Minimum mark 60%
Level Undergraduate
Language/s English
Agreement Scope English and Related Literature department exchange
Exchange Places 1 full year place for 2026/27
About: Pace University is a private university with three campuses. University of York, English and Related Literature students will be based at the Manhattan Campus where the English department is located. Pace was established in 1906 as a business school by the brothers Homer St. Clair Pace and Charles A. Pace. Pace enrolls about 13,000 students as of 2021 both undergraduate and masters students. Pace University originally operated out of the New York Tribune Building in New York City, and spread as the Pace Institute, operating in several major U.S. cities. In the 1920s, the institution divested facilities outside New York, maintaining its Lower Manhattan location. It purchased its first permanent home in Manhattan's 41 Park Row in 1951, and opened its first Westchester campus in 1963. Pace opened its largest building, 1 Pace Plaza, in 1969. Four years later, it became a university.
Contact at PACE: Melba Benitez (mbenitez@pace.edu)
Pace University, 161 William St., 16th Floor, New York, NY 10038
Highlights: Students can experience a diverse student body on a vibrant campus nestled in the dynamic city of New York. Activities take place both on and off campus with over 55 student clubs and organisations to engage with, including fraternities and sororities.
What PACE have to say about studying there:
A vibrant campus. Experience the most dynamic city in the U.S. at the Manhattan campus where the English department is located.
Activities on- and off-campus. Engage with 55+ student clubs and organizations. Explore all New York City and its surrounding areas have to offer.
A global network. Connect with your Pace University community, representing 117 countries and speaking 98 languages.
Location: Manhattan Campus - New York is where innovation, creativity, and power meet. And it's all yours. When you're ready to recharge, Pace's state-of-the-art facilities are here for you. Study and lounge at the Fishbowl. Meet friends at the Student Centre. Then kick back in your residence hall nearby.
Courses / Modules:
Have a look at the list of courses provided by Pace University. Courses are subject to change each semester, however it will give you a good idea at what is on offer at the university.
Credit (Full-time Load per semester):
You are required to take 15 credits per semester, which will equate to 60 York credits. Full year students should take 30 credits which will equate to 120 credits from the University of York. 1 US Credit Hour = 4 York credits.
Teaching Periods:
Fall Semester: September to December
Spring Semester: January to May
Language:
This programme is taught in English
Accommodation:
Information about residence halls at Pace University can be found at Pace University Housing.
Orientation / Welcome week:
There is an orientation to make you feel welcome, check the link to see what this can entail.
Support Services:
Please see the Mental Health and Wellness pages for information about the mental, physical, social and spiritual wellness support available at Pace University.
Visas:
Generally speaking, you will need a J-1 exchange student visa, which you can get through an appointment at the US embassy. The Pace University website has more information on how to obtain this visa, and how to maintain legal status whilst in the US.
Health insurance:
All international students in the US must have health insurance. Further information is available from the Pace University International Health Insurance webpage.
Travel insurance:
If you are approved by the University of York to participate in this program, you will be covered by the University's Travel Insurance Policy. This is a complimentary policy to cover you for the duration of your University of York mobility experience. Please refer to the Insurance website for all travel insurance queries. You may be required to obtain health insurance valid during your exchange.
This is a new exchange, so you could be one of the first students from York to experience Pace University. However, we have had many exchange programmes in the United States. To understand what it is like to study in the United States, have a look at Beloit College, which is in the Midwest.
Ezephy, Education, Year Abroad 2016/17
"I enjoyed my first semester at Beloit… [Although] I had to get used to studying for 40-50 hours per week. It’s a very (very) full timetable but it feels worth it when I think that I am unlikely to ever be taught about these subjects in the future. I’m also enjoying having more diversity in the official credits I’m taking, by studying an interdisciplinary class on Romany Gypsies and a Logic class in addition to my Education related modules.
It’s a very close community, and a very busy one. I had to get used to being in a small, isolated space without public transport, to the food, the weather, to understanding all the words used in my classes to talk about the American education system. I had to get used to living around so many other people, but also with such a small number of people too.
Now that mid-term break is approaching and I am soon to be in the final quarter of my time here, I can feel myself wishing time would slow down. It’s going to be hard to say goodbye to some very close friends (some of the closest I’ve ever had) and move out of the ‘Beloit bubble’ and back into the ‘real world’".
Sarah, History, Year Abroad 2017/18
"I am friends with lots of international students as well as Americans so I feel connected to the community but also like I have friends all over the world. I have a host family who I spend time with. They have lived their whole lives in Beloit so have shown me some cool traditions like Maple Tree Tapping and real Wisconsin cheese.
The campus is fairly insular so I have felt like a member of the Beloit College community pretty much since I got there. I have enjoyed how welcoming people have been and as a Londoner being introduced to "Midwestern niceties" was a shock but one that I definitely enjoy."
Please note: these tips have been provided by students who have studied abroad in the USA. Global Opportunities recommends that you use these as a guide only and do your own research on what is best for you.
Money and Banking:
'REVOLUT - cannot recommend this enough. Allows for free currency conversions and transfers into US bank accounts. It is cheaper even than Transferwise. The best way to pay bills to the university is to pay Flywire with a domestic US bank transfer through Revolut.'
'I used my UK or French bank accounts and I opened a bank of America account.'
'I used a Revolut Card which had a really good exchange rates. But I didn't open up a new Bank account.'
Staying Connected:
'I bought a sim from AT&T.....It was a monthly contract that could be cancelled at any time, so it's good for international students. I know some other [students] who either only used WiFi (there's wifi all around campus and it's usually reliable) or who changed their usual contract to an international one.'
'Pretty much every exchange student used Mint Mobile. Not all phones work on US frequencies though, so I bought a Google Pixel 3a which works everywhere.'
'At first, I got a new SIM card but it wasn't compatible with my European phone (due to the software or something). I then borrowed a phone from one of my American relatives.'
Food:
(Drexel University) 'I was on campus and I had a dining plan so I mostly got food in the university's dining facilities.'
(University of Denver) 'A micro fridge is a worthwhile investment for snacks and drinks outside of mealtime!'.
Paperwork and bureaucracy:
'The most tedious thing was getting the visa sorted, but after that most of the paperwork was easy to get done. You might feel like you've forgotten to do some things, but chances are you haven't and they'll send a reminder if you did.'
'Be patient, keep a well labelled folder, email when feeling stressed and your not sure what to do. The main thing is keeping in mind that the paperwork will end and once you arrive at our host country everything is easier face to face.'
'Be meticulous and create checklists. Get all the paperwork necessary for visas etc. before even beginning the process of applying. Flights do not necessarily get more expensive as the travel date gets closer. They can go down too (I booked a flight to NYC to save money before the Philly flight halved in price so I should have just waited).'
What I wished I'd known...:
'Research accommodation a bit more. Expect delays with communication. Expect the mundaneness of normal day to day living- expectation management is a useful skill. All the feelings are very normal!'
'How much it costs! I was happy to pay for the flights even though they're expensive, but having to buy 4-5 books for every module adds up quickly, especially when some of them are $50+ ....... Other things are more expensive too, like clothes, which can cost twice as much as they would here even after converting it.'
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