SEMESTER/YEAR LONG PROGRAMS
Exchange Programs�University of Essex (Colchester), UK
The University of Essex is situated on 200 acres of landscaped parklands in the neighborhood of Wivenhoe Park in Northeast England. Essex is home to approximately 6,000 students (4,500 undergraduates) in the fields of Arts & Humanities, Business, Law, Science & Engineering, and Social Sciences. The International Programmes Office provides assistance to students from over 120 countries. In addition to access to a full range of courses, exchange students at Essex can take advantage of numerous opportunities for extracurricular interests and sports. The university has an active Students' Union which administers over 100 clubs and societies as well as the largest pub in East Anglia. In addition, the University Theatre puts on both professional and student productions. Finally, Essex boasts over 42 sports clubs, a modern Sports Centre, and an 18-hole frisbee golf course! See the Course Selection and Transfer Credit Process.
Exchange students at Essex are guaranteed housing in a single room. Most university-administered housing is on-campus, while some housing facilities are a 10 to 30 minute walk from the center of campus. Public transportation is available for all off-campus housing. Most students at Essex live in towers or flats which have shared kitchen, dining, and bathroom facilities. Some rooms with private baths are available as well. Spring semester exchange students are provided housing through the one-month vacation period in April.
Colchester, Wivenhoe Park, and Surrounding Areas
Wivenhoe Park is just a few miles from the regional city of Colchester, Britain's oldest recorded town. Colchester is known as the cultural capital of the county of Essex, offering museums, galleries, an arts centre, theatres, shopping facilities, restaurants, nightclubs, and more. Essex in general is a county of great contrast and variety, stretching from suburban London in the West to the beautiful countryside, sailing villages, and seaside resorts in the East. The region's landscape has long been an inspiration to artists, and it is often know as "Constable County" due to the numerous landscapes painted by John Constable in the nineteenth century.
Exchange students at Essex will also enjoy the fact that the university is just a 50 minute train ride from London. It is therefore possible for students to make day or evening trips into the city for sightseeing or cultural events.
Old Dominion's Exchange Program with Essex
Exchange students at Essex can take courses in many of the same fields of study offered at Old Dominion. Coursework is offered in the areas of Arts & Humanities, Business, Law, Science & Engineering, and Social Sciences. The Office of Study Abroad has full course listings.
Dates
Students can attend Essex for one or two semesters. The Fall term runs from early October through mid-December. The Spring term runs from mid-January through late-June, with a one-month spring break in April.
Credits
The credit earned at Essex will be recorded on the Old Dominion transcript as transfer credit provided that a grade equivalent to a "C" or better is earned. Advance planning with academic advisors, and completing a transfer credit evaluation prior to the start of the program, ensures that these credits are applied toward graduation and degree requirements. Students work with faculty advisors at Old Dominion to select courses which will yield at least 12 transfer credits. A normal semester load at Essex consists of 3-4 courses.
Cost
Students pay Old Dominion tuition on this exchange. Room and board fees (paid directly to Essex) are estimated at $2300 for the Fall term and $4600 for the Spring term (the Spring term is twice as long as the Fall, and prices include the month-long break). Additional fees include airfare, books, passport, and spending money. Most forms of financial aid (loans, grants, scholarships) can be applied to this program as long as an enrollment status consistent with financial aid is maintained. The study abroad advisor will provide a detailed program budget for planning purposes and for submission to the Office of Financial Aid.
Next Steps
The Office of Study Abroad assists you in planning for your semester or year at Essex. The first step in this process is to stop by to make an appointment with the study abroad advisor. Begin planning several months in advance of deadlines to ensure that this program is an appropriate choice! In addition, useful websites for further research include the following:
Eligibility Criteria
- Minimum 2.5 GPA
- Sophomore standing at time of exchange
Priority Deadlines
- For Fall: mid-February
- For Spring: mid-October
- Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
