London, England Academic Program
Rock Creek Bldg. 3, Rm. 223 | 971-722-7152 | FAX: 971-722-7170 | studyabroad@pcc.edu
General Coursework Description
Students will sign up for a total of 12-15 general education credits. All program participants are required to enroll in the British Life and Culture course for 3 credits. In addition to these courses, students will be required to enroll in three more, 3 or 4 credit classes that are listed under "Additional Course Offerings. Immersion into the British culture setting will occur with active participation in lecture classes and culturally-based field trips, as required by course instructors.
Required Course Offerings
Students are required to enroll in the 3 credit course listed below:
British Life and Culture
All students are required to take this interdisciplinary course taught by AIFS faculty in London. Three hours per week feature either lectures on British culture and civilization or field trips to historic and artistic sites in and around London. Topics include such subjects as the history of London, language differences, British theater, and the Thames River; and field trips to the Museum of London, the National and Tate Galleries, and the Houses of Parliament.
- HUM 1xx - British Life and Culture (3 credits)
Elective Course Offerings
Students are required to enroll in three of the elective courses listed below for a total of 9-12 credits.
Music Fundamentals
Presents the fundamentals of music making, including notation of pitch, rhythm, music terminology, scales, key signatures, intervals and chord spelling. Requires no previous musical experience. Students will study the history and development of music through hands-on activities such as field trips, guest speakers and live music at churches, street fairs and pubs. Students will engage in lessons about the societies and music history of differing cultures through the duration of their stay abroad. In addition, students will complete a final project (journaling) based on their travel experience.
- MUS 101 - Introduction to Music (3 credits)
Understanding Music
Introduces the history of Western, fine art music and its literature. Encompasses the study of musical vocabulary, style, form, principal composers and the historical development of music in various style periods. MUS 202 discusses music and composers from the romantic period, twentieth century and contemporary periods. Special attention is given to British composers and musical developments.
- MUS 203- Introduction to Music and it's Literature (3 credits)
History of Rock
The objectives of this course are to learn the history of rock music from its beginnings in earlier forms of popular music to the present; to understand the relationship of this music to larger cultural, political, and economic formations; and to become familiar with aspects of musical structure that have been used in rock music. The course will also look at the Beatles and the British Invasion and how British Blue Boom and Beat Music were a direct influence to many band created during the mid-twentieth century. Students will communicate their knowledge through participation with discussion groups, identifying listening examples, and a written project about a rock band that came out of Britain.
- MUS 2xx - History of Rock Music (3 credits)
If enrollment is less than 20 students, the additional course below will be offered by an AIFS faculty instructor:
Western Civilization
World civilizations and their historical interactions. Impact of industrialization and imperialism in both a Western context and a non-Western context; the modern period of world history with a focus on WWI, WWII and postwar reordering of world civilizations. Focus on Great Britain will provide a model of empire and post-colonial development.
- HST 1xx - Western Civilization/World History (4 credits)
If enrollment reaches 20 students, OIEC will be able to send a second instructor and offer the following set of courses listed below:
Creative Writing: Fiction
In this course, students new to creative writing and those with experience are able to practice and gain confidence in developing short fiction. London’s impressive literary tradition will serve as the backdrop for our study of professional works, for which we’ll examine techniques, structures, and styles. At the heart of the class, students go through the entire writing process by developing their own short story, submitting it to the class for peer feedback, and revising their piece as a honed manuscript. London-specific creative writing exercises will be assigned to practice elements of fiction. For example, students will write descriptions of key London locales to capture the essence of setting and will use their own travel experiences as fuel for the creative process.
- WR 241 - Creative Writing: Fiction (4 credits)
Intro to Folklore and Mythology
This course allows students to take a cross-cultural perspective on myth, folklore, and legend. We begin with an overview of the study of myth from Euhemeros to Campbell, then undergo case studies of various archetypes, like the figure of the Trickster, in particular world folktales. Stories from Mayan, Norwegian, Korean, Nigerian, Sioux, and other world cultures are studied to develop a broad familiarity with etiologies and folklore. Students will then examine London-specific folktales (e.g., Spring-Heeled Jack; Gog and Magog, the giant guardians of London) and English legends (e.g., Arthur, Robin Hood) and compare them to folklore from other world cultures. Artwork in the National Gallery that portray mythological figures will also be examined to see how artists contributed to the development of myths.
- ENG 250 - Intro to Folklore and Mythology (4 credits )
Introduction to Literature: Drama
Students will engage an overview of drama and the theater, reading plays by Aristophanes, Marlowe, Ibsen, Beckett, Shepard, and Hwang. Shakespeare’s Hamlet will be given special attention, and we’ll examine the history of the text of the play and its performances; a trip to the Globe to see a performance will naturally be in order.
- ENG 105 - Introduction to Literature: Drama (4 credits)
Please Note:
Students will register for their study abroad classes during the mandatory, program pre-departure orientation session. As such, students will NOT have to enroll in any regular PCC courses during the regularly scheduled summer course registration period that occurs during the prior spring term.
Faculty Leader Information
The faculty leader of this Oregon International Education Consortium study abroad program changes each year. The Fall 2013 program advisors and general education elective course instructors are:
James Knox, Central Oregon Community College, jwknox@cocc.edu
Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at COCC, James directs the Cascade Chorale and the College Choir, and he founded the vocal jazz ensemble, Central Singers. In addition to teaching music courses, he also serves as guest clinician locally and throughout the Northwest. Prior to COCC he was the Vocal Jazz Director at Portland State University and the Choral Director at Mount Hood Community College. Through James' studies, he has had the privilege of working with distinguished conductors and composers from around the world, such as Arvo Pärt, Frieder Bernius, Veljo Tormis, Fred Stoltzfus, Simon Carrington, Joseph Flummerfelt, Morna Edmundson, Yaccov Bergman, Maria Guinand and Vance George.
John Zackell, Portland Community College, john.zackel@pcc.edu
Of his background, John writes, "When I studied at the University of East Anglia in Norwich in 2003, I did so to take part in their prestigious Creative Writing and Literature program. However, every weekend I’d venture into London to explore the city, known for its literary history, and it changed my life. My understanding of my place in the global community changed: I was no longer limited, as a person, to a particular geographical region. I want to ensure students have the same positive, memorable experience studying in England that I had as an undergraduate myself. Currently, at PCC, I’m Faculty Advisor for the campus literary magazine, The Rock Creek Review. With students, we make campus-wide calls for submissions and, then, read hundreds of manuscripts.
Oregon International Education Consortium
The Oregon International Education Consortium (OIEC) offers this unique program to enable students to study abroad while making normal progress toward their degree objectives. Typically, students earn 8-15 transferable credits in courses taught by community college faculty from Portland Community College, Central Oregon Community College, Chemeketa Community College, Clackamas Community College, Mt. Hood Community College and Rogue Community College. Credits earned will appear on the transcript of their home Oregon community college.