Digital culture in London and Scotland Study Abroad

May 20 – June 19, 2026

Application deadline – February 1, 2026
Applications are also accepted on a rolling basis

All classes in this program count toward the Citizen Scholars program.

Learn more about a scholarship opportunity specifically for students in this program!

Go behind the scenes of cultural institutions (museums, archives, libraries, etc) to see first-hand how technology is used to tell stories, preserve history, and engage the public. In this program, students also see how artists and theatres use technology to do their creative practice and use their artistic perspective to critique technology and digital culture.

The program is 4 weeks long: the first half is spent in London, and the second half is based in Edinburgh with excursions to Glasgow and Stirling. While on-site, students complete portfolio-worthy digital projects that prompt them to learn about their surroundings – the people, history, and culture of London and Scotland.

Students from any major at any point in their time at MSU are encouraged to apply.

See the 2024 itinerary to get a better idea of what we do and where we go, and check out this list of top 10 reasons to go on the program!

Explore changes in digital culture by immersing yourself in London and Scotland (Edinburgh specifically), two of the creative capitals of the world.

Experience:

• attending plays and performances
• going behind the scenes at museums and galleries
• creating portfolio-worthy digital projects
• meeting and networking with professionals from the cultural sector
• living for 2 weeks in London
• living for 2 weeks in Edinburgh
• day trips to Glasgow, Stirling, and a day trip to a loch

Courses

The program includes 2 courses, totaling 6-7 credits:

• One of the following:
  • IAH 241E – Creative Arts & Humanities: The Creative Process [4 credits]*
  • AL 491 – Art, Society, and Technological Change [4 credits]
• DH 491 – Culture: Digital and Physical [2-3 credits]**

*Students who do not have the pre-requisite for a second-level IAH course can receive an override to enroll in this program. IAH 241E focuses on how technology shapes creative expression in literature, theater, music, and art, and on how technology changes society. This course will be a hybrid class (part online and part face-to-face). Students who have fulfilled their IAH requirements may take AL 491 which will include the same field trips but have a different final project. AL 491 is also a hybrid course. Students also may enroll in the IAH class without having taken the prerequisites of the first-level IAH course and/or the first-year writing course.

**DH491 for 2 credits, paired with the IAH/AL course, count as 6 credits, which support enrollment to qualify for financial aid for Summer, and they suit completion of the Digital Studies Minor. Enrolling in DH491 for 3 credits may be suitable if you need a 3-credit Arts and Letters elective.

Both courses can count towards the Digital Studies in the Arts and Humanities minor. Students that participate in the study abroad program would only need two additional Digital Studies classes and a capstone or internship to complete the minor. Find out more about the minor.

The first half of the program (2 weeks; 2 weekends) will be based in London, and the second half (2 weeks; 2 weekends) will be based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Living in two cities over the course of the program gives students the opportunity to explore the cities as tourists and as residents, and to be able to understand some of the similarities and differences in daily life across the UK.

Classes will almost entirely be held on-site (at museums, plays, galleries, etc); however, there will also be a few sessions taught in classrooms with student services support based out of ACCENT offices in London (located just behind the British Museum and across from the University College London).

Housing

In London, students will be housed in apartments with their classmates. All apartments are located within zones 1 and 2 of London’s underground metro system. In Edinburgh, students will be housed in student housing (likely apartment-style) with their classmates near the center of the city. Specific locations will be assigned in the Spring. All housing will have kitchens, and students are encouraged to explore London and Edinburgh’s markets and grocery stores as a part of their experience.

Instructor

Kristen Mapes
Interim Director of Digital Humanities
kmapes@msu.edu

Cost Breakdown

Program fee: Under $5000

What it covers:

• Housing for the entire trip, including a shared apartment in London and housing in Edinburgh
• Transportation within the UK–including an unlimited Oyster card for public transport in zones 1 and 2 of the Underground train and local transport to and in Scotland
• Day trips to Glasgow and Stirling, as well as a London tour and a day-long Scotland bus tour
• Admission to all museums, galleries, archives, etc that are part of the class
• Theater tickets to required performances
• Group meals–over the course of the program, there will be several group meals (usually dinners) for students and the instructor

Scholarship and Financial Aid

Digital Studies Study Abroad Scholarship – $1000 – Due by 11:59pm, Wednesday, January 28, 2025

Available to a student enrolled in the Digital Studies in the Arts and Humanities minor at MSU. The Digital Humanities Program will contribute $1000 toward the Program Fee. This scholarship looks for particularly strong experience or interest in Digital Studies. Involvement in the Digital Studies/Humanities community at MSU and beyond as well as an awareness of the emerging field are traits highly valued by the Scholarship Committee.

The application requires a personal statement from the student (100-300 words). The student must have applied to the study abroad program in order to be considered for the scholarship.