England: Fine Arts

In collaboration with the Foundation for International Education (FIE), this program focuses on the arts in England, especially in London, and the relationship of music, theater, and the visual arts to English culture. In addition to attending weekly concerts and plays, and visiting galleries and museums, students will explore social and economic questions related to the arts through classes, lectures and group discussions at the FIE London Center, located in the heart of the city’s Kensington district. The program is open to any student, but those with well-defined interests and experience with one of the arts will benefit the most.

About the Program Location: The area that FIE calls home has been an educational and cultural destination since Victorian times, and is sometimes known as ‘Albertopolis’, a nickname given after Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, purchased the land for the Great Exhibition of 1851 and it developed into the location of many colleges and museums. Within just a few city blocks, institutions such as the Royal College of Art, Royal College of Music, Royal Institute of Navigation, and Imperial College of London opened their doors, making Kensington a premier place to study. 

Students can enjoy the world of Kensington at their doorstep with easy access to hundreds of museums, shops, and historical centers. Thanks to Kensington Palace (less than a mile from Foundation House), the childhood home of Queen Victoria and current home to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, students live and learn in a ‘Royal Borough’. One of the largest Royal Parks, Hyde Park sits on 350 acres and offers many recreational opportunities for biking and running, and lies just to the east of Kensington Palace. 

Onsite Staff: 

FIE Chief Academic Officer Julie Ann Andreshak has been involved in international education for several decades, first as a student, and then as an administrator, researcher, and teacher. Her experience abroad includes study in France and teaching in Poland. She served as a teacher-trainer in the US Peace Corps in Morocco prior to obtaining her PhD in Comparative and International Education at the University of Minnesota. Julie’s BA degree is in International Relations and her MS in Curriculum & Instruction, ESL; both degrees are from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Julie is also graduate of Le Cordon Bleu, London, earning her Diplôme de Cuisine.

After relocating to London in 2001, Julie worked as a research fellow in widening participation and as a program director and instructor for other study abroad and internship programs. She has been with FIE since 2005, is a Senior Faculty and has taught on the Food, Society, and Culture in Britain course as well as our experiential education courses.

The FIE UK Director of Student Life is James Cameron-Cooper. Heralding from Edinburgh, Scotland, James studied International Business Administration at the European University in Athens, Greece. He has over fifteen years’ experience of providing Student Life Services in international education, working throughout both Europe and America. As FIE’s Director of Student Life, James oversees all aspects of Residential Life and the Student Life Office. 

About the Program Leader: Michael Johanson’s music reflects a deep interest in bringing together materials drawn from a wide range of styles and approaches, all filtered through a distinctly personal voice. His work is informed by an abiding interest in timbral and coloristic possibilities, a wide-ranging harmonic palette, an interest in extended instrumental techniques, and the occasional integration of elements found in jazz. His compositions have been performed at numerous concerts and festivals throughout the United States and abroad by distinguished soloists and ensembles. At Lewis & Clark Professor Johanson teaches courses in Composition, Contemporary Music Theory and Aural Skills, Counterpoint, and Orchestration.

FIE’s academic and administrative hub is Foundation House, a five-story Edwardian mansion housing modern classrooms, staff offices, and a student lounge. Our Administration, Academic & Experiential Education, Communications & IT, Facilities, and Student Life teams are located in Foundation House. All of the classrooms in Foundation House offer advanced IT infrastructure including high-speed fibre internet, interactive SMART boards, projectors, and laptops. Paired with additional technology such as digital conferencing stations and cameras, FIE Global and Digital Classrooms allow students and faculty to connect in real-time with professors or other students on the home campus.

Requirements Fulfilled:

General Education - This program fulfills the Global Perspectives general education requirement for students who successfully complete 8 or more semester credits. IS 251 fulfills the Culture, Power and Identity general education requirement. IS 252 fulfills the Creative Arts general education requirement.

Major Requirements: MUS 362 may be applied to the Music major. TH 251 may be applied to the Theatre major.

Credits: 16 credits (4 courses)

Curriculum:

IS 251: Contemporary England (4 credits)

Britain is at a crossroads politically, socially and culturally. This course attempts to come to terms with the legacy of Britain’s imperial past and simultaneously analyzing contemporary Britain in the light of the challenges that the country faces from a variety of political, economic and cultural sources. Key features for analysis will include: Britain’s traditional political institutions and the process of reform; the importance of social class, race and ethnicity; ‘popular culture’ v ‘high culture’. In addition, understanding the urban experience will play a central role in the course.

IS 252: The Fine Arts in Contemporary London (4 credits)

Focusing on the visual arts, this course asks provocative questions (e.g., What is Art?), and seeks to explore answers through lectures, discussions, and visits to prominent galleries and museums, including the British Museum, National Gallery, the Tate and Tate Modern and other sites. Other topics include arts funding, arts education, and performances and issues in the fine arts in areas not covered by the music and theatre courses. A large component of this course is a required individual experiential learning project in one area of the arts. These take the form of practicums, private study/performance, or research projects.

MUS 362: Topics in Music and History (4 credits)

This course provides opportunities for study of an area of music history plus an overview of classical music in various London venues, including chamber music, symphony orchestras, opera, choral groups and solo recitals. Weekly attendance at concerts, both as a group and individually, augments the academic coursework. This class fulfills a music major requirement.

TH 251: Theatre in London (4 credits)

This course provides an overview of London theatre offerings, in a variety of idioms including fringe, regional companies and the West End. It also includes an historical overview of British theatre traditions. All aspects of theatre (acting, directing, playwriting, design and funding) are discussed. Weekly attendance at performances is supplemented by field trips.

Excursions: Although the program focuses on the London arts scene, past programs have taken weekend field trips to sites such as Bath, York, and Cambridge. The group takes at least one longer weekend field trip outside of England to Scotland or Wales.

Housing: During their semester in London, students will stay in one of FIE’s student residences, just a short walk from Foundation house. FIE has three unique student residences - Metrogate, Hyde Park Gate, and Manson Place. Student residential buildings in the Kensington area are usually mid to late 19th century converted townhouses. Some are flats and some are floor style. Most students will live in double, triple, and quad occupancy rooms. Each bedroom is fully furnished, with linens provided. Common kitchens are equipped with cookware, silverware, and dishes. Metrogate, our main housing facility in London, offers app-operated laundry facilities for use by FIE residents. All residences feature common living areas where students can interact. Students are responsible for purchasing and preparing their own meals, but the Overseas Office will give them a stipend to cover the cost of their food.

Extracurricular Activities:

Imperial College Union: Imperial College of London is one of the world’s top universities and often hosts orientation sessions and the FIE Welcome Reception for our semester students during their arrivals week. FIE students have access to the Imperial College Union, which boasts more than 300 clubs, organizations, and projects for students to get involved in during their time in London. 

Cultural Activities: Along Exhibition Road are the Science Museum, Natural History Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum, which are free to visit and open to the public. FIE students can pop in during their break from classes and grab a cup of coffee at the V&A cafe! Royal Albert Hall is on the northern border of Albertopolis and hosts about 400 events a year, including the BBC Proms, as well as classical, rock and pop concerts, ballet, opera, film screenings with a live orchestra, sports, award ceremonies, school and community events, and charity performances. Students often have access to discounted tickets for events.

“The workload was perfect, not too much but just enough to where we were still learning and having to do assignments. I enjoyed all of the essays I was able to write this semester as the teachers allow you to have creative room and choose topics that you are interested in.”

“Yes! Even though I’m not a big city person, I really enjoyed London. There were a ton of museums and theaters right next door, as well as markets, shops and restaurants. The excursions were all wonderful locations as well.”

2026-2027 Fee Breakdown*

Total Fee (includes Tuition, Program Fee, and Health & Wellness Fee): $44,791

Tuition: $35,329

Program Fee: $9,425

Health & Wellness Fee: $37**

Included in the program fee are room/housing, board/meals, and administrative fees. Not included are airfare, passport and visa expenses, primary insurance coverage, photographs, books, immunizations, and incidentals. 

*Fees are updated every February for the following academic year.

**The Health & Wellness Fee supports the operations of Wellness Services staff in delivering pre-program orientation services, as well as in providing health-related consultation regarding participant health needs. All students in the College of Arts and Sciences pay a mandatory fee of $37 per semester.

Stipend: Students will receive a stipend to cover the cost of meals and transportation costs not covered by the program fee.

Estimated Airfare (Round Trip PDX to LHR): $800 - $1,500

Estimated Travel Document Fees: Varies

Estimated Health Insurance Fee: $1,906

All students participating in overseas programs are automatically enrolled in iNext, a supplemental travel insurance program. The fee for iNext is covered in the program cost. However, students are also required to have comprehensive health insurance during their time abroad. All students participating in overseas programs, both abroad and domestic, are automatically enrolled in the College’s student health insurance program. Similar to a regular semester on-campus, students participating in overseas programs may waive enrollment in the student health insurance program if they have other comprehensive health insurance (e.g., through a parent, guardian or employer) that 1) provides coverage for them in the geographic region in which they will be studying and 2) includes mental health benefits. Find more information regarding health insurance & overseas programs.

Physical Requirements:

Before applying to this program, you should assess and determine if you are physically and/or emotionally able to participate in the following physical demands required by some of this program’s activities:

• Walking or hiking up to 5 miles in a day, sometimes for two or more days in a row, sometimes on hilly, uneven, or cobbled terrain
• Climbing and descending stairs
• Using public transportation, including sometimes crowded buses or trains
• Standing for long periods during tours and site visits
• Entering into older buildings with narrow and sometimes steep staircases, at times with limited or no access to elevators
• The possibility of warm/hot temperatures while residing in locations without air conditioning, and/or cold temperatures while residing in locations with a comfort for lower indoor temperatures
• The possibility of long, busy days with little downtime and infrequent days off from program activities

If you have questions or are concerned about these or any other program activities, please contact the Lewis & Clark College Overseas & Off-Campus Programs office (overseas@lclark.edu).

Application Process: This program has a dual application process. Students must first submit a Lewis & Clark Application one year before the start of the program. Once admitted by Lewis & Clark, the students will receive instructions for submitting their secondary application to FIE and will receive a separate notification letter of admission. Please keep a digital copy of your essays and other application materials as you will need to submit these similar materials to FIE. Please note that this secondary application process can be as late as the semester preceding your scheduled participation.

The semester before the program, students who have been accepted will meet regularly for orientation. This orientation is meant to prepare the students for life in London by exploring literature and culture, and provides an opportunity for students to learn more about the logistical details of the program.

Learn more about our application process.

Travel: Students usually fly into the London Heathrow airport (LHR), where they are met by FIE staff and transported to the residence hall.

Visa: Students holding a US passport will not be required to apply for a visa prior to arriving in the UK, but may be required to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization. International students may be required to apply for a visa for this program. More information will be provided upon admission to the program. 

Country-Specific Health Information: View specific health information for people traveling to the United Kingdom. 

State Department Country Information: Visit the State Department’s United Kingdom page.