Frequently Asked Questions

*May 1 of freshman year: suggested due date for submission of application and deposit; admissions decisions will be made within 2 weeks of receipt of completed application; deposit becomes non-refundable once application has been accepted

*Sept. 15 of sophomore year: final deadline for submission of a complete application and non-refundable deposit (as long as the program has not reached its max enrollment).

*Fall of sophomore year: group orientation and other pre-departure orientation activities

*Spring of sophomore year: students travel to London (program dates are generally from mid-January to late April)

Admission into the program will be competitive as there is a strict enrollment limit due to course size constraints. As part of the application process, students will request recommendations from a member of their DWC team as well as from another PC faculty member, and these will factor into admissions decisions. As much as possible, the selection committee will seek to admit a diverse array of students from a variety of academic majors. Students’ personal statements should provide evidence of maturity and ability to benefit from this study abroad program. All admitted students need to meet the Providence College study abroad Eligibility Requirements, which include having a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 by the time first-semester grades have posted and up until their departure for London.

Because participants will be going abroad as sophomores, additional pre-departure components will be required as part of participating in this program. This includes group dinners and meetings with faculty leaders.

Students can take courses at the IES Study Center in central London. Some of these courses will be taught by Providence College faculty and others will be taught by faculty hired by IES. Students may also take one course at City, University London or Queen Mary University. A sample of IES London courses is available here.

Additional costs to consider include the study abroad fee ($1,000), visa, and round-trip airfare (approx. $1,100). Aside from the study abroad fee, Providence College tuition will remain the same, with any grants, loans, or scholarships deducted from the tuition cost as usual. Students do not pay tuition to IES or any of the universities they might attend while abroad. Program housing in London (approx. $6,500 including international health insurance in addition to housing) is comparable to the cost of the Providence college residence halls. Students on the program do not have a meal plan. Rather, they can purchase food to cook in shared kitchens. It is important to note that London is a more expensive city to live in than Providence, and the exchange rate will also contribute to a higher cost of living during the semester abroad.

Due to the unique curricular nature of the Honors CIV colloquium requirement, students in the DWC Honors program are not able to participate in CIV in London. Instead, they are encouraged to participate in the Honors Spring Break program, which is offered every spring semester and available exclusively to students on the DWC Honors track.

CIV in London participants are eligible to study abroad a second time on any of the short-term study abroad programs for which they are qualified. They may also apply to study abroad during fall or spring of their junior year, or fall of their senior year. Students wishing to study abroad during their junior year will need to be flexible with their study abroad plans as the Center for Global Education cannot guarantee enrollment in either semester depending on the enrollment balance between semesters.