If your major is English Literature or History, chances are you’ll already know a good deal about England, but nothing beats a first-hand acquaintance. And England’s appeal goes far beyond any single discipline. Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Virginia Woolf may have been English—you can still visit the places where they lived and worked—but so too were Newton, Darwin, and Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

The country abounds in sites of historical interest, from stone circles and iron-age forts to medieval castles and Gothic cathedrals. But England is not all about its history and heritage; the 21st-century nation remains on the cutting edge of business, science, and the arts. It’s part of the European Union and will host the Olympic Games in 2012. Despite its diversity, however, England is small by American standards. Extensive rail and coach systems make it easy to visit other cities as well as the English countryside—the Lake District, Peak District, and Yorkshire Dales—wherever you’re based. What’s more, affordable flights to Europe make for some great weekend vacations.

York is a busy cultural center in northern England and one of the most historic cities in Britain—the Jorvik Center offers fascinating insights into one of York’s previous incarnations, as a Viking stronghold.  York Minster is England’s largest medieval cathedral and parts of the city are still enclosed by stone walls.

But York also has plenty to offer the modern visitor, in terms of cafés, pubs, restaurants, cinemas, theater, live music, and nightlife. If you feel like stretching your legs at the weekend, the Yorkshire Moors and Yorkshire Dales are both on your doorstep. And Haworth, the home of the Bronte sisters, is also within easy reach. Further afield, York lies on the main train line between London and Edinburgh, just a two-hour journey from each.

Program Description

A modern institution, founded in 1963, the University of York lies on a landscaped, 200-acre campus on the outskirts of the city.  Academically, the university is regularly ranked among the top 10 UK institutions, with English, Health Services, Sociology, and Linguistics particularly strong. Like Oxford and Cambridge, York operates a collegiate system. Its eight colleges, grouped around a lake and linked by covered walkways, are home to some 11,000 undergraduates. Each college has its own library, common room, and dining room, and each organizes a full program of social and sporting events. The university is currently developing a second campus, close to the existing one, with a view to increasing student numbers.

Information at a Glance

• Academics

• Academic Calendar

• Accommodations and Meals

• Optional Excursions

• Program Costs

• Scholarships

• Travel Brochure

For more information about this program, please visit the University of York website.