To apply:

• Attend one of the London Launch Sessions or a Small Group Advising Session.
• Access to the online application for the London Business Semester will be granted following attendance of a London Launch Session or a small group advising session at the Office of Study Abroad. Access to the application will not be granted prior to these sessions. 
• Priority application deadline: April 1
• Final application deadline (space available): October 1

London Launch Sessions - LBS 2024!

Launch sessions are held prior to the application period, and attendance at one session is required in order to apply for the program. The session is an opportunity for you to meet the faculty directors, hear from a LBS alum, learn about the program components, and ask questions about living, volunteering, and studying in London. If you are not able to attend a Launch session, you may attend a small group advising session or contact the Office of Study Abroad for other options.

Tuesday, February 21, 12 – 1 pm, MCH 100
Thursday, March 2, 12 – 1 pm, MCH 100

Eligibility

• Business major or minor
• At least sophomore standing at the time of the program
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5
• Good disciplinary standing, and
• Complete a formal application and interview with Faculty Directors and Study Abroad Staff

Final acceptance will be made after an interview.

Note to Accepted Students:  All students accepted into the London Business Semester are required to attend all scheduled pre-departure meetings and orientation sessions. These meetings will take place during the semester prior to departure, dates will be sent with approval notifications.

Once accepted into the London Business Semester, you will need to sign a release for St. Thomas to obtain a criminal background check in order to be placed at your community service site in London (this is a legal requirement of the U.K.). The nature of some offenses may result in limits to the type of placement or restrict students altogether from obtaining a community service placement in London. Note that any reported offenses may be recorded onto your St. Thomas discipline record, and that serious offenses may result in disciplinary action by St. Thomas, including a determination that you are not eligible for Study Abroad programs.

Selection Process

• Application review by faculty directors
• Selected students are granted a personal interview. Interviews take place in April.
• Final students will be selected after the interview.

The program is limited to 50 students.

Courses Offered - Spring 2024 

Students are in courses only with other St. Thomas students. Students take at least 12 and up to 18 credits, plus BUSN 200. Courses listed below are subject to change.

Courses Offered - Spring 2023

Course Descriptions

Business Courses

All Students Take 

BUID 490: Global Business in London (4 semester credits)
This course is an experiential study abroad learning program exploring U.K. history, politics, culture, economics and geography and their influence on the practice of business. The course is interdisciplinary, providing the opportunity for students to explore their areas of business concentration and faculty co-directors to focus on their area of disciplinary expertise in business. 

BUSN 200: Community Service (no academic credit)
This experience is required of all business majors. The course follows the Statement of Purpose of the university to "develop morally responsible individuals who combine career competency . . .while fostering in the student a tradition of service to the public welfare." Students will develop an awareness of the challenges and responsibilities in meeting the diverse, changing needs of the community while experiencing personal growth and awareness. Students will be placed at a volunteer site that follows the mission of St. Thomas and also affords them a unique experience in London. The course is graded S-D-R by the Director of Business 200 at St. Thomas.

Optional Core Courses 

PLEASE NOTE:  AIFS will allow you to send books directly to London in advance of your arrival:

<Student Name>
AIFS Student Centre
Taylor House
2 Elvaston Place
Kensington, London SW7 5QH

Alternatively, books may be purchased at Blackwell's or Waterstone's on arrival in the U.K.

St. Thomas' partner organization in London, the American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS), coordinates the on-site logistics of the program.  AIFS staff members coordinate the student homestays, reserve classroom space, and make the community service placements, etc.

AIFS has office space and classrooms in a building called Taylor House which is in Kensington near Imperial College London.

Students' mail may be sent in care of AIFS at this address:

<Student Name>
AIFS Student Centre
Taylor House
2 Elvaston Place
Kensington, London SW7 5QH

Visit the AIFS site for more information.

Taylor House is in the Kensington district of London close to Hyde Park and the Imperial College Union.

The Imperial College Union contains many student amenities including several food options, events, clubs and activities, and workout space. 

View Student Suggestions - Things to do in London and the U.K.

Housing

London Business Semester students live in homestays with British families. The homestays are usually in North London, in the Crouch End and Muswell Hill areas, on the Northern and Piccadilly Tube lines. Students may live with a retired couple, a family with children, or a single person.

British homestay environments can be different from American ones. Some European home stays may treat students like boarders, rather than as members of the family. However, no homestay is a "typical" homestay, and students will find varying levels of interaction with their home stay hosts. During the semester prior to departure students will have the opportunity to express some preferences regarding the type of homestay with which they are placed.

Homestay experiences of past LBS students:

I lived with a lovely couple located in the cute borough of Muswell Hill. My host parents have been opening their house to students for 10+ years. I lived with two other students during my time abroad and became very close with them. We would check in with our host parents every day, however, we had plenty of independence. As time went on, they became true family to the three of us and took care of us like we were their own. We keep in touch with them to this day. I will forever be thankful to the LBS program for giving me this experience.     - Danica

My homestay was in Muswell Hill, which is about 50 minutes from the city center by bus or tube. I lived with a host-mom, Meg, and the family dog in a three-story Victorian home with my roommate. We had our own room to share and our host-mom gave us each a cabinet and fridge space to store food in the kitchen. Meg was a school teacher, so we saw her mostly in the evening and on weekends. She usually would ask us how our days went and if we needed anything, which was nice because she made us feel like a part of the family. I enjoyed my homestay experience because it allowed me to see a different part of London I would not have been able to see if I had stayed in a dorm.   - Erin

My roommate and I lived in Northern London in an area called Hampstead, about a block away from Hampstead Heath.  We lived with an older couple who were nice, had hosted many students over the years, and let us have our independence. We lived in a posh house, in a safe neighborhood, and were given our necessities. As college students who were living abroad for the first time, that’s all we really needed. Breakfast was left on the kitchen table for us in the mornings and we were able to come and go as we pleased. Now, I only look back at my time abroad with fond memories.   - Alex

The homestay aspect of the program was something that I was very excited to experience along with all of the other adventures London offers. My homestay consisted of a British mom and her mother. Our host mom had kids, but they all lived outside the home. She gave us advice on how to get places, what things we should see, and was a good ‘second mom’. I had a great time at my homestay and recently went back to London, and I stopped in for a visit with my host mom. It was a positive experience and I feel that much more connected to London. - Mike

Helpful Links

• UK Airports (including Heathrow and Gatwick)
• BritRail 
• London Transport 
• British Tourist Authority 
• Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door 

Pre-Departure Meetings for Spring 2023

A suggested flight itinerary will be designated for travel to and from London for the London Business Semester. If you choose to travel on the designated itinerary you will be met at the airport and transported to the AIFS Centre. At the end of the semester transportation will also be provided to the airport.

Traveling on this itinerary is not required, however this is the only travel itinerary where transportation from the airport to the AIFS Centre will be provided. If you choose to find and book a different flight you may either:

• Book a flight that will arrive BEFORE the designated flight that morning and wait for the group to arrive; you can then join the students traveling on the designated itinerary. NOTE: You will need a backup plan in case your flight is late since the group will not wait for your flight to arrive.
• Make your own transportation arrangements from the airport in to London upon your arrival. Instructions and exact destination location in London will be provided closer to departure. You are responsible for the cost of ground transportation in this case.
• Note the program dates when booking your flight. Your homestay will not be available outside of the official program dates.

Spring 2024

Dr Kyle Goldschmidt, Operations and Supply Chain Management

Kyle Goldschmidt, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Operations and Supply Chain Management. He joined the department in 2014 after receiving his PhD and MBA in supply chain and information systems from Pennsylvania State University. He also holds a B.S.E. in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. Upon completion of his bachelor’s degree, he worked as an engineer for Ford Motor Company where he designed steering system components, developed and tested crash safety systems and coordinated the chassis team on a new product launch.

It was Goldschmidt’s experience in manufacturing that inspired his interest in operations and supply chain management. He brings this experience into the classroom where he teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses in business analytics and operations and supply chain management. Goldschmidt’s research interests lie in the field of strategic supply chain management, with a focus on the impact of supply chain disruptions on managerial decisions.

Goldschmidt is an avid traveler and has traveled to 32 countries on six continents. He is an avid football (the real football) fan and supporter of Arsenal. He is looking forward to attending his first match at Emirates Stadium While in London. Ooh to be a Gooner.

Dr Avinash Malshe, Marketing

Avinash Malshe is Professor of Marketing at UST. Dr. Malshe received his Ph.D. in Marketing from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and he is currently in his 18th year as a full-time faculty member. He has taught a variety of marketing classes in various Graduate Programs within Opus. Further, he has led/co-led six graduate-level study abroad programs over the past twelve years- three of them to India, one to Australia - New Zealand, and one to Dubai.

Dr. Malshe’s scholarly work is published in many renowned marketing and business journals. Further, he has presented his work at various international conferences in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Dr. Malshe is the recipient of many prestigious awards within UST, OCB, and the academy such as John Ireland Presidential Award for Outstanding Achievement as a Teacher-Scholar (2022), University Scholar award (2017-2020), Susan E Heckler Research Excellence Award (2022, 2018, and 2012), James M Comer award (2019), and Marvin Jolson Award (2016).

Prior to starting his academic career, Dr. Malshe worked for over five years a Brand Manager in the Pharmaceutical industry with Pfizer Inc. and Ranbaxy Ltd. in their South Asia operations. In addition to teaching at UST, Dr. Malshe regularly trains and consults with business executives and their trade association partners/affiliates in both for profit and non-profit firms within the twin cities metro area.

Dr. Malshe lives in Plymouth, MN with his wife, their 11-year-old twin boys, and their family dog- an English Labrador named Sam. He enjoys reading, traveling, watching basketball and football with his sons, and solving puzzles. He speaks four languages and can converse in six.

Spring 2023

Dr Erica Diehn, Management

Erica W. Diehn is a tenured faculty member of the management department in the Opus College of Business. She teaches management courses at the undergraduate and MBA levels. Specific courses taught include working skillfully in organizations, management and leadership, leadership development, organizational behavior, and leading organizational systems. Diehn’s research centers on employee adjustment in the workplace including cognitive, emotional, and behavioral factors, whether that is amidst a promotion, international assignment, or adapting to a new boss.

Diehn earned her Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of Minnesota, Calrson School of Management and her B.S. in business administration from Marquette University.  While an undergraduate student, she spent a semester abroad at the University of Antwerp in Belgium. Her love for world travel was ignited then and she dreamed of one day working abroad. Diehn began her corporate career with Eaton Corporation and held progressive HR roles in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Illinois before accepting an international assignment with the company in the United Kingdom. She worked as an expatriate in Birmingham, England and partnered with management staff in the U.K. as well as a stint in Vejle, Denmark.  After this amazing work experience, her passion led her back to higher education and the pursuit and calling of teaching in an academic setting to inspire future leaders to manage people and organizations with expanded capacity. During her time in graduate school she also had opportunities to work for Microsoft in Washington state and General Mills here in MN.

London remains Diehn’s favorite city in the world, even after travelling to over 32 countries to date. Her nearly two years as a British resident endowed many a holiday weekend trips to the countryside (gardens in the Cotswolds are devine) or hiking in the Peak District, as well as favored high street shopping in Oxford, the bull ring in Brum, or of course London proper. The superb train system in the U.K. made it easy to visit Wales and Scotland or hop a ferry over to Ireland.

Susan (Stacey) Supina, Business Law

Stacey Supina teaches business law, international business law, compliance for business organizations, and other courses.

Prior to joining St. Thomas, Supina served as general counsel and managing director of governance, risk and compliance for LegalResearch.com, a legal services company. She also worked in private practice and as a licensed customs broker. Supina’s professional background includes corporate compliance, business-to-business contracting, international trade, and employment issues.

Supina holds British and American citizenship, and lived in London for multi-year periods during the 1990s and 2000s. In 2002, she established the London office for an American company, which she managed until 2006. She returns to Britain at least annually, and has traveled throughout the country, with a particular focus on the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales. She earned her LLM in London, during which time she lived in Camden Town.

Supina received her JD from the University of Minnesota Law School and her LLM from University College London, England, where she focused on European Union law. Her research interests involve strategic compliance and ethical responses by businesses to emerging legal issues. Supina volunteers as a business attorney with LegalCorps, as a landscape supervisor with Habitat for Humanity, and as a board member for Twin Cities Catalyst Music.

Costs are comparable to the St. Thomas comprehensive semester fee for tuition, room and board plus the off-campus study fee. Program fees include tuition, room, five light breakfasts/week, some site visits and excursions, local transit pass, and international health insurance.

The majority of Financial Aid can be used for semester and academic year study abroad programs. Study Abroad scholarships are also available.

For the most up-to-date London Business Semester costs, and cancellation policy information, view the program cost page.

Danica Shinehouse-Gansen
I am currently a senior at the University of St. Thomas and will be graduating in the Spring of 2023. I am majoring in Business Law and Compliance and am hoping to find a job in the Twin Cities area post-graduation. I had the opportunity to go on the London Business Semester (LBS) program in the Spring of 2022. I worked with students currently in London this Spring and helping students get set up to go Spring semester of 2024. I am excited to work with you and help you gain lifelong memories and friendships through this program!

Danica's Peer Advising Hours
Stop by with questions or just to chat and learn more about LBS!

Spring 2023 hours in the Office of Study Abroad (Murray-Herrick 212)

Mondays 11:45-1:30
Wednesdays 3:15-4:30