SEMESTER/YEAR LONG PROGRAMS
Exchange Programs�Keele University (Keele), UK
Keele University offers undergraduate courses in over 40 subjects to 5,600 undergraduate students and 2,000 graduate students. International students represent 20% of the entire population and come from over 90 countries, and the International Office provides a wide range of support services and special programs. The "Family Friendship Scheme" matches exchange students with local host families for weekend excursions, while the "Mentor Scheme" matches exchange students with British students who have similar academic or extracurricular interests. Exchange students at Keele also have full access to counseling services, the health center, computer labs, sports facilities (including a rock-climbing wall!), and the Students' Union. The university has an on-campus day nursery, and students with families will be assisted in securing appropriate accommodation. See the Course Selection and Transfer Credit Process.
Keele boasts the largest campus (620 acres) in all of England, and nearly 75% of undergraduates live in on-campus housing. The residential section of campus has a "village atmosphere," with restaurants, banks, shops, and Halls of Residence. All academic departments and student residences are within walking distance of the center of the campus. Accommodation in one of the four Halls is guaranteed for exchange students, mostly in single bedrooms. All of the halls have shared kitchen facilities and there are also a variety of on-campus restaurants. Students may purchase a "Campus Card," similar to a debit card, which gives up to a 40% discount on restaurant meals and purchases at the campus store.
Local Area
Keele University is located three miles west of the city of Stoke-on-Trent in Central England, halfway between Birmingham and Manchester in an area renowned for its pottery industry. Stoke-on-Trent (pop. 255,000) and Newcastle-under-Lyme are the two major cities of the region of North Staffordshire, home of the extensive Staffordshire Moorlands. Students enjoy visiting the hills and gullies of nearby Peak National Park for hiking, biking, and camping. The nearby historic towns of Shrewsbury and Chester, with their castles, Tudor architecture, and medieval flavor, are also favorite destinations for day trips, as is spending a day on the roller coasters at the Alton Towers theme park. Liverpool and Leeds are other major cities in the region.
Students will find that rail travel is efficient and relatively inexpensive in the United Kingdom. Keele is a 2 hour train trip from London, 3 hours from Glasgow, and 4 hours from Edinburgh.
Old Dominion's Exchange Program with Keele
Exchange students at Keele can take courses in many of the same fields of study offered at Old Dominion. Keele is particularly appropriate for students majoring in Business, Computer Science, International Studies, or Pre-Law. Coursework in Biology, Chemistry, English Literature, History, Music, Physics, Visual Arts, and more is also offered. The Office of Study Abroad has full course listings for Keele or they can be found on the following at http://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/solcca/ciel/coming2keele/application/catalogue.html.
Dates
The Fall semester begins in late September and ends in mid-January, with a three week break for the winter holiday. The Spring semester begins in late January and ends in mid-June, with a four week Easter break. It is recommended that exchange students study at Keele for the full academic year or for the Spring term only.
Credits
Students enroll for 30 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) credits and receive 15 transfer credits at Old Dominion. More information on the ECTS system is available in the Office of Study Abroad.
Cost
Students pay Old Dominion tuition on this exchange. Room and board fees (paid directly to Keele) are estimated at $3200 for the Fall term and $3500 for the Spring term. 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 Financial Aid Office.
Next Steps
The Office of Study Abroad assists you in planning for your semester or year at Keele. 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 2.8 GPA
- Junior standing at time of exchange
Priority Deadlines
- For Fall: mid-February
- For Spring: mid-October
- Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
