​Live and study in the spired city of Oxford and the medieval walled city of York.

This two-part course is a rare opportunity for students to experience the rich history and culture of two famous English cities. First, students learn from international scholars about the music, art, and politics of Shakespeare’s time through a mixture of lectures and individual tutorials. Students also attend performances of the plays they study in Stratford-upon-Avon, at the New Globe in London, and in the university theaters of Oxford. Past performances have starred Jude Law and Ian McKellan. In-class learning is further enriched by excursions to significant historical sites like Hampton Court Palace, Windsor Castle, Bath, and Stonehenge.  Other courses in all fields are also available.

In the second part of the course, students travel to the beautiful medieval walled city of York to study the Middle Ages with British scholars. Located in the north of England, York is the home of York Minster, the largest medieval cathedral in Northern Europe, which has been a place of worship for over 1300 years. With exclusive access to the archives, library, and private areas of the Minster, students complete an individual research project and assist the artisans and scholars who are working to preserve the cultural fabric of medieval York. The course also includes excursions to locations significant to medieval studies such as Rievaulx Abbey, York’s parish churches, the stonemasons yard, the Glaziers Trust, and Whitby Abbey.