Office of International Education › Study Abroad › Program Selection ›

United Kingdom

About

• CIA World Factbook
• Embassy website
• British Council USA: Education in the UK (The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organization for educational and cultural relations.)
• Visa information
• Funding for study abroad
• Educational and Cultural information from IIE (England)
• Educational and Cultural information from IIE (Scotland)
• Arcadia's Library Lounge (recommended reading/viewing - England)
• Arcadia's Library Lounge (recommended reading/viewing - Scotland)

Health and Safety

• See the U.S. State Department Consular Information Sheet for information about security within the country, for any Travel Warnings that may have been issued, as well as information about visas and other travel documentation you may need before you leave.
• See the Center for Disease Control's Travelers' Health page for information about health concerns or required vaccinations.
• Study abroad students are advised to register themselves with the U.S. Embassy in the host country, either in person or online at https://travelregistration.state.gov/.

Student Experiences

Student Spotlight

• Celestia Dupre(pdf)
• Jacquelyn Howell(pdf)

Messages from Past Students

• "I highly recommend studying abroad. It really wasn’t that much more expensive than a semester at Miami in the end, and it was an incredible experience that I’d recommend without reservation to anyone."
• "The professors expected a great deal from the students, and put great faith in our abilities. I felt challenged in most of
  my courses, but not beyond my ability level."
• "Get involved! This is really clichéd advice, but it’s absolutely true."
• "The experience will expand your horizons and question your assumptions about the world. It will help you develop maturity and independence in learning as you experience a different educational system. Among the diverse and open student body at Royal Holloway, you will certainly establish life-long connections with people form different cultures. These friendships will propel your career and enrich your life. During your stay, you will gain sensitivity and first-hand experience of global issues such as immigration, multiculturalism, and economic diversity."
• "[Belfast] was a very interesting city, and the recent history of the troubles made it a really great place to tour and talk to locals about their thoughts on the partition etc."
• "The academic system is completely different. In England they go to high school until they’re 16, then college, which is three years and for a specific field (like journalism, fashion design, art, etc). Then they might go to uni after college. Some even take a few years off in between high school and college, so there is a range of ages for first year uni students (18-21). The grading system is also different: a 70 is basically the best you can get and a 40 is passing. Most majors at uni in the UK are three years long. Classes meet once a week and expect you to do around 7-9 hours outside of class."