Location: London, England - London School of Economics & Political Science

Dates

Trip Dates: June 17 – August 18, 2013

Program

This 9-week program gives students, from all Villanova University colleges/majors, the opportunity to study at one of the most prestigious schools in the world, the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), as well as participate as an intern for an organization located in London, UK.  Students from all Colleges may participate in this program, internships are available in a variety of areas, not only business! The summer program is designed to allow each student to earn a total of 6 undergraduate credits.

Upon arrival, during the first week, students will participate in a comprehensive orientation.  In addition to a city tour and program orientation, students will also complete an intensive Internship Capstone seminar. During the Internship Capstone seminar, each intern will work to establish clear academic learning objectives and goals that will focus on enhancing the overall internship experience. The student will learn what is expected within the British workplace; participate in discussions about the professional working culture within London, and other related insights to this overseas internship placement.

Students will be placed in a four-week internship that corresponds to that student's course of study, professional and personal goals, to ensure the quality and academic relevance of the placement. To determine the appropriate opportunity, the student receives an individual assessment meeting with the placement team to clarify the student’s skills, interests and professional goals. The student will select three areas in which they would like to intern; all three areas will receive equal consideration. The placement team then draws upon the extensive employer network to find the right match. If a match does not exist in the employer database, the team will conduct vigorous outreach to locate a proper placement. The companies and organizations that make up the list of approved internships in the database are carefully and regularly monitored by site visits and student assessment. Once the student commences the internship, the team provides office hours for counseling beyond the standard workday, offers mid-term reviews to ensure learning goals are being met, and acquires the supervisor evaluation at the conclusion of the placement.

Once the internship has been completed, students segue into a one week Internship Capstone seminar which will guide the students through reflective exercises, learning objectives, and culminates in a final paper. Once completed, this paper will be assessed and credit granted for the internship experience.

The student will take one course (3 academic credits) at LSE during Summer Session II during the final three weeks of the program. Once the LSE course has been completed, the program will finish its time in London by holding a farewell reception for the students.

Additional Academic Requirements and Program Details

• 3.3 GPA on a 4.0 scale
• Applications will be accepted on a rolling-admissions basis until the March 1, 2013 deadline. Program may fill prior to the deadline.
  *Priority will be given to students who apply by the "early action" application deadline of Dec. 14, 2012.**
• Students interested in business work placements must have completed one business-related course, preferably in business. Placements within business include: HR, Financial Recruitment, Economics, Company Finance/Accounting, Corporate Finance, Venture Capital, Banking, Marketing, Operations (Logistics, Supply Chain Management)
• Students interested in finance placements must have completed at least one University course in Finance.
• Once accepted, students will be required to submit a $850 non-refundable commitment fee. This commitment fee will be due within two weeks of receiving the acceptance letter. Final invoicing for the program will be assessed in early-April, with the program balance due no later than Monday, May 1, 2013.
• Due to UK Tier IV Visa Requirements, students whose first language is not English must have a valid, recent (within two years) TESOL/TOEFL language exam. Please notify the Dr. Chaudhry or the OIS if this applies to you.
  

Excursions

Villanova University will sponsor group trips to Greenwich, Westminster Abbey, Windsor Castle, a West End musical, and a Shakespeare play at the Globe Theater. There will also be a welcome reception, a farewell party, and other social events during the program.

Internship Placements

• Business: Economics, Finance, Management, International Business
  *See 'Additional Academic Requirements' for more information on internships within business, finance and economics
• Arts/Architecture/Art Administration
• Professional Theatre
• Politics & International Relations
• Comparative Law
• International Organizations
• Health & Human Services
• Advertising & Marketing or Public Relations
• Film, Radio & Television
• Journalism