The Program

In the late 1980s, England instituted a national curriculum initiative that outlined the standards and assessments to be utilized in all publicly funded schools. In recent years, the U.S. has also undergone significant educational reform, which in many ways emulates that of England with its strict standards for accountability. Thus, examining the British educational system in terms of both policy and practice may offer a profound perspective on our own educational system. Teaching in London schools for your internship, along with researching various aspects of the British educational system, can be the defining element of your professional preparation.

The Neag School of Education London Study Abroad Program invites 5^th year Integrated bachelors/masters students to consider teaching and researching in one of the most dynamic urban centers of the world. We have longstanding relationships with highly diverse schools at the elementary and middle/secondary levels. For example, a moderately sized partner elementary school in northeast London has more than 25 ethnicities represented in its student body along with over 20 languages spoken daily. The school is located in one of the most economically disadvantaged areas in all of London.  Meanwhile, a middle/secondary school in central London has a student population of approximately 1200, with over 50 languages spoken by students representing over 40 diverse ethnicities, including many students from Africa and the Middle East. Interns are fully integrated as professional staff working with students who need learning, social, and emotional support.

All participating schools are dynamic learning communities that afford our interns challenging teaching opportunities along with a rich context for conducting school-based research to meet the inquiry project requirement of the IB/M Program. Over the past few years, students have examined such topics as the scope and aims of the British National Curriculum, school-wide behavior management plans, and issuess of classroom organization and management. 

Graduates of the IB/M program who have participated in this program are currently teaching in Honolulu, Washington DC, Baltimore, New York, Boston, and London, as well as towns and cities throughout Connecticut.  They universally report that this program has enhanced their awareness of the critical need for outstanding teachers in urban environments.  Most importantly, participants of this program develop the confidence and skills needed to excel in virtually any classroom anywhere, and reach their fullest potential as an educator with a truly global perspective.

The Academics

This program is only open to admitted 5^th year IB/M students for their fall semester of the final year of their program. Participation in this program does NOT delay your graduation date, but enrollment in a summer research methodology course prior to your departure abroad is mandatory. A sample program of study is outlined below (your actual program of study may vary depending upon your interests and available courses):

Intensive Summer Session in Storrs:

3 credit research methodology course (immediately following student teaching)

Fall semester of 5^th year in London:

3 credit seminar

3 credit internship*

3 credit comparative international education course

3 credit curriculum course

Spring semester 5^th year in Storrs:

3 credit seminar

3 credit internshp 

3 credit multicultural course (must be approvd by the IB/M program)

3 credit leadership course (must be approved by the IB/M program)

3 credit elective

*Your internship in London is designed to be 18-20 hours per week in schools in addition to a weekly seminar.

The Experience

As an academic strand with the UConn in London program each fall, you will live, teach, research, and study in the heart of one of the world's great urban centers. Fully furnished flats with easy access to public transportation and all that London offers are at your doorstep, making for a rich cultural experience. The program includes excursions to historic and culturally significant sites. The daily commute to schools, teaching the British National Curriculum, and establishing professional relationships with British teachers and students make for memories which will last a lifetime.

For more information regarding the academic requirements, including admission standards, internships, and education courses, please contact the Neag School of Education London Program Coordinator, Prof. David M. Moss at: david.moss@uconn.edu.