International Summer School - Richmond American University London

International Summer School - Richmond American University London
You are here:
Study Abroad
International Summer School
Chiara Mortarino Bowie
North American Programmes Coordinator
Email:
[email protected]
Tel:
+44 (0)20 7368 8426
Quick Links
Summer 2026 classes
Fees
How to apply
Summer Internship Programme
Spend a Summer in London
Are you considering London for your summer experience? Richmond American University London has crafted a unique experience for you, combining American Liberal Arts education with British heritage and culture.
The top three reasons to choose Richmond:
London as Your Classroom:
Leverage our London location to access world-class galleries, museums, and cultural spaces, enhancing your learning experience with real-world exposure
Interdisciplinary Approach:
Combine studies in art and visual cultures with courses in humanities, social sciences, and sciences, fostering a well-rounded education
Global Perspective:
Engage with international themes and practices, enriched by field trips and a diverse student cohort, preparing you for a career in the interconnected global art scene
You can also complete the
internship
for credit, to gain experience and add to your global dimensions.
Proposed Summer 2026 Classes
Click the drop-down options below to view the courses on offer during our 3 week programme option.
The university reserves the right to make alterations/cancellations to the summer classes on offer to reflect student demand.
Course content and delivery can be subject to change.
Summer School: 8 – 26 June 2026
Programme Specification
ARTS 5601
Museums & Galleries of London
Considers the nature of London’s museums and art galleries and their role and function in our society and culture since the 17th century. The course also provides students with a critical understanding of the various historical, cultural, social and political contexts that have shaped British art and architecture from 1650 onwards. Students study the workings of the art market and a variety of other topics that impinge upon it, such as conservation, restoration, the investment potential of art, and art world crime. The course enables students to study and discuss London’s art and architecture firsthand through regular visits to buildings and museums.
ARTS 3160 Foundations of Photography
This course concentrates on developing the student’s visual intelligence via photography. Technically, students will learn to use digital SLR cameras and the basic workflow using Adobe CC. By looking at the work of a range of artists, students will be introduced to some of the theories that underpin photographic practice and consider photography’s place and role in contemporary culture. Throughout the course students make images which finally result in an edited portfolio of photographic images.
LITR 5602
British Fantasy Writing
This course will explore the vibrant genre tradition of fantastic and non-realist writing using a range of critical approaches. The first half of the course will survey some of the major texts on which modern Fantasy literature draws, including Beowulf, Arthurian texts and selections from works by Shakespeare, Milton, Jane Austen and Lewis Carroll. The second half of the course will focus more intensively on a few major fantasies from the past 120 years and their filmed adaptations, including works by Bram Stoker, J.R.R. Tolkien, and J.K. Rowling, and will look at how these texts and their filmic counterparts repurpose and revision older ideas for novel purposes.
MARK FASH 5601
Psychology of Fashion and Luxury Goods
Consumer psychology within the context of the consumption of fashion and luxury products and services is complex and is influenced by many factors. A thorough analysis and understanding of these factors allows organizations to plan effective marketing activities suitable to their target markets. This course enables students to understand the importance of consumer behaviour in the process of marketing fashion and luxury goods and services.
POLS 5601
The British Parliament
This course will introduce students to the main political institutions in the United Kingdom (the monarchy, the executive, parliament, political parties and electoral systems) and to important debates in contemporary British society, such as constitutional reform, Britain’s relations with Europe, the power of the media, gender debates and multiculturalism. The class combines theoretical and empirical approaches. Classes are supplemented by 10 sessions in the House of Commons with a Member of Parliament.
3 Weeks – Session A
20 May – 7 June
Programme Specification
AVC 4205
Introduction to Visual Culture
This course explores images and representations across cultural and historical contexts: the way meaning and ideologies can be decoded from such cultural artifacts as advertising, photography, cinema, modern art, sculpture, architecture, propaganda and comic books. Through varied examples, it takes an introductory route through some of the most important cultural theories and concepts.
COM 4115
Digital Society
This course introduces students to critical studies of the digital society, and how it effects institutions, media, and audiences socially, culturally, and politically. It explores the history of ‘the information revolution’, and how contemporary digital technologies, the internet, and social media are changing identities, relationships, and practices at both micro- and macro-levels. Through engaging with key debates within digital society (e.g. selfhood and social media, participatory culture, sharing economy, surveillance, truth of online information and democracy), students will develop critical understanding of the relationship between digital technologies and society, and reflect on their own use of digital media.
ENV 3125
Foundations in Environmental Studies
A basic introduction to the major themes of Environmental Studies, this course covers basic ecology, environmental ethics, and environmental science. Well known environmental issues such as global warming, ozone depletion, acid rain, pollution, and population issues are addressed from scientific, economic, politico-sociological and ethical standpoints. An awareness and appreciation of global, local, and personal environmental problems are developed, together with the implications of possible solutions. The concept of interrelatedness is a unifying theme throughout the course.
INB 6101
International Business Environment
This course focuses on the socio-cultural, technological, political, legal, financial, and ecological environment in which international business takes place. Equally, the course studies regional business strategies with an in-depth focus of the European Single Market as the most integrated business area. This is further complemented by the study of distinct business areas which in a non-exhaustive manner covers Japan, North America, China, and Emerging Economies.
3 Weeks – Session B
10 June – 28 June
Programme Specification
AVC 5200
Museums and Galleries of London
Considers the nature of museums and art galleries and their role and function in our society and culture. Students study the workings of the art market and a variety of other topics that impinge upon it, such as conservation, restoration, the investment potential of art, and art world crime. Students visit many of the great London galleries and museums with their rich intercultural collections, as part of this course. A university-level survey of the history of international art is strongly recommended as a prerequisite.
FLM 4200
Introduction to Film Studies
This course explores film as a medium across cultural and historical contexts. It covers films in its varied form, from the first projections in the late 19th century to online distribution today. Using examples of noteworthy films, it takes an introductory examination of the most important film theories and concepts, in the process examining how ideologies and meanings are imbedded in this vibrant medium.
MKT 6103
Fashion Product Development
Fashion professionals are often generating ideas, defining looks and moods a couple of seasons in advance. Product development and forecasting is an essential part of the way that the fashion industry organises and promotes itself. This course is designed to give students a systematic overview of product development and the trend cycle in fashion, its operation in relation to the industry’s specialist sectors, and to introduce the creative and commercial functions of the fashion forecasting process within the fashion industry. It considers marketplace dynamics which affect and create the trends and impact on lifestyles and fashion products.
6 Weeks
20 May – 28 June
Programme Specification
EAP 3270
Fundamentals of Research & Writing
What does research involve? How will you use it effectively in your own writing? This course is designed to introduce students to strategies for the effective reading of a range of texts to enhance understanding and critical assessment. You will learn ways to select and acknowledge these sources of information and write about them in a structured fashion as required in university study. You will learn to organise your paragraphs and choose appropriate academic vocabulary in your writing, to convey your meaning clearly to your reader. A minimum grade of C on this course and EAP 3275 is required for students to progress to GEP 3180, Research and Writing I.
EAP 3275
Fundamentals of Academic Language & Oracy
How do you feel about speaking up and speaking out? How closely do others listen to your views, and you to theirs? This course is founded on the belief that good spoken communication in a range of contexts is essential to individual, community and cross-cultural development and understanding. Students need to start thinking, listening and talking with confidence and clarity at the back, middle and front of the class, and throughout the university campus. A minimum grade of C on this course and EAP 3270 is required for students to progress to GEP 3180, Research and Writing I.
GEP 3150
Visual Thinking
This course provides an interdisciplinary grounding in the practice and theory of critical visual thinking. Through theoretical frameworks such as semiotics, it explores predominantly photographic images, from across a range of cultures and contexts: the arts, politics, science, sport and technology. Through visual analysis, it considers digital forms of observation and image making, as well as building understanding by visual practice. It examines questions concerning curating, circulating and making public the images we produce. It asks: What are the values and truths hidden in images? How can the practice of image production advance our thinking around images? How, in the context of a range of disciplines, can we learn to communicate ideas visually and verbally?
GEP 3170
Narratives of Change
This course considers a landscape of global ideas through the lens of contemporary literature. Students will be introduced to pivotal moments of recent thought surrounding gender, race, environment and technology, exploring how literature both shapes and responds to our changing world. Students will analyse literary, political, and theoretical texts from a variety of cultures, exploring the relationship between written form, content and context particularly the ways in which social change might play out in literature. There will be the opportunity to produce both critical analysis in essay form and creative writing that responds to the texts studied.
GEP 3180
Research and Writing I
This core course concentrates on developing the students’ ability to read and think critically, and to read, understand and analyse texts from a range of genres. How do you successfully negotiate a path through a sea of information and then write it up? Using essential information literacy skills to help with guided research, this course develops the ability to produce effective and appropriate academic writing across the curriculum. This is the first course in the Richmond academic research and writing sequence.
GEP 4105
Social Change in Practice
This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to analyse London-based social and environmental needs. Students will discuss key texts related to service learning and apply a range of planning and research techniques to deliver a community-based project related to a chosen social or environmental issue. Students will use local resources when available including registered not-for-profit and community-based organizations and reflect critically on their ability to create a positive contribution to society. Students will engage in community-based service learning, with guided academic tasks and reflection.
MGT 3201
Foundations of Computer Applications
This is a foundations course comprised of a broad overview of information systems and technology, as principally used in support of business processes and decision-making activities. An in-depth discussion of the relationship, between organizations and information systems is a fundamental element of the course. Topics include: computer hardware and software, operating systems, the use of excel in management practice, social issues related to information systems. The use of excel provides a common thread in the topics covered throughout the course.
MGT 3210
World of Entrepreneurship
The course is designed to help students explore the ‘aspirational journey’ of entrepreneurship - its history, present and future. Students will get the opportunity to understand how the discipline of entrepreneurship started, what constitutes its eco-system and why it has become the focus of advanced, emerging and developing countries simultaneously. Students will learn about the Merchant-Capitalists of the eighteenth century up to and beyond the iconic global brands which were founded during the 2008 global recession. Students will explore the reasons behind the successes and failures of businesses like Segway, Amazon, Spotify and Toyota. They will also read the lives of inspiring leaders and legendary entrepreneurs like Jack Ma, Jeff Bezos and Michael Dell who crafted the world of entrepreneurship. At the end of the course, students will be able to decipher themselves whether they wish to take the path of those who made a real difference in the world.
MTH 4120
Probability & Statistics
An introductory course in probability primarily designed for business economics and psychology majors. The course coverage will include: descriptive statistics, elementary probability theory, random variables and expectations, discrete probability distributions (Binomial and Poisson distributions), continuous probability distribution (Normal distribution), linear regression analysis and correlations, elementary hypothesis testing and Chi-square tests, non-parametric methods and SPSS lab sessions targeting applications of statistical concepts to business, economics and psychology and interpretations of hardcopies. All practical work will be produced using SPSS statistical software.
How to Apply
Select ‘Study Abroad’ and ‘Summer’ when you
apply online
Academic Qualifications
If you are attending a university or college in your home country, you must be able to provide proof that you have achieved marks demonstrating satisfactory academic progress in the first year and additional years of study.
Please complete the
Online Application form
by 19 May. If you are enrolling in the Internship Summer Programme please complete the
Online Application form by the 1 March
Academic Entry Requirements
To apply for the Summer School programme you must submit evidence of your academic standing by providing any of the following:
Completed high school or equivalent certificate. We require your High School Diploma, IB or your A Level results
If you are about to graduate from high school we require your High School Transcript and/or Certificate
If you are a current university student we require your current university transcript
If you are not a current student we require your most up-to-date academic record
Minimum GPA of 3.0
Please note:
Evidence must be either a scanned copy of the original document or an official certified copy.
f you wish to undertake an internship you will also need to have completed 40 US
University
credits by the start of the programme.
English Language Requirements
Valid
IELTS 6.0 overall
with a minimum of 5.5 in each of the four components
Valid
TOEFL iBT 79 overall
with 17 in Listening, 18 in Reading, 17 in Writing, 20 in Speaking
Please note:
We accept a wide range of English Language Qualifications. Please contact us for further details
Fees*
Fees
3-week class option
Tuition
1 three-credit course
£1,500
The Stay Club – North Acton
Summer 2026
North Acton is an ideal spot for students, combining a lively city vibe with all the essentials close at hand. Located in the London Borough of Ealing, West London, it’s known for its convenient transport links, particularly with the Central and Elizabeth Line on the London Underground, providing easy access to central London and beyond. The area has a mix of residential, commercial, and industrial spaces, with a growing number of modern developments, including new housing and office spaces. Essential conveniences, including supermarkets, fitness centers, and the scenic Acton Park, are just steps away, creating a well-rounded and enjoyable lifestyle in a vibrant part of the city.
Register your interest
If you are interested in booking housing at The Stay Club – North Acton , please get in touch with our Student Affairs team by clicking the button below. We’ll provide you with more information, answer any questions you have, and provide you with a pre-booking form to complete.
All Richmond students
must
book directly with the University (not Stay Club) in order to reserve a room within the University’s allocation at North Acton. Please note that Stay Club’s external website displays their public availability, which is entirely separate from the University’s reserved allocation.
All queries about room location, contract terms, or availability should be sent to:
[email protected]
REGISTER HERE
210 Western Avenue,
W3 6FW
25 minutes commute by Overground Train or Tube.
Fully furnished, single studio apartment with ensuite and full kitchen facilities included.
£454 per week (3 weeks)
Call: +44 (0)208 332 8346
Email:
[email protected]
You can find more details about The Stay Club in their FAQs
here
or on the company
website
Fire safety regulated
Single studios
En suite bathrooms
Self-catered
(with paid catering option)
Close to transport links
Resident assistance team
High-speed Wi-fi
Weekly cleaning service
24/7 Reception & security
Gym on-site
Cinema
Cafe
Bicycle storage
Maintenance
Option of Meal Plan
Deadlines
Please be aware of the following deadline dates during the application process. Please contact us if you have any questions.
Chiara Mortarino Bowie
North American Programmes Coordinator
Email:
[email protected]
Tel:
+44 (0)20 7368 8426
17th March
Guarantee of University housing deadline
1st May
Nomination deadline
19th May
Application deadline
What happens next?
Once we receive your application and it’s accepted, we will email you with an invoice and instructions on how to make full payment online by credit card and other payment methods. If you are also applying for a Summer Internship you will receive further instructions to apply for internship opportunities.
Discover Richmond
About Richmond
News & Events
Undergraduate Open Days
Virtual Open Days
Key Data and Reports
Student Right to Know
The Liberal Arts
Validated Awards
Schools & Research
Research
Richmond Business School
Department of Communications and The Arts
Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Department of Science, Innovation and Technology
School of Applied Liberal Arts
RIASA
London Sejong Institute Korean Language and Culture
Policies
University Policies
Access & Participation Statement
Student Charter
Resource Links
University Shop
Student/Staff Portal
Library
Work For Us
FAQs
Scroll to top