Arcadia England

One of the most important and, potentially, challenging aspects of the study-abroad experience is a engaging meaningfully with the host culture. Arcadia’s Co-curricular Learning Certificate offers students a formalized way in which to participate in British life beyond the classroom!

An asset in the building of a strong resume

In addition to gaining an enhanced understanding of British history and culture, students who enroll in the CLC programme receive formal certification of their intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm for new experiences. These traits are extremely attractive to potential employers, but are often difficult to quantify. The CLC is therefore an excellent asset in the building of a strong resume.

The CLC is coordinated by Dr Laurence Scott ,who has a keen interest in British culture. As a graduate of MA and PhD programmes in Comparative Literature, Dr Scott is passionate about the programme and is keen to boast about the good work students have written for their projects.

Choose from one of seven themes

Students typically choose from one of seven themes, but they may also pitch their own theme to the CLC coordinator for approval. Each theme has three required activities, which comprise a mix of institutional learning (e.g. relevant museums) and self-directed research. Once they have a solid understanding of their theme from the three required components, students will choose the fourth ‘wildcard’ activity themselves, with the coordinator providing additional guidance where necessary.

Students can gain a range of knowledge from the CLC programme, with topics including The River Thames, London at War, Sports and British Food and Culture. The level of work is often very high, shown in the example below.

British Food and Culture

Past Arcadia Study Abroad student, Alejandra Lee discussed her love for food whilst writing her final project on British Food and Culture, which incorporated her travels to Paris. Alejandra expresses her frank opinions about both British and Parisian cuisines in an interesting manner along with some great pictures.

It’s safe to say Alejandra wasn't a fan of Britain’s most famous dishes when she describes London’s fish and chips as tasting of ‘nothing at all’. Though she wasn't impressed by the fish and chips, Alejandra goes onto describing her meals out in London as ‘amazing’ and ‘the best’. This said London’s food was no match to what she had in Paris which included pastries, crème brulee and crepes. Along with the written piece Alejandra took some great photos which compliment her description brilliantly. 

As mentioned there is a wide range of themes that you can complete for your CLC and creativity is welcomed. If you would like to know more about the CLC programme ask a faculty member or drop into the London Center to ask any questions.