University of Exeter

In 1982, we began our first student exchange program at the University of Exeter. Over 80 Connecticut students have spent an academic semester at Exeter. This memorandum is designed to give those of you who are interested in studying in England in the future much of the information that you may seek about the program.

We hope that you will gain two perspectives as a result of your study; the insider's view of what it means to be trained in a different legal system and the comparative view, a deeper understanding of our legal system gained from studying and comparing it to another system and by explaining it to those around you.

Eligibility

The program is designed for students matriculating at the University of Connecticut School of Law. First and second year day division students are eligible to apply to study abroad in their second or third year. Evening division students and four-year day students are eligible to apply in their second or third year to study abroad in their third or fourth year.

Application Process

The application process for all programs takes place once a year in February and decisions are made in March for the following academic year. Application forms are available at the Study Abroad Fair and online. Selection criteria include grades, faculty recommendations, essay and interview.

Course of Study

Connecticut students typically attend the regular law classes of the Faculty of Law at the University of Exeter during the Fall semester. Semester 1 at Exeter runs from early October to early December (10 weeks), followed by four weeks of Christmas vacation and two additional weeks of classes in January, with exams given after that date. Our students take four Exeter courses and take their exams or write their papers by the Christmas break for which they receive nine credits. Since the semester is only 10 weeks, Connecticut students are required to take a three-credit SRP with a Connecticut faculty member. Thus, students in the Exeter program earn a total of twelve credits for their Fall semester work at Exeter and Connecticut. The ABA has approved credit for a full-year of study abroad. Connecticut students may take two semesters at Exeter for the full 24 credits. Acceptance of credit for any course taken at Exeter is subject to determination by our Law School.

The Exeter University classes are in both Exeter's LL.B. program and its LL.M. program. Our students take three of their Exeter classes in the LL.M. program and one in the LL.B. program. There is a reasonably large LL.B. program; courses are usually available in European Community Law, International Law, and English Legal History. In the LL.M. program courses normally available include: Comparative European Legal Systems, Transnational Commercial Law, Transnational Law of Competition, International Carriage of Goods, Comparative Conflicts of Law, and European Company Law. In addition, our students can usually be accommodated in other courses where they have a special interest. The Exeter Law Faculty are widely known as providing premier programs both in European Community Law and in International Business Legal Studies.

Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the Connecticut/ Exeter program is that our students participate directly in an English law school. The Connecticut students go to LL.B. classes with English law students and participate in the LL.M. program with students from all over the world. These are not classes especially designed for or run by Americans. This means that the Connecticut students have not only the opportunity to study an interesting range of international and foreign law subjects, but also are, for a time, students in a foreign law school. It has always been our belief at Connecticut that this foreign learning experience is of considerable benefit to those who are thinking of doing some of their legal practice in the areas of international and foreign law.

Exeter grades our students as they do their graduate students: Honours, Pass, and Fail. The Honours and Merit credits from Exeter are treated on your transcript as transfer credits; No credit is given for a Faill or Pass grade in any course.  Courses are not listed on UConn transcripts, rather a notation is made that the student studied at Exeter for the semester with the total number of credits earned. The grade equivalents are:

for Postgraduate Modules (pg)for Undergraduate Modules (ug):
70%+ = distinction grade70%+ = distinction grade
60-60% = merit grade50-69% = general merit grade
50-59% = pass grade40-49% = pass grade

 

Accommodations

The Exeter Law School is on the main campus of the University of Exeter. Most Connecticut students who have participated in the Connecticut-Exeter program have chosen to live in university accommodations. Rooms have been assigned to UConn students at Clydesdale Rise, which features single bedrooms with their own bathrooms (an arrangement generally referred to as "en-suite") and a shared kitchen and living room. These are near the postgraduate center, which is the primary social space for postgraduate students, but at least a ten-minute walk to class. The other option is LaFrowda, which is less expensive than Clydesdale Rise but involves shared bathrooms and lacks shared living space outside the kitchen. LaFrowda is near Cornwall House, which is one of the Student Union's buildings that has several different dining options inside it, and is closer to the law school. Contact Anne Worth at the International Student Exchange & Support Office or phone (+44 1392 263018).

Alternatively, students may choose to live in rented facilities in and around the town of Exeter. The Accommodations Office at the University of Exeter does not arrange for such private facilities but maintains a list of them including addresses and phone numbers of landlords. In the past, our students have rented private accommodations ranging from a simple room in a boarding house to an entire house in one of the outlying villages. The Accommodations Office's telephone number is 011 44 1392 26 31 26 or you can email accommodation@exeter.ac.uk.

Cost

Connecticut's exchange agreement with the University of Exeter provides that students will pay their home institution for tuition. Thus, Connecticut students taking courses at Exeter will receive a regular fee bill from the Business Office here, charging them for twelve credits. A Law School Study Abroad fee of $475 is charged to help defray the administrative expense of the program. All other fees except parking are paid by the student as well.

In addition to the cost for instruction, students participating in the Exeter program should take into account the cost of travel to England (presently about $200 round trip), as well as the cost for accommodation. More information about housing costs can be found in the Exeter Prospectus on Reserve in the library.

For students on financial aid, inquiries should also be made to our Financial Aid Office to see what arrangements can be made for a semester in England. Most, but not all, forms of financial aid can be continued for students studying abroad.

The Town and University of Exeter

Exeter is a pleasant English provincial city of about 100,000 people. The town's center features a good number of shops and restaurants within about a 20-minute walk from the University. In past years, Connecticut students and faculty have enjoyed living in the Exeter community.

The University has about 5,000 students. It is situated on a hilltop campus to the north of the town center. The University has a deservedly good reputation as an intellectual center. Besides its Faculty of Law, there are faculties in many other academic disciplines including the arts and sciences.

Exeter is in the County of Devon, a part of England known for its attractive countryside and seacoast. There are a large number of interesting villages in the immediate vicinity. Exeter is about two and a half hours by train southwest of London.

Cancellation Policy

Foreign study at Exeter University will not be canceled by Connecticut due to lack of enrollment. Should Exeter University decide to cancel the program, Connecticut students will then register for regular classes at the School of Law. In the event that cancellation occurs after the pre-registration period for the semester in question, every effort will be made to accommodate student preferences in registering for classes. No promise can be made that all desired classes will be available.

Further Information

Exeter's website is quite extensive. Check http://www.ex.ac.uk. Exeter's Postgraduate and Undergraduate catalogs contain listings of courses and a range of materials including several Exeter catalogues and a walking guide to the campus are on Reserve in the Library. There is a VCR tape on the University of Exeter which may be borrowed.

Blanche Capilos can answer many of your questions or direct you to helpful resources.

You may wish to talk about the Exeter Program with Professors McLean, Macgill, Janis, Weisbrod, Kay, Stark, Morawetz, Calloway, Orland, and Strasser.

If you are an individual with a disability that requires accommodation in order to participate, please consult Dr. Jane Thierfeld Brown, Dean's Office, 570-5130.

Exeter Contacts

Ms. Anne Worth, Study Abroad Officer
Tel: 011 44 1392 263018
Fax: 011 44 1392 263856
a.r.worth@exeter.ac.uk

Ms. Sarah Roberts, Law Postgraduate Students
Tel: 011 44 1392 263380
Fax: 011 44 1392 263196
s.l.roberts@exeter.ac.uk

Prof. Michael Addo
Tel: 011 44 1392 263198
Fax: 011 44 1392 263196
M.k.addo@exeter.ac.uk

Law School Contacts

Blanche Capilos
Deputy Director International Legal Programs
570-5172 
blanche.capilos@law.uconn.edu
Hosmer 145

Professor Mark Janis
Director of Student and Faculty Exchanges
570-5265
mark.janis@law.uconn.edu
Hosmer 283

Student Contacts

  • Jessica Carter-Syme - Exchange Student, Exeter
  • Siobhan Jolliffe - Exchange Student, Exeter