Design Study Abroad Programs in United Kingdom

My time at Richmond has been the best 3 weeks of my life. I've never felt freer and happier. I have made so many friends along the way that I will never forget, friends that I laughed with until we were all out of breath and crying. The history that London has is almost unreal, walking by churches that are older than America. Everyone was unbelievably kind, at concerts we were upgraded to front row seats, and in class we were given opportunities to see Oxford and York - both of which were some of the best moments I had with the friends I made. Our professor was always willing to answer two million questions, before Richmond I had never had fun learning. I'll never forget my time in London with Richmond and every opportunity it's given me.

I had such a great time at Lite Regal Education Summer School 2025 The Intensive English course really helped my English improve a lot in such a short time. I also met so many new friends from different countries everyone was super kind and friendly.

I studied abroad at AUB on the Costume and Performance Design Course. I'm from NY, USA, and am a double major in Dance and Sociology. I've always wanted to study abroad, and stumbled upon AUB completely by random chance – and I'm endlessly thankful that I did. I was studying something completely new, meeting the most amazing people every day, traveling to a multitude of different countries, and living in a vibrant, exciting town on the beautiful coast of England. The semester was a whirlwind of trying new things, exploring, and meeting new people. Generally speaking, there seems to be a pervasive culture of community and family within students living in Bournemouth. Bournemouth itself is such a fun town. There are tons of great shopping and restaurants, lovely gardens, and of course, the beautiful sea. It was wonderful to be able to just leave my room, walk through town and through the gardens, and reach the beach within 15 minutes. Bournemouth was an absolutely incredible place to be for the semester because of the accessibility it provided for traveling. A bus into London takes only about 2.5 hours from Bournemouth, and from there, I was able to fly to a multitude of incredible places all over Europe. Over the course of the semester, I was lucky enough to visit eleven cities in nine different countries. I learned that I absolutely love traveling by myself. It gives you the chance to really absorb and appreciate a city, taking everything in.

I enjoy the campus; it's nice, clean, and easy to get around. My favourite thing is the moss ecosystems that grow on the rooftops. My course tutors also created a welcoming environment. Being an international student, this was comforting. I'm so far from home, so having this community was super important for me to find and has helped me adjust to living in England. My first impression of the course was that our tutors were knowledgeable in what they were teaching; I love that they're also passionate about design. On the BA (Hons) Communication Design and Strategy course, one of the topics we've been focusing on is typography, which I've enjoyed. My creative process has changed drastically during my two months at AUB; I still don't have a solid process because I'm trying different methods to find it. However, one fundamental part has changed, and that is research. Research has always been part of my creative process, but learning more about good research and its project requirements has helped me. I love art, design, and crafting, so I have a million different hobbies. One of these is embroidery – I've been working on embroidering words, which has turned out to be helpful on my course because it ties in with typography. While embroidering, I look at the anatomy of different fonts and how the pieces work together to build a whole font, which has helped me appreciate type more. I recommend AUB to any creative- learning from passionate people makes your passion grow.

I studied with the 1st year students in BA (Hons) Fine at AUB for about 10 months. Because it was my first time to academically study art abroad after my career change, I was really nervous in the beginning. However, everyone I met at AUB was very supportive and friendly. The course encouraged students to engage creative practice in the studio and to try various media and themes. I was easily able to communicate with lecturers and tutors when I had a question. The more I studied, the more I became enthusiastic especially about painting. I had an access to some workshops. Printing room was also my favourite place which enabled me to cultivate my potential apart from the course project. As for my assignment support, I often booked a tutorial of English for Academic Purpose (EAP) in Student Service. I was able to talk about difficulties and the solutions to study in English as my second language. In my student accommodation, I had amazing flat mates in the student hall who celebrated every occasions, such as someone's birthday and seasonal events. I often cooked with them in the shared kitchen. The whole community had such an inclusive atmosphere which helped me feel comfortable. This was really important point for me to study there as an international student being away from home country. I think I was able to meet everything and everyone I needed for my art studies. It was a really valuable experience. Everyone was very friendly. Students and lecturers called their first names each other, but I did know expect the situation and felt uncomfortable to call the lecturers' first names even without Mr. or Ms. It was too casual for me to do this, so it took me for a while to be brave enough to follow the way as other students do.

I have been on the Fine Art program at AUB and it has been a great experience. The immediate difference I noticed at AUB is how the faculty encourage students to do things out of the box, which I feel was much needed for me. Secondly, being a specialist art university means that everyone around you is an artist/creator and that itself is a unique experience. They have very talented technicians across a range of workshops and printmaking facilities. Overall the time at AUB has really helped me grow. I would advice students to indulge in the course activities as much as they can and get inducted to as many workshop inductions. Also carry an umbrella everyday.

I was lucky enough to be a part of the CIS Abroad program with Westminster in the Summer of 2023. I was there for two sessions, taking one class in each that focused on Criminal Justice topics. One of my favorite courses that was exclusive to the University of Westminster was Jack the Ripper, which focused on the aspects of the myth and story of Jack the Ripper and Victorian London. Overall, academics thoughout this program were intersting and not time consuming. The location of the campus is also so central within London, allowing you to travel from place to place with ease. The dorms at the Marylebone campus were very nice and I enjoyed having my own space to reside in. I loved CIS's program and HIGHLY recommend anyone who is traveling abroad for study or for internship to look into their programs!

I had the absolute time of my life. Between the pre-departure experience, to living in the dorms with fellow 20-year-olds from the States, to going out and exploring the city, nothing will top the amount of joy I had while I lived abroad. I stayed in London for 6 weeks at one of Westminster's dorm halls, Marylebone. Not only was this location so close to the city center and classes, but it was also very spacious and offered plenty of storage and living ability while staying for almost 2 months. My courses were unlike what I have experienced in the States. We were able to dive deep into the content, as the class is 4 hours (with a lunch break included). However, we also did walking tours in both of my courses. We went to museums and city streets where Jack The Ripper made cultural impacts that can still be seen today. We were able to see the neighborhoods in which the Kray Twins ruled the streets. This different perspective of a course allowed me to not only understand the content better but also immerse myself in the culture. If I could study abroad again, I would do it in a heartbeat. It was hands-down the best experience of my lifetime and I wish everyone could experience CIS Abroad like I did.

Deciding to go abroad to University of Westminster with CIS Abroad was easily the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. CIS made it super easy to apply, and was very helpful with everything during pre-departure. Throughout the semester, they organized plenty of free excursions and meals, including several day trips like Stone Henge and Bath. I also loved staying at Alexander Fleming Hall. I met my best friends there and the community aspect was amazing. If I had questions throughout the semester, the contacts at CIS were always readily available to help. Highly recommend

CIS Abroad responded to this reviewDecember 23, 2021

Hi Cassie! We are so glad to hear that you had a wonderful time in London & that we were helpful throughout your semester. Thanks for writing a great review! - Jess A.