City and County of Lancaster

The City and County of Lancaster

Lancaster University lies 3 miles outside the historic city of Lancaster. The city's roots go back to Roman occupation in the first century AD and today it is a bustling town of 50,000 people, located at the end of the Lune River Valley, just four miles from the sea. Lancaster County is one of the most beautiful parts of England. To the north of the city is the Lake District and to the east lies the Yorkshire Dales, both providing opportunities for numerous outdoor activities, including hiking, climbing, and walking among picturesque farmland. Situated midway between London and Edinburgh, Lancaster affords students the opportunity to explore both England and Scotland, not to mention Ireland -- a short distance away by ferry.

Lancaster University

Lancaster University is a top-ranked British University with a commitment to a high standard of undergraduate and graduate teaching and research. Lancaster is known for its innovative curricula, including a number of creative interdisciplinary programs. The University was built in 1964 in 200 acres of sweeping parkland. Currently there are 9,000 students from over 100 countries in America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Gettysburg College students will be integrated into the regular academic curriculum, studying under Lancaster faculty and alongside British and other international students. The University's staff in the study abroad office will facilitate the registration process, arrange for student housing, and administer an orientation program. A Gettysburg College faculty member will also be at Lancaster to help students during their transition into the British academic system and throughout the fall term. As fully enrolled members of the University, Gettysburg College students will have access to all the facilities including the library, sports complex, computer laboratories, health center, and student union at normal student cost, and they will have the opportunity to join over 80 clubs or societies. Students will be housed in single rooms grouped around a communal lounge and kitchen area where students gather and prepare their meals. Typically no more than two American students are housed in any one cluster of rooms. All campus buildings have wheel chair access. The University does not have a meal plan. Students will receive a weekly food allowance which they may use to purchase groceries, either at a small on-campus grocery store or at a large supermarket just off campus. They may also purchase low-cost meals at any of the several campus cafes or pubs. The campus also has a complex of shops including a travel agency, book store, post office, and banks; and a Chaplaincy Center which serves a number of religious denominations. For off-campus needs or access to the train station, frequent bus service into the town of Lancaster is available.

At Lancaster University, students enroll in three to four courses, which each usually meet twice per week. A great deal of autonomy is given students as to how they structure their studies, allowing ample time to explore the many clubs and societies also offered at the university.

Student life at Lancaster University is quite different from Gettysburg College. Students studying with the program are guaranteed a single room. There are always plenty of people around, though. Fourteen or more people have single rooms on each floor and they share a kitchen and living area. For the most part, the accomodations are co-ed by floor.

The kitchen is an important part of each flat because, unlike Gettysburg, Lancaster has no specific meal plan. Participants in the program are given a generous allowance for food which is dispensed bi-weekly. Cooking in the flat is often a real multicultural experience, because people from all over the world bring strange and interesting recipes and concoctions to the table. For those who would rather not cook, there are cafes and pubs on campus and a number of restaurants in the city of Lancaster.

Lancaster University Homepage

Lancaster University International Office

Lancaster University has a special catalogue for Study Abroad students, which lists courses available to international students. Copies of the catalogue are in the Off-Campus Studies Office (CUB 290).