Eligibility
You must be of sophomore status and have 2.5 GPA or higher to study in York.
Cost
The final program cost is based on many factors and is not known exactly until the number of students in the group has been identified. The financial information page covers the details that go into the cost of the program and rough estimates for each. The price for the Britain semester will include:
- Tuition (four courses)
- Round-trip airfare from Grand Rapids to the program site
- Room and partial board (10 meals/week)
- Meal subsidy for weekend meals
- Administrative fee
- Program excursions
Additional expenses not included in the program fee: books, insurance (required), passport, personal spending money and personal travel.
This price may change due to fluctuations in the rate of the dollar against the British pound.
Accommodations
You will stay in your own dorm room on the campus of York St. John University for the semester.
Courses
Each student will take four courses while in York. All students take these two courses taught by the Calvin program director(s) during the Spring 2014 semester:
STBR XX The Literature of Great Britain: Traditions and Transitions |
|
This course will be divided into five units, each of which will consider social, cultural, religious, literary, and artistic traditions as they modulate and transition within a particular historic period. We’ll begin with York and its rich history from Roman times to the present, then dip into the 14th century (the era of Chaucer and Wycliffe, the latter of whom was born and educated in Yorkshire) before moving on to the Tudor period and the works of Elizabeth I, Shakespeare, Tyndale, and others. We’ll return to Yorkshire and the Brontë sisters as we think about England’s movement from an agrarian to an industrial culture in the 19th century and conclude with a look at contemporary British literature, including the literature of its recent immigrants. |
3 semester hours, Literature core course or British Literature course for English major or minor |
| STBR 312 Life and Culture in Britain: Then and Now | |
This course will follow the same geographic and historical contours of the literature course--York, the 14th century, the 16th century, the 19th century, contemporary Britain—using landscapes, cities, castles, country houses, and theatres as our primary texts. We’ll take regular excursions around Britain and learn from expert guides and local historians. We’ll reflect on these questions: how can we better understand historical and cultural change? What are the benefits of thinking about current social and cultural issues through the lens of earlier encounters with similar problems? How might we develop wise, nuanced responses to those things that may seem strange and off-putting in another culture? What do we learn about ourselves as we become immersed in other historical periods and encounter people from different cultures? |
4 semester hours, Global and Historical Studies core course and CCE credit |
Two more courses may be chosen from York St. John University's course (or "module") list. Choose modules available during "SEM2". One credit will be awarded for every five credits earned in a York St. John module (e.g. a 20 credit course will earn you 4 Calvin credits).
Please note: The grades from the two courses taught by the Calvin instructor will factor into your GPA. The grades for the two courses taken at YSJ will be listed on your transcript, but will not be calculated into your GPA. Grades below "C" will not be accepted for credit for the YSJ courses.
You may also want to consider taking HIST 225: The History of England, which is offered every fall semester, in order to prepare for the semester.
Apply
Submit a preliminary application to the the Off-Campus Programs office. Once your eligibility for the program is determined (within 1–2 weeks), you will be sent an application. The final application deadline for the Spring 2014 semester is the beginning of October 4, 2013. Please submit your preliminary application by September 23, 2013.
Guest students may apply for this program.
Contact
Program Director, Spring 2014
2014 - Susan Felch, English
(616) 526-6591
Past and Future Program Directors
2010 - Dean Ward, English
2011 - Ken Bratt, Classics
2012 - Brian Bolt, HPERDS
2013 - Scott VanderLinde, Economics
2014 - Susan Felch, English
2015 - Bill Romanowski, CAS
