Spring: Oxford, England
Oxford, home of the Pasadena City College Semester in England, has been a world renowned center of learning since the 13th century. This historic town houses over forty colleges, and is filled with a rich and exciting cultural, artistic, and intellectual history. Marvel at the breathtaking architecture. Stroll through the university quadrangles and manicured gardens. Experience the beauty and distinction of this vibrant city.
Seat of academic excellence and home to one of the oldest universities in Europe (along with Paris and Bologna), Oxford is often described as the “city of dreaming spires.” The city is a manageable size and surrounded by rivers. The beautiful, gentle countryside of Oxfordshire is home to the Chilterns and Cotswolds. Oxford continues to be a place of inspiration to writers and academics.
Program Dates
Feb. 18 - May 24, 2025
- February 18: Program starts at PCC
- March 7 - 8: Group travels to U.K.
- March 9: Program continues in Oxford
- May 24: End of program. Group returns to U.S.
Program Fee
$11,505 (airfare included)
Price based on 20 students. Excludes airline taxes & PCC tuition.
Information Sessions
Meet the faculty & learn more about the program at an information meeting!
Noon Sessions
- September 24 (Zoom)
- October 10 & 22 (R-111)
- November 6 (Zoom) & 19 (R-111)
- December 4 (R-111)
6:00 pm Sessions
- September 24 (Zoom)
- October 22 (Zoom)
- November 19 (Zoom)
Virtual sessions can be attended with this Zoom Meeting ID: 894 4903 9509.
Program Dates
- February 18 - March 6: Program starts at PCC
- March 7: Group flight departs U.S. for England
- March 8: Group flight arrives in London, transfer to Oxford
- March 9: Orientation & sightseeing tour
- March 10: Classes resume in Oxford
- Spring Break: TBA
- May 24: End of program. Group flight departs London for the U.S.
Program Fees
$11,505 (airfare included)
Excludes airline taxes & PCC tuition. Based on a minimum enrollment of 20 students.
Program Fee Includes:
- Roundtrip airfare between Los Angeles (LAX) and London (LHR)
- Roundtrip transfers between London Heathrow and Oxford
- Accommodation in twin room homestays
- 2 meals per day (continental breakfast & dinner)
- Traditional English Tea & Farewell Dinner
- Oxford Key bus pass with unlimited travel within the city center and homestay areas
- Pre-departure and on-site orientation program
- Guided walking tour of Oxford followed by afternoon tea
- Full-day excursion to London
- Full-day excursion to Bath & Stonehenge
- On-site faculty, student support staff member, and 24-hour emergency contact service
- Medical insurance policy
- Liability insurance
Program fee does not include:
- Mandatory U.S. government and airline-imposed departure taxes, fees and fuel surcharges of $705 (subject to change)
- Meals other than those listed
- Optional Extra Protection Insurance Coverage, including increased medical insurance
- Optional trip interruption or cancellation insurance
- Passport and visa fees, if applicable
- PCC course registration fees
- Textbooks
- Personal expenses
Item: | Fee: | Deadline: |
Enrollment Deposit | $450.00 | Due immediately upon acceptance into program |
Balance of Fees | $11,055.00 | January 10, 2025 |
Airline Taxes (estimate) | $705.00 | January 10, 2025 |
Total | $12,210.00 | |
Optional Components: | Fee: | Deadline: |
Extra Protection Insurance Coverage | $65.00 | January 10, 2025 |
Trip Interruption or Cancellation Insurance |
varies | Within 21 days after deposit is paid |
All students must submit a $450 deposit upon acceptance into the program and when completing the online enrollment form.
Program fee payments, including the deposit, will be made directly to our partner American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS). Program fees will not be collected by the Pasadena City College Study Abroad Office or by program faculty.
Payments may be made by check or credit card. Checks should be made payable to “AIFS.” American Express, MasterCard and Visa are accepted.
Please note: A $35 returned check fee will be charged on all checks returned by the bank for insufficient funds.
Group Airfare Package
The group airfare package includes round-trip airfare between LAX and LHR in economy/standard class, and round-trip transfers in England between the airport and student housing in Oxford, on the regularly scheduled program dates.
Participants wishing to purchase the airfare package (which is included in the program fee, excluding airline taxes) must select this option on the online enrollment form. AIFS cannot arrange airline tickets for students after December 2, 2024. Land-only packages, without airfare, may be offered to students accepted into the program after December 2, 2024.
Tickets are exclusively on scheduled airlines (not charters). They are not endorsable to another carrier. Flights are not necessarily direct or non-stop, they cannot be rerouted, and frequent flyer miles are not applicable. No refunds are available for any unused portion of ticket. Once airline tickets have been issued to students, they can only be changed directly with the issuing agent - agent and airline-imposed penalties apply.
A minimum of 10 participants is required for the group airfare package to be offered.
AIFS Refund Policy
If a participant withdraws on or before Thursday, December 12, 2024, they will receive a refund for all fees paid less a $150 processing fee.
If a participant withdraws after Thursday, December 12, 2024, but on or before Friday, January 10, 2025, they will receive a refund for all fees paid less the $450 deposit and any non-refundable deposits paid by the participant or by AIFS on the participant's behalf.
If a participant withdraws after Friday, January 10, 2025, they will receive no refund and the total program fee is due.
After the final payment deadline the full program fee is due to AIFS even if you have not yet paid and no longer plan to participate in the program.
Non-refundable financial commitments have been made to secure your spot. If a participants withdrawals once the program has begun, there is no refund.
This refund policy applies whether a participant pays AIFS Abroad directly for all, part, or no program fees.
Courses
Participants must enroll in a minimum of 12 units from the following program courses:
Course No. | Course Name | Units |
ENGL 001A | Reading & Composition | 4 |
ENGL 009 | Creative Nonfiction | 3 |
ENGL 061 | Introduction to the Novel | 3 |
POLS 001 | Introduction to American Government | 3 |
POLS 002 | Comparative Government | 3 |
POLS 022 | Introduction to Political Theory | 3 |
* All courses are CSU/UC transferable.* Honors Program credit for those who qualify
ENGL 001A: Reading & Composition (4u): Complete your first-semester English General Education requirement while in Oxford! English 001A is a course that focuses on developing your expository and argumentative essay writing. Since we’ll be in Oxford, the vibrant setting of Oxford and England as a whole will serve as inspiration for our course materials. We’ll study a variety of topics, including: exploring the differences between the education systems in the United States and England, considering how language affects identity differently between the two countries, and writing a researched argument about a controversy particularly relevant to the United Kingdom.
ENGL 009: Creative Nonfiction (3u): The goal of English 009 is to have students compose original creative nonfiction pieces and also critically evaluate and appreciate works of creative nonfiction that represent a range of forms and experiences. Getting to learn about composing nonfiction while taking in new surroundings and a different college culture will serve as a fertile springboard for our class. We will take inspiration from the historic setting and study a variety of classic (Jonathan Swift, George Orwell, Mary Wollstonecraft) and contemporary (Zadie Smith, Reni Eddo-Lodge, and Afua Hirsch) nonfiction authors. In particular, we will read pieces that ask us to grapple with the English identity and consider what it means to be English when you are not white.
ENGL 061: Introduction to the Novel (3u): English 061 will start with a Romantic English novel– Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein– before moving on to novels from the modern period, including Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway and George Orwell’s 1984. Finally, the class will read more contemporary English novels including Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go and Bernardine Evaristo Girl, Woman, Other. When possible, the class will go on tours to sites and settings integral to the novels, considering the particular importance of time and place.
Political Science
All courses are designed to integrate the politics, society, art and culture of the United Kingdom in a meaningful way. We will explore the intricacies of the human experience with the backdrop of a city that was once home to some of the greatest thinkers of modern society.
POLS 001: Introduction to American Government (3u): In this course we will be exploring American Government and Politics with a twist. This course is designed to expand students’ knowledge and understanding of American Government institutions, the historic underpinnings of American political ideals, and the current American political climate. An emphasis will be placed on the European perspective of American politics. We will be exploring not only the American system but what impact it has, and what impression it leaves, on the European political landscape. We will also be looking at the influence English ideas have had on the foundations of American government.
The development of governments, institutions, and the bicameral system are all ideas that flourished in England, traveling through Europe and merging with American Indigenous influences to then be reimagined into the system the United States has in place today. We will investigate what types of corporate capture may be affecting the health of American democracy today while comparing this current phenomenon to the historical power the Monarchy and the United Kingdom once wielded.
POLS 002: Comparative Government (3u): In this course we will be looking at the government and politics of the United Kingdom in comparison to other governments. The course will be divided into three theoretical pillars; social, political and economic. For each pillar we will explore the relevant issues of our times through multiple countries with a special emphasis on England.
This course introduces students to the major governments of the modern world, their ideologies, political institutions and processes, political cultures, and foreign policies. The course addresses the varying degrees of democracy and authoritarianism, of political and social conflicts, of wealth, and the influence of each of these factors on various modern world governments. This course is based on the comparative study of constitutional principles, governmental institutions and political processes in selected contemporary nations. Emphasis will be on the U.S., U.K., and other major European, African, South American and Asia governments.
POLS 022: Introduction to Political Theory (3u): This course is designed to introduce students to some of the crucial questions of Western political thought. How do we balance the relationship between freedom, citizenship and power? What is a just society? How does a government maintain legitimacy? What is the role of the state? These are just some of the questions we will investigate in political theory. We will be exploring not only the theories but also the contemporary implications of these traditions of thought.
With Oxford as our backdrop, we will delve into the contributions of numerous political theorists including many famous Brits. There will be particular attention given to the relationship between theory and politics that marked English philosophy from colonialism to fascism to the cold war era to the modern rise of populism. This course is an introductory exploration of the nature and role of major political theories from ancient times to the present. We will be exploring central questions of political life, views of human nature, political organizations, power, justice, and revolutions.
Program Faculty
Professor Azzie Mekhitarian, Political Science
Azzie Mekhitarian is a full-time faculty member in the Social Sciences Division at Pasadena City College. Professor Mekhitarian teaches Political Science with a focus on American Government and Comparative Politics. Prior to teaching at Pasadena City College, she was a faculty member at East Los Angeles College and a former professor of Communications at Woodbury University where she taught undergraduate and graduate courses in Politics, Media, and Social Justice. Before joining the academic community, Azzie was a journalist who covered current affairs, entertainment and world news. Professor Mekhitarian is deeply passionate about introducing her students to new perspectives on world affairs and exploring the intersection of politics, society, art and culture.
As a student at Glendale Community College, she participated in a summer study abroad program in Mexico and as a student at UCLA she participated in a year-long study abroad program in France. She knows first-hand how impactful study abroad programs are for a student’s life and how much they can enhance student success. Additionally, as a member of the UCLA Spanish Club, she assisted UCLA’s Spanish Program Director with a one-month Study Abroad program in Granada, Spain.
In the Fall of 2023, Professor Mekhitarian was one of the professors for PCC ‘s Study Abroad program in Florence. She had the opportunity to teach and help build a wonderful experience for her students. She is looking forward to taking students to Oxford, one of founding sites of modern Western thought. Professor Mekhitarian is confident students will leave the program with a mastery in understanding the components that tie government, art, culture, and politics together while exploring the rich flavors of English life and culture.
- Email: amekhitarian@pasasdena.edu
- Phone: (626) 585-3306
- Office Hours:
- Tuesdays & Thursdays: 10:15 am - 12:00 pm in C346
- Wednesdays: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm in C346
Professor Elizabeth Williams, English
Professor Williams has been teaching full time in the English Department at Pasadena City College (PCC) since 2019. Prior to teaching at PCC, she taught English composition and literature classes at UC Berkeley, University of San Francisco, San Francisco Art Institute, and El Camino College. In addition to teaching, Professor Williams has been an academic advisor for community college and University of California students, which gives her unique insight into working with students both academically and in a support services capacity. Professor Williams’ research has focused on how curriculum affects students’ sense of belonging on a college campus. As a former recipient of the Debra Plousha Moore scholarship at San Francisco State University, Professor Williams has a particular interest in African American and African Diaspora literature and film.
Williams also served as a co-coordinator for El Camino College’s Puente Project program and a teacher trainer for Puente’s state office, roles which included leading field trips with students and implementing week-long trainings for other college professors. While this will be Professor Williams’ first time leading a study abroad experience, she has traveled extensively throughout England and the United Kingdom and is thrilled about teaching abroad in Oxford in Spring 2025!
- Email: ewilliams33@pasadena.edu
- Phone: (626) 585-3208
- Office Hours:
- Tuesdays: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm in C252C
- Thursdays: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm in C252C
- Virtual appointments available upon request.
Meals & Accommodations
Accommodations in twin room homestays on a half-board basis, with daily continental breakfast (cereals, toast, juice, tea/coffee) and dinner provided. Students will be located no more than a 45-minute bus ride from the city center and will have access to laundry facilities and the kitchen for the preparation of other meals.
An Oxford Key travel pass will be provided, which allows unlimited travel in the Smart Zone, covering travel between the city center and homestay areas for the duration of the program.
If available, single rooms will be offered on a first-come first-serve basis.
Excursions & Activities
Orientation Program
- A series of pre-departure orientations covering topics such as "To Do" action items, banking, cell-phone options, adaptors, what to pack, airport security, customs & immigration, and more.
- On-site orientation upon arrival covering topics such as general acclimation to Oxford, safety and security issues, cultural differences, travel, and cultural activities.
- Local walking tour covering housing and classroom location and local amenities.
Local Activities
Guided walking tour of Oxford, entrance into an Oxford University College, and a traditional afternoon tea.
Additional activities will be available in or around Oxford, either at no additional cost or for a subsidized fee. Activities may include visits to local libraries and museums, Blenheim Palace, and more!
Excursions
LONDON
Enjoy a full-day excursion to London - a diverse and exciting city with some of the world's best sights, attractions and activities. Your time in London will include a guided sightseeing tour, entrance into the Tower of London, a boat trip along the River Thames, and an evening of theatre in the West End.
BATH & STONEHENGE
A full-day excursion to explore the mysterious ancient creations of Stonehenge and the world-class attractions of Bath. Tour the ancient henge site and its awe-inspiring stone circle. Explore the atmospheric pools at one of Northern Europe's most significant ancient Roman bath sites. Visit the medieval Bath Abbey and view the city's grand Georgian-period architecture.
Independent Travel
Use your free weekends and Spring Break to travel to Europe’s great cities. Local staff will assist you in choosing destinations and transportation. Student favorites include Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin and Berlin.
Financial Aid may be available to those who qualify. Grants, loans, and scholarships may be used to pay program fees.
Apply immediately. You should allow up to eight weeks for your financial aid request to be processed.
Apply to Study in Oxford!
To be eligible for the program, you must be at least 18 years old by the day of departure and have a minimum overall GPA of 2.0. You do not need to be a PCC student to apply. Students, community members, and individuals with varied educational backgrounds are welcome.