Earn a full Brock credit while studying in the streets of historic London, England.
The Department of Geography and Tourism Studies offers students at Brock and other Canadian universities the opportunity to experience London, England in a unique and immersive way.
Spend two weeks walking the streets of London, stopping at iconic locations and buildings to learn more about their significance to London and the world. Walk through the Hyde Park gardens, take the Abbey Road Crossing, wave hello to the royal family at Buckingham Palace, climb up the Tower Bridge, and watch time pass along the River Thames. After taking this field course, you will see London in a completely new light.
The next time the London Field Course (GEOG/TOUR 3F90) will be offered is to be determined.
Course Quick Facts:
- Open to all Brock students
- Open to any student studying at a Canadian university (through a Letter of Permission)
- Spend 15 days exploring the streets and neighbourhoods of central London, England, with Professors Phillip Mackintosh and Hugh Gayler
- Earn 1.0 Brock credit (GEOG/TOUR 3F90)
- This is an OSAP eligible course
- Coursework is completed during and after your time in central London
- Learn alongside other students from many different backgrounds
- Credit will count towards your Geography or Tourism Studies major or minor, or as an elective credit
- On the scheduled free days, some students go to Paris (by Eurostar train, 2hrs 16 mins, approx. $280 CDN return)
Dates
TBD
Cost
All prices are approximate. We are currently advising students to budget approximately:
- Full-credit tuition
- Plus return flight, 15-days accommodation, and daily food expenses (breakfast is included with accommodation), approx. $4000 CDN
- Plus public transit for 15 days: approx. $135 CDN including purchase of Oyster Card (approx. $10 CDN), the Transport for London loadable transit pass used to “tap” on to subway trains or buses.
- Plus whatever spending money you need for after-class fun (pubs and restaurants, theatres, Premier League football games, etc) or shopping (on Oxford Street for example). National museums and art galleries are free.
You must arrange, either here or in London, for cell phone/android service in the UK. We must be able to contact you, or you us, during the trip. Travel roaming through Bell, for example, is approx. $12 CDN per day; or purchasing a SIM Card in London is approx. $50 CDN. Everything cell phone-related is cheaper in the UK.
Course of Study
Includes the growth and development of London as a global city and major metropolitan area, through an examination of central London and its urban, cultural, and historical geographies. We investigate its widespread gentrification of post-WWII development, privatization of public spaces, historic planning issues, and general political economy.
How to Apply
Please fill out the London Field Course application form and return it to the Department of Geography and Tourism Studies.
Signed forms can be submitted electronically to Virginia Wagg (vwagg@brocku.ca), and hard copies can be submitted in to the main dropbox in the Department of Geography and Tourism Studies (MC C-322).
Application deadline: N/A
Deposit: N/A
Wednesday, August 13
Arrive London. Orientation seminar—3:00 pm. Get Oyster Card and find food.
Thursday, August 14
Georgian London – our local community of Bloomsbury – from Passfield Hall through Gordon Sq to University of London campus, Russell Sq, lunch stop at British Museum, Bedford Sq, University College, the Nash developments of Robert Street and Chester Terrace.
Friday, August 15
Roman and Medieval London – the City of London, starting at the Roman wall at Tower Hill, seeing institutions such as the port/trade, church, markets, banking, stockbroking, insurance, publishing, the law and City government.
Saturday, August 16
Imperial London – City of Westminster, starting at the Strand, Trafalgar Sq., Whitehall, Parliament, the Abbey, the Royal Parks, Buckingham Palace, Victoria, Belgravia to Knightsbridge & Harrods (optional extension to Museum Land and the Royal Albert Hall)
Sunday, August 17
Free day
Monday, August 18
Post-War Redevelopment of London I – London’s Docklands, starting at Tower Hill, St. Katherine’s Dock, Wapping, Tobacco Wharf, Shadwell, Canary Wharf, Isle of Dogs, and Greenwich. Return to Central London by boat (not covered by Oyster Card).
Tuesday, August 19
Post-War Redevelopment of London II – London’s East End, starting in Commercial Road, seeing York Sq.(the last of the 19th century housing!), Crisp Street Market (the three public housing phases, 1950-80), Stratford, the Olympic Village and the class divide.
Wednesday, August 20
Post-War Redevelopment of London III – London’s Inner Area Railway Lands, starting at the former Kings Cross Goods Depot, King Cross and St. Pancras International Stations, British Library, Euston Station and the 2020’s high-speed rail project.
Thursday, August 21
Post-War Redevelopment of London IV – London’s South Bank (the Jubilee Walk), starting at Tower Hill, walking Tower Bridge to the south side and seeing the recent government and arts developments taking over from riverside industries and trades.
Friday, August 22
Project Day I
Saturday, August 23
Post-War Redevelopment of London V – Barbican (morning) versus Elephant and Castle (afternoon): the class divide and contrasts in approaches to Modernist developments and redevelopments after the 1960s.
Sunday, August 24
Free day
Monday, August 25
London’s West End – tourist mecca and infrastructural stress (Oxford Street, Bond Street, Piccadilly, Regent Street, Soho, Leicester Sq. and Covent Garden)
Tuesday, August 26
Project Day II
Wednesday, August 27
(half day) From Spitalfields to Islington – from Spitalfields Market to Brick Lane and Whitechapel, and the Regent Park Canal from Hackney to Islington: contrasts in gentrification and responses to deindustrialization; Shopping/projects/packing; (evening) Celebratory group dinner.
Thursday, August 29
Depart for Toronto
“London changed me. It taught me so much about the world, who I thought I was and who I ought to be. Simply put, it’s a … life changing experience.”
– Nick Savelli, Brock BA Geography 2014
“The London, England Field Course allowed me to explore geographic concepts and theories through experiential means. The overwhelmingly positive experience supported my growth as a student and geographer—and gave me the freedom to explore other areas of interest (fashion, theatre, shopping, sports, or politics) during free time.”
– Spencer Daviau, Brock BA Concurrent Education, Minor in Geography, 2017
“London opened my eyes about how effective a cohesive public transit system is for society as a whole. It was powerful to see how far behind we are, in Canada, with integrated transit networks”.
– Brian Horvath, Brock Bachelor of Kinesiology, 2017
Please contact Dr. Phillip Mackintosh at pmackintosh@brocku.ca with any questions related to the London Field Course.
