Students will spend one week exploring London’s graphic design history

Study Abroad in London with Saddleback College’s Graphics Department

London, England. Credit: Wiki Commons

By Bridget Mills

Saddleback College’s Graphic Design department has announced an opportunity to study abroad in London, England, for Summer 2020. This is the first study abroad program offered through the graphic design and applied technology and sciences departments. Steven R. Gonsowski, a graphic design teacher at Saddleback College, will be leading the school’s educational program from July 21 to July 29, 2020.

The program fee is $2295 and includes housing accommodations, transportation, program visits, and more. Airfare, passport and visa fees, and personal expenses are not covered in the cost. Airfare is excluded due to the possibility of students who wish to continue their travels after the educational trip.

Students who are interested in going to London must apply by April 24, 2020, and enroll in GD2 History of Graphic Design. Those who apply for the course will go through an online study program that commences on June 2, 2020, and will finish their course with a trip to London.

Professor Gonsowski explains that the graphic design department chose London as its destination “because there is probably the greatest amount of graphic design history content there.”

The course is worth three units and is transferable for both UC and CSU schools. “The abroad component is brand new,” Gonsowski says. “In fact, this is the first time this department has been involved in a study abroad program.”

The program’s itinerary includes an orientation meeting with the programs partner, AIFS Study Abroad, and access to their student center, an Oyster Card which is a reusable card for unlimited use of public transportation in London in zones 1 and 2, afternoon tea, a guided walking tour of London street art, and a student identity card. Student housing accommodations will be in twin-bedded hotel rooms, which includes breakfast each day of their stay.

The study abroad program will allow opportunities to visit some of London’s most popular museums such as the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, London Design College, London Transport College, The Design Museum, as well as a few famous bookstores.

“Germany is a very close second, with the Bauhaus,” Gonsowski says. “That’s the school where graphic design model of teaching first started, so that definitely is in the running for a future trip.”

Gonsowski’s passion for graphic design led him to begin teaching the subject at a college level in 2007. The Saddleback College professor explains that “graphic design has been my priority since 2000, and I’ve been a freelance graphic designer since then.”

Professor Gonsowski feels that individuals should go on this trip because “no matter what, it’s just a great opportunity for students to see more of the world, and doing it though this college is great because of the fact that we’re so much less expensive for classes than most other schools are.”

Gonsowski assures students who are contemplating attending the trip that “even though this course is offered through the graphics division, it is a history class, so you do not have to know a thing about graphic design, you can take this course as a history class.” This course costs the same price as an average 3-unit course at Saddleback College.

“A student could take this class through Saddleback College, go to a 4-year university and still have the ability to say that they did a study abroad class,” the graphic design professor says.

For more information and/or to be added to the update list as well as any additional questions or concerns, please contact Steve Gonsowski by email at [email protected] or by phone number (949)582-4541. Students who are interested can also have access to the full itinerary and travel information by visiting https://www.saddleback.edu/study-abroad.

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