Faculty-Led Programs
/ Study Abroad in United Kingdom
FLPOverview Summer Study Abroad in Scotland & England
Led by Peter Schiffman and Doug MacDougall
Imagine being in Edinburgh, Scotland in the middle of the eighteenth century, when a group of thinkers in philosophy, economics, chemistry and natural history met regularly in the city’s pubs to discuss their ideas. One of them, “the man who discovered time” (James Hutton), shook up established thinking by declaring about geologic time that there “is no vestige of a beginning, no prospect of an end.” Imagine being in Cambridge, England, in the middle of the twentieth century when the structure of DNA was being decoded and another group of scientists was working on ideas that would revolutionize the way we think about the Earth and eventually lead to the theory of plate tectonics.
In this course we will live for a short time in those two centers of intellectual foment – Edinburgh and Cambridge – while we examine the ways in which our societies have been shaped both by the Earth itself, and by our understanding of our planet’s origin and evolution. Human advancement has been dependent on the availability of earth materials, from those used by Stone Age man to light fires and decorate his body to the components of your smartphone, and from water resources to fossil fuels. Societies have also been impacted by earth hazards, from volcanic eruptions to earthquakes and tsunamis. FLPExcursions Academic & Cultural Excursions
Locations You’ll Explore:
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Cambridge & London, England
Both part-day and daylong excursions will be integral to the learning experience of this class.
In the hills within and around Edinburgh, we will visit locations that were central to the development of ideas about the earth’s interior and the concept of global ice ages. A longer excursion will take us to Siccar Point, along the North Sea coast, where rock outcroppings that dramatically illustrate the dynamic nature of the earth inspired ideas about the enormity of geological time. The National Mining Museum of Scotland and the National Museum of Scotland will round out Edinburgh-based excursions.
In Cambridge we will visit the Museum of the History of Science and the Sedgwick Museum, where some of the geological samples from Darwin’s expedition on the Beagle are housed. We will also visit the Natural History Museum, London, and take day excursions to visit the thermal springs at Bath (extensively developed by the Romans during their occupation of Britain nearly two thousand years ago), and to the Somerset Coal Canal, dug out in the 18th century, where an engineer named William Smith first used fossils in the excavated sedimentary rocks to figure out the relative ages of rock strata.
Language of Instruction
English
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Language Study
None
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Duration
Schedule
FLPSchedule To view the Program's detailed itinerary and schedule, click here. Lodging
FLPLodging Your lodging costs are included in the fees for this program. You will be housed in a variety of accommodations while traveling and studying abroad. These may include shared, budget-style accommodation, single- or double-dorm rooms, or shared hotel rooms. More detailed information on lodging will be available soon.
Course Work
FLPCourseOpportunities In this program you will take the following required two courses, totaling 10 UC quarter units. You may be able to petition these courses towards various departments, beyond the UCEAP subject area designations listed below, on your home campus. See “Course Equivalents” note below.
Core Course
EARTH & SPACE SCIENCES 162 (5 UC quarter units, Letter Grade only)
Through lectures, interactive learning, and field excursions you will learn about the origins of mineral and energy resources, how and why earth hazards occur, and how the revolutionary theory known as plate tectonics integrates many apparently disparate aspects of how our planet works. Along the way, we will follow the arc of scientific thought that brought us to our current understanding of the Earth and how those ideas have affected our societies, with special focus on the enormous contributions made by scientists working in Britain. Format: Lectures will take place in the morning. Field trips, guided tours, and excursions will be held in the morning, afternoon or on weekends.
Directed Group Study
EARTH & SPACE SCIENCES 189 (5 UC quarter units, Pass/No Pass only)
You will work with other students in small groups to integrate the readings and lectures with the academic excursions, through exploration of a particular topic. This directed group study will be assessed based on the quality of group projects, which will entail preparation of scripts and performances of events in the history of geological science in Britain.
Course Equivalents: As with all UCEAP courses, subject area listings do not indicate that these courses will satisfy specific major or other degree requirements at any particular campus. Work with your home UC campus academic department before departure to identify potential requirements that could be fulfilled through this program's coursework. Units
FLPUnits You will take two courses totaling 10 UC quarter units on this program.
Internships, Research, and Independent
Study
FLPInternships The Directed Group Study allows you to focus on particular topics in small groups. Concurrent additional independent study, internships, or research are not an option on this program.
Check back for updates, including a detailed syllabus. Information is published as it becomes available.
FLPFacultyBio
Peter Schiffman is a geologist with research interests in volcanology and geothermal energy. During his 31 years as a professor at the University of California- first in Riverside and for the past 28 years in Davis - he and his students have conducted field research throughout the world, including in Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Cyprus, Mexico, Hawaii, the United Kingdom, as well as at mid-oceanic ridges. For 15 years, he taught an annual 2-week field course in volcanology at Kilauea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii. He served as faculty director of the UCD UCEAP office from 2002-2006, then as UCEAP Study Center Director in Edinburgh, Scotland from 2006-2008. He is an avid acoustic guitarist and enjoys folk music from Britain.
Doug Macdougall is emeritus professor of earth sciences at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD. His research interest is in the use of geochemistry, especially isotope geochemistry, to investigate geological problems and processes ranging from the origin of volcanic lavas to the history of meteorites and the composition of seawater in the past. He is a strong believer in the educational value of international experiences, and together with students has carried out geological research in many parts of the world, and has hosted many international students and researchers in his laboratory. Doug was also director of UCEAP’s study center in Edinburgh, Scotland, for three years. He is a fellow of the Meteoritical Society and the American Geophysical Union, and at various times served as chairperson of both the Geological Research Division at the Scripps Institution and the Earth Sciences Program at UCSD. He has written several popular science books about different aspects of the geosciences. On-site Support
FLPOnsiteSupport As a UCEAP participant, you will be supported by your UC faculty leader, the UCEAP Systemwide Office, and the University of California, which includes a network of study abroad offices at every UC campus. Drawing on UCEAP’s worldwide resources, your faculty leaders will guide you academically, culturally, and logistically, with strong support from UCEAP staff in California.
Estimated Cost
FLPCost Studying abroad with UCEAP, the official UC study abroad program, allows you to enjoy exceptional value and perks! Often, the expenses of participating in UCEAP programs are less than those of non-UC study abroad programs. The cost listed in the chart below include: 1) program fees that are paid directly to UCEAP in the current year, and 2) an estimate of the amount needed to cover your personal living expenses abroad. Recreational travel and entertainment are not included.
If you receive UC financial aid, it will be repackaged and customized to the cost of your UCEAP program. In other words, the amount of your financial aid package will take into account the estimated TOTAL COST of this experience, as it is estimated below.
These expenses are estimated for the current year. Amounts are subject to change due to potential changes to UC fees, exchange rate fluctuation, etc. Here’s what is included in the estimate:
Your Program Fees:
- UC fees
- All Program Costs, including tuition & instructional expenses
- Accident and medical insurance
- Orientation and advising
- Lodging and partial meals
- All excursions and entrance fees for cultural activities
- Automatic transfer of credits and grades to your UC transcript
Estimated Personal Expenses:
- Pre-departure expenses (health clearance, student visa, etc.)
- Round-trip airfare and other travel-related expenses
- Meals not covered by program fees
- Books and other incidental expenses
Your Program Fees + Estimated Personal Expenses = $8,600
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FLPMiscFees
FLPScholarshipOpportunities Scholarships
UCEAP scholarships for the 2012-13 academic year are available for the new 50th Anniversary UC Faculty-Led Summer Programs. Please visit our scholarships overview page for general information and details regarding eligibility requirements and application deadlines.FLPMiscInfo
How to Apply
Application Process
FLPApplicationProcess
To apply for this program, follow the steps below. You will apply directly to the UCEAP Systemwide Office.
- Create an account with MyEAP.
Note: Once you register with MyEAP you will receive an auto e-mail from UCEAP with instructions specific to your UC campus. Please disregard this e-mail.
- Select this program from the dropdown menu.
- Complete the online MyEAP application.
- Gather the required documents as listed in the MyEAP application Instructions.
- Mail your application including all the required documents directly to the UCEAP Systemwide Office (must be received by April 13, 2012):
Mailing Address
Attn: Ann Logan
UCEAP Systemwide Office
6950 Hollister Avenue, Suite 200
Goleta, CA 93117-5823
APPLICATION DEADLINE: April 13, 2012
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Selection Process
FLPApplicationDeadlines The deadline to apply is April 13, 2012.
Don’t delay! Applicants are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
If you are selected for the program, you will be notified within one week of your application submission. At that time, a $400 non-refundable fee will be assessed to secure your participation in the program. The payment will be applied towards your UCEAP program fees.
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