Students who want to learn how the British do business, education, art, history, sports and science should spend this summer in London with The University of Southern Mississippi British Studies Program.

For more than 30 years, British Studies has offered the opportunity to study in London, travel to neighboring countries to see the world’s most interesting and historic sites and connect with the cultures and people of other nations – all while earning academic credit.

“This year's British Studies Program will feature exciting classes in more than a dozen different fields of study.  Like we have for more than 30 years, our faculty and students will live in central London and make the city's treasures our classroom for an unforgettable month,” said Dr. Doug Mackaman, director of the program.

Students should further consider the affordability of participating in the program this year, he said.

“This year it is indeed special that the U.S. dollar's power relative to the British pound has returned to levels folks haven't seen in a generation. Last summer's group dealt with an exchange rate that was two dollars to the pound,” Mackaman said. “Now at 1.5 dollars to the pound, London has become, for our students, a relative bargain.”

New courses offered in this summer’s program include those in the following academic areas:

• Art: “The London Eye: Developing Your Photographic Vision”
• Curriculum and Instruction: “Hey Teacher, Leave Them Kids Alone: British Studies in Education
• English: “Bear Baiting, Brothels and The Bard: England in the Age of Elizabeth and Shakespeare”
• Science and Math Education: “Hard Rock and Heavy Metal: Bridges, Domes, Skyscrapers and More in London and Paris”
• Sport Management: “Global Sport and the Drive Toward 2012 – How Britain will host the Summer Olympics”

Other courses include those in journalism and history, including a visit to key World War II museums and battle sites in both England and France.

Southern Miss professor of management Dr. David Duhon is coordinator of the program’s international business component, which offers classes in international marketing, management, economics and finance. This summer, these courses will focus on globalization issues and the ongoing struggles of our shrinking world economy.

Duhon believes the program is one of the best academic experiences provided by Southern Miss. And he concurs with Mackaman that because of the world economic situation, this year is one of the most affordable times to travel overseas in a decade.

“I’m firmly convinced this is the one of the best things we do at the university,” Duhon said of the program. “Student feedback reaffirms that, with many saying it was the highlight of their academic experience, and even of their whole life.

“Our program offers the kinds of experiences you have to get out of the classroom to have. Students learn about another culture and about themselves, and often appreciate their own country more when they come back.”

This summer, business students in the program will visit businesses important internationally in terms of finance, including in London’s financial district where the Bank of England and Lloyd's of London are located.

Plans are also being made for these students to go to the European Union headquarters in Brussels, the Jaguar plant in Birmingham and see the business of professional sports up close with visits to headquarters of some of the world’s top soccer clubs.

“The program is very experiential in nature,” he said. “We use London and Western Europe as our classroom.”

Other destinations for all British Studies students include museums, parliament, St. Paul’s Cathedral and Buckingham Palace, among many other important European cultural and historical venues.

Margaret Williams, instructor of journalism and advisor to the university’s student-run newspaper, The Student Printz, said studying British journalism in London can be an eye-opening experience for students.

“I think we assume a lot of similarities in the journalism field here and in Britain because we speak the same language. But one way to really understand Britain is to understand its journalism,” she said. “Students are often surprised by the racy tabloid pictures just beyond the front pages, the crazy commentary, the checks and balances that often challenge British journalists and citizens.

“By talking to the people who practice all forms of journalism in the U.K. – at newspapers, television and radio stations, in public relations or advertising firms -- students get a clearer picture of the society as a whole and what makes it tick.”

Sebe Dale, a photojournalism student from Columbia, enrolled in British Studies last summer and plans to return for another session. “It was the biggest life-changing experience I’ve ever had,” he said. “It showed I could be who I wanted to be and helped me become more open to new experiences.”

Another value of the British Studies Program, Mackaman said, is its capacity to help students get jobs or coveted graduate school slots.

“Students who participate in our program get a second look, because with the experience of living and learning in London come self-reliance and confidence in ways that staying home in the summer doesn’t allow,” he said. “More than ever, our students for 2009 see this program as an investment in their personal and career futures."

Financial aid and most scholarships apply to the program cost.  For information, contact Southern Miss International Education at 601.266.4344.

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About The University of Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi, founded in 1910, is a comprehensive doctoral and research-extensive university fulfilling its mission of being a leading university in engaging and empowering individuals to transform lives and communities.  In a tradition of leadership for student development, Southern Miss is educating a 21st century work force providing intellectual capital, cultural enrichment and innovation to Mississippi and the world.  Southern Miss is located in Hattiesburg, Miss., with an additional campus and teaching and research sites on the Mississippi Gulf Coast; further information is found at www.usm.edu.