University College London

Through agreements made by the College with seven British universities and one Irish university, a select group of Chicago students can study for the autumn term or, in some cases, for an academic year in Great Britain or the Republic of Ireland.

University College London, founded in 1826 as a non-Anglican institution open to all regardless of race, creed, or sex, is the oldest college within the University of London as well as England’s third oldest university after Oxford and Cambridge (the ancient Scottish universities are older). With over 36,000 students, divided evenly between undergraduates and graduates, it is also the largest and most comprehensive college in the University of London. University College enjoys an international reputation in a wide variety of subjects, extending through the humanities, the natural sciences, and most of the social sciences. It is located on Gower Street in the storied Bloomsbury section of London within easy walking distance of a number of institutes and facilities of the University of London, as well as the British Museum.

Please note that our current exchange agreement with UCL limits our students to studying in one of the following Departments at that university: Anthropology, History, or Political Science. We also have an agreement with UCL’s Economics Department, but our experience is that our students do not have the strict prerequisites that UCL requires.

UCL provides housing in student residence halls (assuming a timely submission of the housing application).

Students can choose to study for either the Fall Term or for the entire academic year. That decision must be made by the time your application is turned into Study Abroad.

Study abroad students remain registered as full-time students in the College. They receive full credit for their work. Course titles, units of credit, and grades are placed on the College transcript. Since the use of these credits in a specific degree program is variable, students should consult with their academic adviser and program chair to determine the exact distribution of credits.

Participants in the British and Irish programs pay regular College tuition and a nonrefundable study abroad administrative fee. The tuition is paid in conformity with the home campus payment schedule, and the nonrefundable study abroad administrative fee is submitted when accepting a place in a program. Students pay accommodation costs while in Great Britain or Ireland, either directly to the host university or, if the student is not living in university housing, to a landlord. Precise figures for the British and Irish programs for the 2024–2025 year are listed below:

Autumn or Academic Year tuition: as set by the Bursar’s Office

Study abroad administrative fee: $675

Out-of-pocket expenses include:

• round-trip airfare to and from the program site
• passport/visa fees
• transportation on site
• accommodation
• meals
• course materials
• personal entertainment and travel
• communications (most students bring or buy a cell phone)
• health insurance and upfront payments for care
• other miscellaneous expenses

Study abroad students retain their financial aid eligibility. For more information about financial aid resources, please see our Tuition, Fees, and Funding section.

The British and Irish programs are open to University of Chicago undergraduate students only. Applications from outside the University are not accepted.

These programs are designed for undergraduates in good academic and disciplinary standing who are beyond their second year in the College upon arrival in the UK or Ireland. Because there is a limit on the number of students who can participate in the British and Irish programs, admission is highly competitive. Applicants should present a solid academic transcript as well as sound academic reasons for wishing to study in England, Scotland, or Ireland. Students are expected to have conscientiously pursued general education requirements, and to have begun coursework in their major subject by the end of their second year. It is especially desirable that their transcript, which will show coursework through autumn quarter of the application year, presents at least one course in their major. British/Irish university students are more specialized at the same point in their university careers, so prerequisites for our visiting students are often rigid.

On the application, students are asked to rank five of the universities according to their preferences. If this initial application is approved, students then complete forms specific to the university to which they are applying. The College forwards this second application to the host university, which reserves the right of final decision.

Students wishing to apply to British/Irish programs must meet with Eric Benjaminson as a requirement of the application process. Students who do not arrange such a meeting before the close of the application cycle will not be considered.

To discuss the University College London program and the possibility of participating, please contact Eric Benjaminson.