London, England

All students register for a total of two course units (c.u.)*. Course offerings are subject to change. Course registration is completed by the Penn Summer Abroad office for students who confirm their intent to enroll and submit the required pre-departure documents.

London Theater Experience

ENGL 1899 (1 c.u.)

• Fulfills requirements: Sector 6 of the English Major, Sector III Arts & Letters of gen ed

London is one of the most exciting theatre centers in the world, and the focus of this course will be on live performance. We will attend theatrical productions 2-3 times a week, seeing a wide range of plays produced by companies such as the Royal National and the Globe, and staged in a variety of spaces, such as those in the mainstream of the West End (London's equivalent of Broadway), and in smaller, more experimental Fringe Theatres (what would be off-Broadway in New York City). Tickets will be arranged in advance. Readings for the class will range from plays to criticism and will include materials that a) prepare us to think and speak critically about theatre in general, and b) engage a range of specific perspectives on the particular productions we see. The class may be enhanced by visits from London theatre professionals occupying a range of positions (actors, designers, directors, etc.), and/or by field trips designed especially for this class.

British Film History and Culture

ENGL 2420 (1 c.u.)

• Fulfills requirements: Sectors 2 & 6 of the English major
• Cross listing: CIMS 2429

This course is an introduction to the history of British cinema from early pioneering days through today. We will closely examine a few representative films, while putting them in their larger industrial, political, and historical context. We will also take full advantage of our time in London to meet with figures in the film industry and have site visits to festivals, theaters, and studios. 

Cultures of the Book

ENGL 1600 (1 c.u.)

• Fulfills requirements: Sectors 1, 3, 4 of the English major and Sector IV Humanities and Social Sciences of gen ed

This course aims to challenge everything you thought you knew about books, reading, and writing. For this special “London edition,” we will focus on how cultural heritage has (and has not) been collected and exhibited in the city’s extraordinary libraries and museums. We’ll begin with the British Library, the largest national library in the world (and once part of the British Museum). We’ll explore the library’s rare treasures and learn how its staff use the latest technologies to make these important books accessible to a new generation of readers. At the same time, we’ll turn a critical, historical eye on the British Library as an institution, tracing its origins back to eighteenth-century imperialism and linguistic nationalism. How have Enlightenment values shaped what “counts” as literature? Who decides what texts are saved and read? With this history in hand, we’ll consider counter-archives where individuals have, over the centuries, saved what otherwise would have been lost. Roaming the back alleys of London, we’ll visit small zine libraries and collections of political ephemera. Throughout our discussions and site visits, we’ll keep an eye on the ethics of collecting cultural heritage and the passions that drive it. As a capstone assignment, students will collaborate on producing their own digital humanities project(s).

Students are housed in a private student residence in London.

Tuition and fees are subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and may change without notice. The tuition and fees below reflect rates for summer 2025. 

• Tuition for summer 2025: $5,396/c.u. General fee: $466. Total: $11,258
• Program fee for summer 2025: $5,200
  • Penn Summer Abroad deposits ($500) will be credited to students’ accounts when final program costs are posted
  • Includes modern apartment-style housing in central London, tickets to a minimum of 10 theater productions, and weekly group excursions
  • Program fee does not include airfare

Download: Estimated Cost Sheet for 2025 (PDF)