Spring: Oxford, England

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: April 11 - 20 
• 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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

More About Financial Aid options at PCC