Study Abroad | London

Academic credit for the AIFS London program is awarded by Fairfield University. Fairfield University is a private Jesuit university founded in 1942 in Fairfield, Connecticut, well known for their commitment to international education. Fairfield is a fully accredited university and member of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. In 2020 Fairfield and 

AIFS partnered to develop a school of record relationship that will allow academic credit to be available for both Fairfield and non-Fairfield students. The London course syllabi and faculty credentials are reviewed and approved by Fairfield University. 

This course explores how the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) delivers healthcare, with a focus on innovation and preparing for an uncertain future. The experiential components of the course include a roster of guest speakers from health policy think tanks or government offices, health infrastructure providers such as ambulance services, and health service non-profits. This class includes walking tours and will explore many London sites of historical importance to health and medicine, including medical museums and universities, and modern memorials to public health emergencies and innovations. Visits and guest speakers may vary by term.  

This intensive theater course offers students insight through combining classroom learning with site visits and meetings with those who make it all happen. Students will speak with behind-the-scenes heroes—such as playwrights, artistic directors and set designers—as well as the professionals shaping programming, marketing and audience engagement. All students will attend two theatrical productions as part of their coursework, one community theater production and one in London’s West End, plus one of their own choosing. In addition to attending and discussing theater performances, the course experiential learning includes a tour of Shakespeare’s Globe to explore the historical contexts of his work; a visit to The Royal Court to explore new theater writing; a visit to The National Theatre to explore theater production and design and a workshop in stage fighting and movement. Visits and guest speakers may vary by term. 

This course focuses on one of the world’s oldest professional police forces, London’s Metropolitan Police, from its establishment in 1829 to the present. It asks students to answer a central research question: What can the history of policing in London teach us about how to balance the need for public safety with the protection of civil liberties? Students will learn through classroom lectures, museum visits, historical walking tours, and simulation exercises as well as by observing the British criminal justice system in practice today. They will also hear directly from professionals—such as police officers, legal experts, and civil rights advocates. Classroom visits and experiential activities include a visit to the Central Criminal Court to observe a trial in process; a crime scene investigation simulation; a visit to The Bow Street Museum of Crime and Justice to learn about forensic science and criminal justice in London; and walking tours that discuss Jack the Ripper; Scotland Yard; unsolved police cases and police surveillance tactics.