Richmond American International University
Encyclopedia
Richmond, The American International University in London is a private, liberal arts and professional studies university. It is an internationally accredited institution established in 1972 in Richmond, London
. The university's degrees are accredited in the USA by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, and are validated in the UK by the Open University Validation Services (OUVS).
area: the Richmond campus, located near the crest of Richmond Hill
and approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from Richmond station
, and the Kensington
campus, located at a point equidistant between Kensington High Street
and Cromwell Road
. The Richmond campus is the primary residence of undergraduate students, especially freshman who have just enrolled at the university; its facade is a major symbol of the school and appears on almost all promotional literature. The school's headquarters and admissions department are also located here. The Kensington campus, in reality, is a closely grouped set of buildings rather than a campus. It is where many of the upper-level undergraduate students reside. Both campuses are reasonably close to London Underground
stations and the Richmond campus is served by the London Buses
371 route, currently operated by Transdev London
. Access to the town of Kingston
can be made using this route.
; this means that its degrees are equally valid in both countries. The primary curricula available for study at Richmond are:
Lower-division courses are primarily taught at the Richmond campus. Upper-division courses are unevenly split, with all of the CMS courses and some of the business, finance and humanities courses taught at the Richmond campus; the remainder of the courses are taught at the Kensington campus. Both campuses are supported by the university library; the Richmond campus has benefited from the construction of a new library, classroom and office complex in 2000, providing new facilities for faculty and for students.
has Richmond University as a "listed body". The degrees granted at Richmond are validated by the Open University
Validation Services.
Richmond is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education
. Richmond is licensed to award Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts, and the Master of Business Administration degrees by the Department of Education in the State of Delaware. Richmond is also accredited in the United Kingdom by the Open University
Validation Services and holds related degree validation. Richmond's degrees are also designated by the Department for Children, Schools and Families of Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom (Recognized Awards).
The multicultural diversity of the student body is very much a part of the school's mission, and it actively encourages students from all nations to enroll. This diversity is celebrated with an event occurring every year called "International Night", where the student body stages a performance highlighting the various cultures and ethnicities of the Richmond populace.
and Rome
, Italy
. Although each center has a specific academic focus, they both offer intensive study of Italian language
and culture and a curriculum that is integrated with the degree requirements in London.
.
Being located just outside of central London, student life at Richmond is quite different from life at any large American institution. Because of its location, it is easy and affordable to get into Central London where theatre, galleries, shops, restaurants, clubs, and many more are available for entertainment. The town of Richmond has various activities to offer as well. It is a fifteen minute scenic walk from the University to the centre, however it takes only five to get to a few small pubs and an area called The Terraces, which provide a spectacular view of Richmond Park and the traditional fireworks show held November 5 in celebration of Guy Fawkes Day. In the centre of Richmond there is a shopping centre with shops selling clothing, mobiles, books, food, eateries, banks, cinemas, etc. Thursday nights are bonding nights for the students; it is tradition to go to The Bull, a small pub/club that holds a "student night" once a week where ages 18+ are admitted. Friday, also a night of student (and sometimes faculty) bonding, is usually referred to as "Friday Night-Roebuck Night", named after the epic pub on the terrace, the Roebuck.
Class sizes tend to average between 10 to 15 students, with the lower-level classes tending to be much larger than the higher level ones.
.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The university's degrees are accredited in the USA by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, and are validated in the UK by the Open University Validation Services (OUVS).
Campus
The university is split between two campuses, both in the Greater LondonGreater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
area: the Richmond campus, located near the crest of Richmond Hill
Richmond Hill, London
Richmond Hill in Richmond, London is a hill that rises gently on its northern side from the ancient Thames meadowlands around the site of Richmond Palace up to and slightly beyond the Richmond Gate entrance to Richmond Park, the former royal hunting grounds enclosed by Charles I...
and approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from Richmond station
Richmond station (London)
Richmond station is a National Rail and London Underground station in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in south west London which is managed by South West Trains....
, and the Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
campus, located at a point equidistant between Kensington High Street
Kensington High Street
Kensington High Street is the main shopping street in Kensington, west London. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
and Cromwell Road
Cromwell Road
Cromwell Road is a major road in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, and is designated part of the A4. It was created in the 19th century and is named after Oliver Cromwell....
. The Richmond campus is the primary residence of undergraduate students, especially freshman who have just enrolled at the university; its facade is a major symbol of the school and appears on almost all promotional literature. The school's headquarters and admissions department are also located here. The Kensington campus, in reality, is a closely grouped set of buildings rather than a campus. It is where many of the upper-level undergraduate students reside. Both campuses are reasonably close to London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
stations and the Richmond campus is served by the London Buses
London Buses
London Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London that manages bus services within Greater London, UK. Buses are required to carry similar red colour schemes and conform to the same fare scheme...
371 route, currently operated by Transdev London
Transdev London
London United is one of many operators of London Buses and is owned by the RATP Group, an international public transport operator owned by the government of France...
. Access to the town of Kingston
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
can be made using this route.
Degrees
The university is accredited in the United States, while in the United Kingdom degrees are validated by the Open UniversityOpen University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
; this means that its degrees are equally valid in both countries. The primary curricula available for study at Richmond are:
- Business & Economics
- Arts & Sciences
- Humanities & Social Sciences
- Soccer & Sports
Lower-division courses are primarily taught at the Richmond campus. Upper-division courses are unevenly split, with all of the CMS courses and some of the business, finance and humanities courses taught at the Richmond campus; the remainder of the courses are taught at the Kensington campus. Both campuses are supported by the university library; the Richmond campus has benefited from the construction of a new library, classroom and office complex in 2000, providing new facilities for faculty and for students.
Postgraduate Programs
- Master of Arts in International Relations, directed by James D. BoysJames D. BoysJames D. Boys is a British academic and media consultant who focuses on aspects of American history and political life in the late twentieth century. Born in Warwickshire, England, he read American Studies, History and Politics for his Honours Degree at the University of Northampton...
. University Faculty Profile. - Master of Arts in Art History and Visual Culture, directed by Robert Wallis. University Faculty Profile.
Recognition
Institutions that have degree-awarding powers in the UK are known as "recognized bodies". There are also "listed bodies" which do not have degree awarding powers but provide complete courses leading to recognized UK degrees, validated by institutions which have degree-awarding powers. The Department for Innovation, Universities and SkillsDepartment for Innovation, Universities and Skills
The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was a UK government department created on 28 June 2007 to take over some of the functions of the Department of Education and Skills and of the Department of Trade and Industry. In June 2009 it was merged into the newly formed Department for...
has Richmond University as a "listed body". The degrees granted at Richmond are validated by the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
Validation Services.
Richmond is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association dedicated to educational excellence and improvement through peer evaluation and accreditation...
, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
. Richmond is licensed to award Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts, and the Master of Business Administration degrees by the Department of Education in the State of Delaware. Richmond is also accredited in the United Kingdom by the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
Validation Services and holds related degree validation. Richmond's degrees are also designated by the Department for Children, Schools and Families of Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom (Recognized Awards).
Student body
Richmond University is characterized by its international student body which generally includes students from more than 100 different countries, which usually totals to fewer than 2,000. Some students studying at Richmond are part of the university's study abroad program (commonly known as STABs), which is associated with the American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS).The multicultural diversity of the student body is very much a part of the school's mission, and it actively encourages students from all nations to enroll. This diversity is celebrated with an event occurring every year called "International Night", where the student body stages a performance highlighting the various cultures and ethnicities of the Richmond populace.
International Study Centers
Richmond students have the opportunity to complement their studies in London with a semester, year or summer at one of Richmond's two international study centers. The centers are in FlorenceFlorence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
and Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Although each center has a specific academic focus, they both offer intensive study of Italian language
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
and culture and a curriculum that is integrated with the degree requirements in London.
Florence Study Center
The Florence Study Center specializes in the study of studio and fine arts. Each participant's first semester begins with an intensive three-week Italian language course at the Scuola di Lingua e Cultura Italiana per Stranieri in the historic town of Siena. This is followed by eleven weeks of study in Florence. With the exception of Italian language, most courses are taught in EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
Rome Study Center
The Rome Study Center offers a program that emphasizes the study of Italian language and culture, art history, economics and political science. The semester program begins with an intensive three-week Italian language and orientation course in Florence. This is followed by eleven weeks of study in Rome where the study of Italian continues as one course in the student’s program of four or five courses. With the exception of Italian language, most courses are taught in English.Student life
Over 100 countries are represented in the student population, encouraging exposure to and participation in various culture's customs and activities. Religious holidays are respected by the institution as well as treasured American customs such as Thanksgiving.Being located just outside of central London, student life at Richmond is quite different from life at any large American institution. Because of its location, it is easy and affordable to get into Central London where theatre, galleries, shops, restaurants, clubs, and many more are available for entertainment. The town of Richmond has various activities to offer as well. It is a fifteen minute scenic walk from the University to the centre, however it takes only five to get to a few small pubs and an area called The Terraces, which provide a spectacular view of Richmond Park and the traditional fireworks show held November 5 in celebration of Guy Fawkes Day. In the centre of Richmond there is a shopping centre with shops selling clothing, mobiles, books, food, eateries, banks, cinemas, etc. Thursday nights are bonding nights for the students; it is tradition to go to The Bull, a small pub/club that holds a "student night" once a week where ages 18+ are admitted. Friday, also a night of student (and sometimes faculty) bonding, is usually referred to as "Friday Night-Roebuck Night", named after the epic pub on the terrace, the Roebuck.
Class sizes tend to average between 10 to 15 students, with the lower-level classes tending to be much larger than the higher level ones.
Top of the Hill
Top of the Hill is the once-a-month live music night held by Richmond University and run completely by students. The free night showcases both student and local bands, musicians, artists and DJs and is held at the local Vodka RevolutionInventive Leisure
Inventive Leisure is a city centre bar chain with headquarters in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, England. The bars trade under the name Revolution....
.