London Summer Abroad
College of Health
Live, Learn, Work and Play:
The Social Determinants of Health in London
Join us in London for two exciting, challenging, and transformative weeks this summer to learn about the social determinants of health in one of the world’s most diverse and unequal cities.
Tentative in-country dates
June 28 - July 13, 2026
Academic course dates
Summer Session Z4: June 23-July 18, 2026
Undergraduates only. Students from all majors/colleges welcome
London as your laboratory
You will retrace the footsteps of contemporary and historical Black abolitionists, health care providers, engineers, educators, advocates, and community leaders as they’ve worked to create and influence modern London’s social, economic, and built environments.
These environments will serve as a laboratory for students to understand how education, health care, neighborhood, infrastructure, and social, community, and economic resources are generated, distributed, and sustained and how they shape health. We will build on these understandings to celebrate triumphs, cultivate community, and practice hope for a healthier, more just, and more equitable future.
Among many activities, you will:
- Tour London’s transportation and sanitation infrastructure, its food and built environments, and its historical landmarks and institutions
- Meet public health and community professionals working to improve health outcomes by addressing the social determinants of health
- Explore museums, community organizations, and clinics to learn about opportunities and challenges in healthy equity in both the U.K. and the U.S.
Details
Application Deadline
February 1, 2026
Informational Sessions
Class cap
20 students
Waitlist
10 students
Required pre-departure meetings
Three will be held in Spring 2026.
Course info
H399 or H599 (6 credits)
For more info
Read Public health comes to life in London
Contact
Affiliated faculty leads
To apply visit
OSU students dive into health equity, London style!
College of Health students study abroad in London for an immersive cultural exploration of the social determinants of health.
Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, learn, work, play, pray and age that strongly influence our health.
When these conditions result in the inequitable distribution of resources, they create health disparities, which are unjust and avoidable differences in health, quality of life and lifespan.
Learning objective 1
Evaluate the contexts that contribute to health disparities
Evaluate how particular social, economic and environmental policies, systems and contexts support or undermine health and contribute to health disparities.
Learning objective 2
Describe the factors that shape the distribution of social resources
Describe the role of historical, cultural, political, community, economic, environmental, technological, and social factors that shape the distribution of social resources and disparate health outcomes.
Learning objective 3
Learn how to improve social determinants of health
Evaluate opportunities in food, housing, education, employment and other areas of social policy and practice for their potential to improve social determinants of health, equitably distribute social resources and reduce health disparities.