King’s College London: Premedical Program

The Health and Society module is designed to introduce students to the medical field and is suitable for all students interested in pursuing further education in the health care field. Admission to the Health and Society module is highly competitive, as there are only 16 spots available each semester for study abroad students from around the world. King’s looks for applicants who have an extremely strong background in biology and chemistry. Please note that students who choose to undertake this module pay a higher program fee due to additional lab and clinical fees. The Health and Society module is taken either in the Fall or the Spring semester by year students and cannot be repeated.

There are three parts to the King’s College Premedical Program:

• Students in the Premedical Program normally take three science classes to supplement the Health and Society class. Students can also mix in arts classes, if they wish, but will still be responsible for the pre-medical program fee.
• Health and Society (MX1000): This class combines an in-class curriculum with a range of shadowing opportunities in different clinical settings. Students participate in a series of small group seminars and tutorials that integrate the study of clinical practice, communication in health care, medical ethics and law, psychology and medical sociology.
• The Clinical Attachment: A series of clinical placement rotations enable you to apply class theory to a number of primary and secondary care settings: such as in General Practice, Guy’s Hospital Minor Injuries Unit, operating room visits and Palliative Health Care setting. These placements are also supported by professional role plays, where you will have the opportunity to engage in a number of scenarios to learn and develop active listening skills, taking and presenting a case and family history, hypothetical deductive and inductive clinical reasoning.

Final assessments for fall semester classes are conducted online during the month of January. King’s does not allow alternate arrangements to be made for either full degree or study abroad students, including IFSA students. See the Assessment tab for more information.

Please note that the Health and Society module that makes up the King’s Premedical Program is extremely competitive and very popular. King’s will review all premedical program applications at the same time after the posted deadline, unlike the rolling admissions process for general study abroad applications at King’s. For details of the standard program, click here.

CHART Your Course
Find the classes you need fast with CHART. Our easy-to-use tool shows you classes recently taken by IFSA students

Lab & Field Trip Fees
Please review syllabi and class materials when registering for direct-enroll classes. Certain classes may have a one-off lab or field trip fee disclosed in the syllabus or during the first meeting of the class. These fees are not included in your IFSA program fee. You will be responsible for these fees, whether they are billed and paid by IFSA or billed to you.

Please note that the King’s College London program is very popular and uses a strict rolling admissions policy. The program reaches capacity quickly—apply early for the best chance of admission, and to ensure your class registrations can be filed early.

Note that study abroad students at King’s may only enroll in level 4, 5, or 6 classes. In selecting your classes, you should be aware of any prerequisites in order to be eligible to enroll.

• Level 4 classes are introductory classes generally suitable for students with no previous undergraduate study in the subject. See exceptions in the department list below.
• Level 5 classes are intermediate classes broadly equivalent to junior year classes in the U.S. Applicants should have taken at least 3-4 classes in the subject.
• Level 6 classes are advanced classes equivalent to senior year or master’s classes in the U.S. Applicants should have taken at least 6-7 classes in the subject, and the subject should also be the student’s major.

If you are requesting to take classes at any level from the School of Bioscience Education or the departments of Chemistry, Mathematics, Music, or Physics, King’s is required to send your transcript to the academic tutor in the relevant department, as departmental approval is needed before study abroad students can be registered in these subject areas.

Below are some admissions notes regarding the most popular King’s departments among study abroad students. If you have questions about departments not on this list, please contact your IFSA Enrollment Counselor.

Computer Science/Informatics
The Computer Science/Informatics Department is not open to study abroad students.

English
The English Department is not open to study abroad students.

European and International Studies
Level 6 modules are prioritized for students from specific exchange partners, and may not be open to study abroad students.

Film
The Film Studies Department has limited spaces. Students are strongly advised to apply early and to consider alternate IFSA programs in case space is not available.

Geography
Students must have an academic background in any of the following areas: urban studies, economics, developmental studies, earth sciences, geology, environmental studies, and area studies.

History
The History Department is not open to study abroad students.

Languages
Open to all majors, the Modern Language Centre at King’s offers classes in Arabic, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Punjabi and Spanish. You will have a short language test upon arrival to determine which level is best for you. To learn more about the language classes, search for “Modern Foreign Languages” on the King’s College online class catalog.

Law
Many law modules are offered for degree-seeking students only. Those open to study abroad students will be clearly indicated.

Life Sciences
Students must have suitable background—generally two chemistry and two biology classes—and a strong GPA to be considered for classes in the Faculty of Life Sciences.

Management
The Management Department is willing to consider applications from students with an appropriate background. Look under “Management” or also “Business” for classes in business, economics, human resources management, and marketing.

Music
King’s usually requires that applicants to the Music Department be music majors at their home university. Preference is granted to students from traditional music schools. Please only request Music modules if you can play an instrument and/or read music fluently. If you have no music classes on your transcript, you will be asked to inform King’s of your musical background and ability when you submit your Module Request Form. This allows King’s to provide the academic tutor with the needed supporting material as part of the eligibility process. Please call your IFSA Enrollment Counselor to discuss your audition requirements and the application process.

Philosophy
This department at King’s is widely recognized as one of the best in England, on par with the departments of Oxford and Cambridge. Introductory philosophy classes are open to students of all majors. Intermediate classes are open to students who have taken college-level philosophy classes in epistemology and metaphysics and/or ethics. Advanced classes are open only to philosophy majors only who have a substantial background in the subject.

Psychology
Modules from the Psychology Department (outside of the Biosciences catalog) are only open to full-year students, with prior approval from the Psychology Department, which is done on a case-by-case basis.

Shakespeare’s London
Shakespeare’s London is a regular English module offered by King’s that, through close reading and practical experience, allows students to place Shakespeare’s plays in the context both of the city out of which they grew and of the theatrical world of Shakespeare. The module features an intensive, hands-on, three-week section at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre involving practical work on the staging of Shakespeare’s plays. There are limited spots available, so apply early if you are interested.

Theology
A very limited number of second- and third-year theology classes are open to study abroad students.

War Studies
Students applying to the War Studies Department must have a strong background (i.e. three to four classes) in political science and/or international relations. This department is very popular, so please complete your application materials as soon as possible.

New country, new way of learning!

Here’s what to expect King’s College London:

• More emphasis on independent learning. The university recommends completing 10 hours of independent study for each academic credit you seek.
• More advanced instruction and work than you’d find in a class at the same level in the United States. Because most English university degrees are three-year programs, students gain specialized knowledge faster here.
• Less personal access to professors. Instead, it’s common to connect with more junior faculty members.
• Grades are often based on a single final exam or final paper, or on just a few assignments.
• Choose classes from one department to avoid scheduling conflicts. Local students usually specialize in one department for classes, which means different departments don’t schedule classes with other departments in mind.
• Full access to the university’s robust academic support system and resources, including an assigned advisor for academic support. IFSA local staff are also available for individual help.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Eligibility

• You must be at least 18 years of age. Students under 18 may be accepted on a case-by-case basis.
• You must be currently attending or recently graduated from a U.S. or Canadian community college, technical college, two-year college, four-year college, or four-year university.
• You must have completed at least one (1) full-time year of study at your home institution before the beginning of the term.
• Eligibility requirements can vary among host institutions. Please ask your IFSA Enrollment Counselor for specific information.

Recommendation Letter
Your application to this program will require one (1) academic letter of recommendation.

Secondary Application
Students who apply to King’s College London cannot have another application open (with the exception of the University of Oxford) due to the quick admissions turnaround  and how early in the cycle decisions are released.

TRANSCRIPT
Upon completion of your program, IFSA will send an official Butler University transcript to your home university with your coursework converted to the U.S. semester credit hour system. You will also have access to an unofficial transcript in your IFSA Student Portal. The transcript reflects classes taken, credits attempted, and grades earned during your term abroad. This service is included in your study abroad program at no additional cost. See our Transcripts page for more information.