Global Education

Program Dates

Term	Start Date	End Date
Spring 2024	January 10th, 2024	June 30th, 2024
Fall 2024	August 19th, 2024	December 15th, 2024

These dates are tentative. Confirm program dates before booking travel.

At Lancaster University, our Fall term comprises a Lancaster pre-term course that runs from late August – mid-September and the  Michaelmas which runs from early October – mid-December.

Our spring term is the combination of what they refer to as the “Lent” and “Summer” terms and runs from mid-January to mid-to-late June.

Where

Home to the famed 12th-century castle, Lancaster is a small, charming city with all the amenities of a large one, including 2 repertory theatres, cinemas, literary and musical events, and a wide variety of restaurants and shops. Lancaster lies on the west coast of Britain, one hour from the famous Lake District. Also close at hand are the great urban centers of Liverpool and Manchester. Edinburgh and Glasgow are 2 hours north and London 3 hours south by train. Paris is about 7 hours via the Channel Tunnel. The nearest major international airport is Manchester.

The Academic Program at Lancaster University

Allegheny students can spend the fall or spring semester at Lancaster University. The fall semester program begins in mid-August, and consists of the four-week pre-semester International Summer Program course, a short break, and then the 10-week “Michaelmas term” beginning in October. The spring semester consists of two 10-week terms (“Lent” and “Summer”) and has a 4-week break between the terms.

Studying at Lancaster is a different educational experience than that found in most North American colleges or universities. As at Allegheny, undergraduate instruction includes lectures, seminars, laboratory sessions, papers and examinations. Most Lancaster courses follow a similar format, but a large portion of classroom time is spent in tutorial and seminar groups numbering from four to fifteen members. Much emphasis is placed on reading widely, and on making use of what is read in essays and in seminars. Allegheny students in this direct enrollment program will study in classes alongside local English and international students.

Academic Structure

Course taken with local students.

Course Credit

Full Year: 32 US credits / 60 ECTS
Michaelmas Only: 12 US credits / 22.5 ECTS
Lent and Summer: 16-20 US credits / 30-37.5 ECTS

Courses

For a full list of course offerings, visit Lancaster University’s website here.

Eligibility

It is highly recommended that students complete 4 semesters at Allegheny prior to studying at Lancaster. A  3.0 cumulative GPA is required by Lancaster University.

Application Process

Allegheny students must apply for approval to study off-campus from the Global Education office AND apply directly to their chosen program.For this program, students should work on the Allegheny approval application at the same time as the host program application. The Allegheny approval application deadline is February 20 for fall programs and September 20 for spring programs. Study away approval applications will be reviewed immediately following the appropriate semester deadline. The separate application deadline to apply directly to this program will vary and could be before or after Allegheny’s approval application due date. Check directly on their website (linked at the top of this page) for deadline information. For more information about the study away application process, please visit the application steps page.

Student Life

Lancaster’s campus setting fosters a wide variety of extracurricular activities in which American students are enthusiastic and welcome participants. These include a campus radio station, a student run newspaper, various arts and entertainment, multiple sports and recreation activities, and numerous clubs and societies. The International Concert Series brings to the campus major orchestras and solo artists. The Great Hall and Nuffield Theatre provide facilities for both professional and student performances.

The Residential Colleges at Lancaster enable students to be part of a smaller close-knit community which provide social and study facilities, practical support and information as well as somewhere to live. Study abroad students apply directly with Lancaster University for housing and are guaranteed a room on campus in one of 6000 single study bedrooms, most of which have private shower rooms and live with a mix of British undergraduates and international students who come from most parts of the world. The rooms are grouped around communal lounges and kitchen areas where students gather and most prepare snacks and meals. Each study bedroom has wired Internet access and a telephone – teaching spaces and the centre of the campus are wireless – and most students rely on locally bought cell phones.

Fees & Costs

Below find information on estimated costs for a semester abroad. You will receive a bill from Allegheny College, as you normally would, for the amount shown under “Costs Paid to Allegheny College.” All other study away program costs will be paid directly to a non-Allegheny entity and are listed in part two below. These amounts are estimates and will vary depending on individual choices. A total estimated cost of attendance for this program is shown at the bottom.

Part One: Costs Paid to Allegheny College

Part Two: Costs Paid to non-Allegheny Entity

TOTAL COST OF ATTENDANCE

NOTES:

All financial aid awards can be applied to study abroad costs with the exception of federal work study awards and certain tuition exchange scholarships. For more information, visit our page about Financing Study Away.

Study Away Fee includes: administrative support, transcript translation and processing, pre-departure orientation, and emergency travel insurance.