading texts to identify the major characteristics of the modern writers within the wider social, political and cultural contexts of the first half of the twentieth century, especially the impact of World Wars I and II.

London in Literature: This course aims to give students an awareness of the variety of ways in which 19th and 20th century writers have responded to the subject of London. Students will explore a number of themes that link early Victorian reflections of the city to the work of a writer including: alienation, cultural change, loss of spiritual faith, class, and the "primitive" beneath the "civilized" city. The course also includes field trips to the east end of London to explore Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper territory, and to link this with contemporary popular culture.

Shakespeare in London:
This course introduces students to the plays of William Shakespeare and to the culture of theatrical performance, both now and in the Renaissance past. The course encourages students to read the plays in their contemporary context, considering the political and social circumstances in which these plays were produced. As well as looking closely at a number of Shakespeare's plays, this course will also introduce one comparative play from another Renaissance playwright, allowing students to make connections and contrasts between the work of Shakespeare and one his contemporaries. One of the opportunities offered on this course is to visit the reconstructed Globe theatre on the South Bank and to consider the differences between modern and Renaissance theatre space and experience.

The seminar programme will be devised by the incoming course tutor. However, classes might include: "The Tempest" and court drama "Richard II" and the cult of Elizabeth I "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and popular politics "Henry V" and censorship "The Merchant of Venice" and Jews in Renaissance London, and "Othello" and household service. ("Titus Andronicus' and Revenge Tragedy").

The class which introduces one other play, will complement another class on the course. So, for example, "The Tempest" would be taught in the week following one on Jonsonian masque. A class on John Webster or Thomas Kyd would be best followed by one on "Titus Andronicus." "The Merchant of Venice" would follow well from Christopher Marlowe's "Jew of Malta," etc.

History
London: The Growth of a Modern World City: This class looks at the history of London through the growth of its population, its buildings and its government. The course considers London's efforts to maintain its order and prevent disease in the city in the face of an explosion in its population and the existence of great wealth beside unremitting poverty. The role of the court and parliament in the city is explored, as well as the dependence of London society on the poor for its industrial and domestic labour and for the supply of food, drink, and consumer goods and services.

Media Studies
British and European Cinema: This course is composed of an introduction to the study of European cinema, concentrating on films from France, Germany, the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom:

• The early days of film in Europe through the work of the Lumiere Brothers and George Melies.
• Russian cinema in the period after the 1917 revolution, emphasizing the work of Eisenstein and Vertov.
• German film production in the 1920s, with particular reference to what has come to be known as Expressionist cinema. The major director to be considered is Fritz Lang.
• The French poetic realism of the 1930s and 1940s, particularly the work of Jean Cocteau.
• British film and the way in which it has been influenced by the documentary realist tradition. Much of the film material to be shown will come from the 1940s, but there will also be a consideration of more recent film.

Media Forms and Institutions in Britain: Using television as a focus, this course examines a range of media forms and institutions in Britain, their inter-relationships, their European context, and their relationship with U.S. forms and institutions. The course also investigates the British print media, music industry and popular culture in national and global context. Organized around screenings, lectures, seminars, workshops, a student-led debate and a visit to the Museum of Moving Image, the course examines the institutional history of British broadcasting, representations and genres.

Philosophy
Please contact Emily Koehler to request a syllabus.

Politics
Modern British Politics: This course covers the history and functioning of political institutions and processes, the main issues in contemporary political controversies in British society, and the links between political and other institutions. Particular attention is paid to the impact of European community integration on the politics of present-day Britain.

Psychology
Social Psychology: This course deals with the elements of social perception and cognition, communication, social influence, conformity, compliance, obedience, attitudes and persuasion, prejudice and discrimination, aggression, pro-social behavior, and group processes.

Sociology
Modern British Society Since 1945: This course aims to give student a critical understanding of British society. Topics include the social structure and the relationship of classes, gender and race as reflected in the social institutions, changes in the family and in the patterns of work and leisure, and the policies of social control and welfare.

Internship
An internship may be taken in lieu of one taught course. The internship includes guidance and discussion designed to facilitate learning through the field assignment and to establish parameters for the related academic research project. Internships require 20 hours per week of on-site employment as well as a research project. Please see separate details. The internship is usually incorporated into your weekly timetable of Monday-Thursday. The internship must be taken for academic credit.