Study Abroad in London: Academics

Choose between two programs, the Traditional Program of up to 5 courses per semester, or the International Internship (IIP) Program, consisting of a Contemporary British Culture course and a resumé-building internship with 1 or 2 additional courses taken in the evening.

Credits Since Richmond is an accredited American university its credits are transferable to other U.S. institutions. Several hundred U.S. colleges and universities are affiliated with AIFS, making credit transfer easy to arrange.

Grading is on a 4.0 scale—A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, etc. No AIFS participant is permitted to take a course without receiving a letter grade. Pass/Fail grade options are not available.

Libraries Richmond’s libraries contain over 95,000 volumes, with new titles added each year. Online and CD-ROM databases and Internet connections are part of the data retrieval and automated library systems. More than 280 journal titles reflect the broad range of courses taught at the University. London’s extensive range of specialist libraries, including the British Film Institute Library and University of London Library, with more than one million volumes is also available to students for free, as is the document delivery service provided by the British Library.

Support services Resident staff help students adjust to life in London and provide a friendly and familiar face. There is an oncall system where students can reach staff 24 hours a day in the event of an emergency.

Transcripts are prepared by the Richmond Registrar’s Office, Richmond, The American International University in London, Queen’s Road, Richmond, Surrey TW10 6JP. One official copy of the transcript will be mailed to your home institution free of charge. It is a student’s responsibility to ensure that the correct contact details for their home institution are filled in on the AIFS application to ensure the speedy delivery of a transcript. Additional official transcript copies may be obtained from the Richmond Registrar’s Office by using the Transcript Request Form on the Richmond website www.richmond.ac.uk/cms/ pdfs/transcript-request.pdf. This form should be printed, signed and mailed or faxed to the Registrar’s Office. There is a fee of approximately $10 per transcript, plus an additional fee if courier service is requested. Address, fax number, and fee details are on the request form.

Please visit www.richmond.ac.uk/content/academic-programs/registrar/request-a-transcript.aspx for more information about transcript requests.

Traditional Program

Full course descriptions, class schedules, prerequisites and course availability are posted at www.richmond.ac.uk. Please note Study Abroad students are not permitted to take the independent study, senior project/senior essay, research and writing methods, graduate level or Foundations Program courses listed on the Richmond website. After students are enrolled in the program and receive their student identification number, they may request their preferred courses through the website. They must also check the Richmond course descriptions, and with the assistance of their advisors at their home institution, ensure that they have the necessary prerequisites for the classes they want to study in London. Students across the U.S., as well as Richmond’s own degree students, are registering for classes, so the earlier a student’s course requests are submitted, the better the chance of getting the courses he or she wants.

Admissions Guidelines

A 2.5 cumulative GPA is necessary for admission. Students registered at U.S. schools and colleges should apply through AIFS, which compiles their dossier. Once complete, applications are sent to the Richmond Admissions Office. AIFS will advise you of acceptance on behalf of Richmond.

Course load

Most courses carry 3 credits per semester. A normal course load is 5 courses (15 credits) each semester, but students may choose to take only 4 courses if they prefer a lighter academic load. Study abroad students are strongly encouraged to choose at least 3 courses from the London Core (see the following pages), supplemented by additional courses from different disciplines to maximize their cultural and educational experience.

Student advising

Richmond combines the personalized atmosphere of a small liberal arts college with the exciting opportunities of a big city. Classes are small and students receive personal attention from faculty and staff. Academic advisors ensure that students get the most out of their time abroad academically as well as culturally.