Drexel in England: Aston Business School
The Drexel in England exchange with Aston Business School (ABS) offers Lebow College of Business students an opportunity to spend a term studying at one of the most prestigious business schools in Europe. The ABS Exchange completely immerses Drexel students into British education and culture by taking classes with the local British and international students. Situated in the heart of Birmingham, England's second largest city, Aston Business School, part of Aston University, attracts leading academics and key thinkers from all over the world to create a forward-thinking environment. For more information visit http://www1.aston.ac.uk/aston-business-school.
With around 9,000 students, Aston University is a lively, diverse, close-knit community with great academic support and social facilities. Its campus in the center of Birmingham gives students the best of both worlds, a green, well-equipped, friendly campus in the heart of a vibrant city. There is plenty of nightlife both on campus and 5 minutes walk in the center of Birmingham. For more about life in Birmingham visit: http://www1.aston.ac.uk/birmingham/
Before the start of classes at ABS, all exchange students attend a special two week program of activities and events to help get settled into life at Aston. The first, "Aston Welcomes Internationals", focuses on students from outside the UK. The second week offers a program of events from both the Business School and the Students Guild.
The Students Union is the main entertainment venue on campus and is home to a range of facilities and support services. There is also a huge array of clubs and organizations to join, giving students plenty of opportunity to try something different and meet new people. For more info about the Students Union visit: http://www.aston.ac.uk/union/
Aston also has excellent sports and recreation facilities for both indoor and outdoor sports. There are a wide range of sports clubs and societies which are open to all students. For a full list of clubs, please visit: https://www.astonsu.com/union/student-activities/clubs-and-societies/
"Some advice that I have for future study abroad-ers - save up co-op and part-time job money, apply for scholarships, and be smart while you are over here. Do the things that you can not do when you are at home instead of making silly purchases that you can get anywhere. Also, keep in mind that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and while the expenses may be hard to bear during this time, in the end it is worth every single penny."
- Dimple Kothari, Business Administration Senior, Aston Fall 2011
- New for 2016! This program is now open to students in all majors. More information coming soon!
- 3.0 GPA required
Course Availability
Drexel students must select from
this pre-approved list of ABS business courses. Final exams for these pre-approved courses only will be given before the New Year. For all other courses, finals are in January and would prevent Drexel students from starting winter term classes on time at Drexel. Therefore, ABS courses not found on the
Approved ABS Course Offerings list are NOT available to Drexel students.
Students should select alternate courses in addition to their top choices to allow for flexibility in case of class cancellations or class schedule conflicts.
Grading
Students are taught and graded by ABS faculty. In order to receive credit (CR) students must earn a "C" or above at the host institution. Grades are then indicated as "CR/NCR" on their Drexel transcript and will NOT affect their GPA. The goal is to take an appropriate number of courses to be a full time student at both ABS (30 ECTS credits) and Drexel (12 – 20 credits).
Program Calendar
Because Aston is a semester based university, this exchange works best for students scheduled for class during fall term. Due to the potential need for a co-op cycle switch, the Study Abroad Office urges students to start planning 12-18 months in advance.
Fall Semester Dates and Itinerary ("Teaching Period 1")
| Program Start Date |
Late September |
| Program End Date |
Early January |
Drexel students will need to secure off campus housing accommodations at Aston. There is a website for searching off campus housing availabilities:
http://www.astonstudentpad.co.uk/
Students from outside the EU will need to make sure that they have the necessary visa to enable them to study in the UK. Please refer to the UK Embassy website for further instructions.
Program Costs
This is a Drexel sponsored program, thus all of your financial aid travels with you. If you are interested in seeking additional funding, you should considering applying for a study abroad scholarship. Check out Scholarship & Funding Opportunities for more information. Remember that scholarship deadlines may be much earlier than study abroad deadlines, so plan accordingly.
