London 2023

2023 Study Abroad

This trip was held in 2023. To learn about the upcoming study abroad program, please visit the Study Abroad 2025 webpage.

Literature and Psychology in the City That Drinks and Thinks

Few cities have the literary, intellectual and historical weight of London. From Big Ben to the Globe Theatre, London is a perfect place for students to learn and explore the work of great writers and philosophers. Join us this summer and

• Find inspiration in tracing the steps of legendary authors
• Delve into British history at the Tower of London and Buckingham Palace
• Experience the culture of high tea and English pubs in Soho, Bloomsbury, and Kensington neighborhoods

As we immerse ourselves in the traditions and past of London, we will also discover the modern diversity of this cosmopolitan and global community.

Courses in this program will focus on examination of literature and composition as well as psychology and sociology, with London as the backdrop.

We’ll see how classic texts come to life with literary walking tours and live performances at the Globe Theater. We’ll explore the psychological history and sociological impact of an ever-emerging city. And we will add our own creative perspective, by writing and thinking about our newly discovered London and newly discovered selves.

“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.”  – Samuel Johnson

Meet the London Instructors

Mark Healy is chair of the Psychology Department at De Anza College, where he has taught since 2004. In addition, he is president of the Board of Trustees for the California History Center Foundation. In his work as an organizational psychologist, Mark has traveled internationally to implement hiring systems, interview training, and leadership development initiatives, especially in Mexico, Canada, and the United Kingdom. 

Julie Pesano has taught English at De Anza College since 1997. During this time, she has led study abroad programs to Paris, London and the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon. Her love of studying abroad began during graduate school in Cambridge, England, and she has since studied extensively in Oxford and Paris. Inspired by her travels, she has written literary tours of Great Britain, Paris and Northern California. Her writing can be found at juliepesano.com.

London Classes Include

• EWRT 1A: Composition and Reading
• EWRT 1B: Reading, Writing and Research
• EWRT 1C: Literature and Composition
• EWRT 2: Critical Reading, Writing and Thinking
• EWRT 30: Introduction to Creative Writing
• EWRT 42: Introduction to Creative Nonfiction
  and Memoir Writing
• ELIT 10: Introduction to Fiction 
• ELIT 12: Introduction to Dramatic Literature
• ELIT 17: Introduction to Shakespeare
• ELIT 21: Women in Literature
• PSYC 1: General Psychology
• PSYC 4: Abnormal Psychology
• PSYC 5: Introduction to Theories of Personality
• PSYC 8: Introduction to Social Psychology
• PSYC 14: Developmental Aspects of Psychology

Highlights From Previous Trips

The De Anza Study Abroad program went to Paris in 2022, the Philippines in 2019 and Vietnam in 2018. You can watch video highlights of the Vietnam trip, thanks to student trip participant Binh Kien.