Semester in London
Queen Mary University London
Estimated Expenses other than tuition
Health Insurance and Medical Facilities
General Information
The School of Law operates from two locations — the Queen Mary Mile End Campus and the Postgraduate Law Centre (CCLS) located at Lincoln's Inn Fields. QMUL’s School of Law, is located at 67 - 69 Lincoln's Inn Field. The nearest tube stop is Holborn. Law students from the University of Texas, Austin are able to spend the fall semester studying at CCLS.
The program has been running for over twenty years and UT students have the opportunity to attend CCLS LLM classes and receive credits towards their JD degree as the majority of CCLS courses have been approved by the American Bar Association.
Admission Requirements
Admission requirements to QMUL are based on academic merit, interested students are able to apply during the first term of their second year of studies. GPA requirement is 3.00.
Number of Students
Semester in London-QMUL program is open to twelve students each fall semester.
Term Dates
Mandatory induction (orientation) normally is in the last week of September, with exams right before the December holiday vacation.
Academic Calendar
The academic calendar can be found on the QMUL website.
Courses
A current list of courses for the academic year may be found on the QMUL website.
Exams
Students will be expected to either take an examination during the last week of term in December or write an essay for each course between 3,000 – 3,500 words long which will be submitted by email usually by the last day of term in December
- Essays and Examinations are marked on a pass/fail basis, percentage is available on request
- In January/February students will be provided with an in-house Centre for Commercial Law, Queen Mary Certificate.
Credits
Students must take and pass five classes and will receive 12 credits for the semester.
Students have the option to take and pass six classes and will receive 14 credits for the semester upon approval of The University of Texas School of Law.
Mandatory Program Evaluation
Students will not receive academic credit until their program evaluations are received in the International Student Programs office.
Course grade and conversion
Students must satisfactorily complete their courses at Queen Mary University London. Program evaluations must be completed and turned into the International Student Programs Office. Acceptance of credit, or grade, for any course taken in the program is subject to determination by the University of Texas. Upon the student’s completion of the program and receipt of the official transcript by the International Student Programs Office, the academic record will be updated to include the coursework taken. The International Student Programs office in the Law School will convert the credits earned for study aboard to either "CR" for passed classes and "F" for failed classes, and submit the recommendation to main campus registrar for the University of Texas unofficial and official transcripts. The Law Schools Registrar in the Student Affairs Office will record the courses and credits into the law schools data system. If a grade of F (1.30 grade points) is recorded, it will also be used in calculating the student’s grade point average.
Criteria for selection
The International Student Programs Committee, which consists of faculty and staff, reviews the completed application and takes into consideration the following criteria:
- Academic record at The University of Texas School of Law to date
- The student's motivation (personal statement) for study abroad including educational objectives and how they are related to their educational and professional development
- Generally, students who are approved for study abroad have achieved a cumulative Grade Point Average of at least 3.30
- The committee will review each student’s proposal to reach a decision whether to approve the student for study aboard
- Selection for each study abroad program may have different requirements (GPA, language)
Educational Objectives
Study abroad offers our students an opportunity to be exposed to other legal systems and cultures. Students will gain a broad exposure to foreign law while learning different approaches to governmental problems. Our study abroad programs fulfill an academic need that cannot be met at The University of Texas School of Law or by its international programs. Skills learned from the study abroad experience will provide students with the information, skills, and experience to work more effectively as attorneys and the opportunity to represent clients from counties and cultures different from their own.
Disabilities
If a student wishing to study abroad has a disability which requires accommodation during their semester abroad, please contact the International Student Programs office in advance. We will work together with the Services for Students with Disabilities Office on main campus to assist with our students needs. It is highly suggested that each student research the foreign university website, the city and country they will be visiting for details concerning the accessibility to individuals with disabilities.
Cancellation Policy
Students will be notified of cancellation of their program by telephone or e-mail immediately upon foreign schools notifying The University of Texas. If the program is cancelled, tuition and the activity fees will be fully refunded.
Tuition and Fees
Tuition and fees for 2011-2012 are as follows:
- Payable to UT Austin:
- Registration for Affiliated studies $400, online registration $50
- Payable to OMUL:
- Attending one term: £5,775 (12 credits)
- Attending two terms: £11,500
- Additional courses: £500 each
Financial Aid
Students who participate in the study abroad program may be eligible for financial aid and are encouraged to apply (primarily in the form of federally guaranteed loans). Students must complete the financial aid forms by March 31 of each year to be considered for assistance. All financial aid documents are to be turned into Linda Alba, in the Student Services Suite (Room 2.125). Questions about Financial Aid should be directed to Ms. Alba at 232-1130 or lalba@law.utexas.edu.
Scholarships
Global A$$ist is a single application for all available scholarships.
To access the scholarship application, you need to click on the GET STARTED banner.
System Highlights for the Students:
- Students complete one profile – the profile includes their core academic information, employment and honors information as well as previous international experience.
- The profile engages interactively with the scholarship database to MATCH students with funding sources.
- Students complete additional requirements per scholarship online (essay, resume, personal statements, etc).
- Students list references and the system automatically emails the listed person to obtain the reference.
- Students no longer have to purchase a transcript or obtain an unofficial transcript for the purpose of the application, as the information is connected to their application electronically.
Exchange Rate
Housing
Most students are not happy with QMUL housing at Mile End and recommend finding your own flats.
University Housing:
- Accommodation – This is dealt with centrally by the Accommodation Office, Mile End Campus. Housing is very restricted especially as students only require accommodation for three months and most accommodation, private or QM, prefer to have tenants for 6 or 12 month contracts.
- We strongly suggest that when making your application for accommodation that you read the information provided on the accommodation website very carefully.
- When making your accommodation application you are requested to state your preferred hall of residence. Please beware that the accommodation office will do their best to provide this but as accommodation is handled on a first come first serve basis and is very limited, it is NOT guaranteed that you will get your preferred accommodation and you may be housed in the next best available accommodation.
- We recommend for accommodation you state your preference for the QMUL campus in Mile End so please review their accommodation. QMUL accommodation is generally new or recently refurbished.
- You may also request Intercollegiate Halls – either International Hall or Lillian Penson Hall have been recommended by former students however, they are older buildings with less desirable attributes.
Private Flats:
Health Insurance and Medical Facilities
Each student traveling internationally will be automatically enrolled in the CISI health insurance policy. This coverage is required and will cost $19 per week. The Overseas Insurance cost will be assessed to the Tuition and Fee bill or What I Owe page. Due to the nature of these three coverage types, students will not be allowed to opt out for any reason. More information can be found on the main study abroad website.
NOTE: All students are strongly encouraged to maintain their U.S. health insurance coverage in case treatment is necessary upon return to the United States.
Library and Computer Facilities
The School’s law library holds all the main English and many foreign law reports and periodicals as well as having a good holding of textbooks. The Centre for Commercial Law Studies has a specialist intellectual property library and is developing a specialist commercial law library. It already has one of the best commercial law collections in the country.
You will have access not only to the College library, which is a European Documentation Center and houses some 500,000 volumes, but also to the excellent law library at London University’s Institute of Advanced Legal studies (17 Russell Square, London WC2), which is one of the three major law libraries in the United Kingdom. The IALS library offers many services including access to the electronic law library and legal databases.
Computers facilities are available at several locations, including at the postgraduate law building of CCLS, some for 24 hours a day.
Passport/Visa
- Passport
You can get directions on how to obtain a password on the U.S. Department of State site.
- Visa
University of Texas School of Law students attending our Semester in London program for less than 6 months will not need a visa for entry, you can enter the country as a student visitor. You will need 3 documents with you to show to the immigration officer when you arrive in the UK. It is advisable to have these three items with you on the plane, perhaps tucked inside your passport and have them available.
- The letter of acceptance from your host university
- A valid passport
- Proof of funding for your period of study
Location
The new School of Law building in Lincoln's Inn Fields is in the heart of "legal London" and conveniently located for the University of London, Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and its postgraduate library.
Airports/London Travel
Tubes/Underground – One of the first things you should buy when you get to London is a London A–Z. This is a map book of the whole city and each street is listed alphabetically. You will find this essential for living in London and getting around the city. You can buy an A–Z at most newsagents or bookshops. All street listings have the post code. The London A–Z can now be found at the iTunes App Store and for Windows Phone 7.
The London Underground is a popular and safe way to travel around London. Roads are very busy and it is often quicker to travel on the underground or "tube" as it is known. The tube system is arranged into zones for ticketing purposes and you must buy a ticket that covers all the zones you will be traveling through. Zone 1 is the University zone. The most economical way to get around London is with an Oyster card which can be bought at all tube and rail stations. You will need a photo card to obtain your Oyster card. Take two passport photos along to any ticket outlet for the free photo card. When you go to register at the Mile End University campus, you should go to the Student Union to get forms for a student discount on your travel.
Travel Safety
- State department travel advisory
- Public Announcements
- Consular Information sheet
- International Travel Safety Information for Students
Orientation
(Attendance mandatory) Orientation includes coffee/tea and lunch and will enable you to meet lecturers from the Queen Mary School of Law, to ask any questions you may have regarding your time program and to get to know each other. Full details on each class offered to UT students will be given along with the timetable. There will also be a talk on the English Legal System.
Social Events
The following excursions are typically part of the program and are free:
- Windsor Castle – The group will go on a coach trip to Windsor Castle.
- Legal Tour of London – on this unique tour, your guide will explain the legal system, you will see costumes of judges and others, and explore the peaceful Inns of Court and hear the history of the Barristers and their customs. Subject to the court’s schedule, you may be able to witness a case.
- Tour of Parliament – You will see the key areas of the estate, such as the Commons and the Lords debating chambers and the Queen’s Robing Room.
Applications
Applications will be emailed to you as an attachment from the law school ISP Office.
Deadline for applications: paper applications must be completed and returned to Michelle Dean via email with attachments no later than March 31.
Michelle Dean will send your letters of acceptance to our ISP for distribution. Please keep this with your passports.
Contacts
Michelle Dean, Administrator
Tel: +44 (0)20 7882 8099
email: m.dean@qmul.ac.uk
Professor Loukas Mistelis
Tel: +44 (0)20 7882 8075
email: l.mistelis@qmul.ac.uk
Sherry Clark
International Program Coordinator
University of Texas, School of Law
727 East Dean Keeton St.
Austin, TX 78705
Tel: 512-232-2042
Fax: 512-475-7970
Email: ISP@law.utexas.edu
School of Law (Lincoln's Inn Fields Campus)
Queen Mary, University of London
67-69 Lincoln's Inn Fields
London WC2A 3JB