Study Abroad

This C-Lab revolves around Yaa Gyasi’s groundbreaking novel, Homegoing, which explores the lasting psychical legacies of slavery on Africans and the African diaspora.

Led by the African Studies program since 2011, this week-long alternative spring break program for graduate and undergraduate students includes visits with government, firms, and development organizations.

The “Development Challenges in Tanzania” internship track is comprised of multiple, interrelated academic components. You will enroll in both Development Challenges internship and seminar courses and will choose one Swahili language course based upon your language level for a total of seven (7) credit hours.

Fields of Study: African Studies, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Education, English, Environmental Studies, Government/Political Science, Health Sciences, History, Literature, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology, Public Health, Religion/Theology, Social Work, Sociology

Fields of Study: African Studies, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Education, English, Environmental Studies, Government/Political Science, Health Sciences, History, Literature, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology, Public Health, Religion/Theology, Social Work, Sociology

The program’s thematic seminars are taught in English, with a few lectures in French offered in translation. Intensive French language study allows students to engage more fully with communities in Cameroon, and students are immersed in homestay environments that promote further language learning. The Research Methods and Ethics course addresses ethical and culturally appropriate research methodology in preparation for the Independent Study Project.

Fields of Study: African Studies, Anthropology, Archeology, Art/Art History, Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Education, Environmental Studies, French, Government/Political Science, History, International Studies, Linguistics, Literature, Philosophy, Psychology, Religion/Theology, Sociology

Fields of Study: African Studies, Archeology, Biology, Chemistry, Classics, Computer Science, Economics, English, Government/Political Science, History, Linguistics, Literature, Mathematics, Music, Performing Arts, Philosophy, Physics, Psychology, Religion/Theology, Russian, Social Work, Sociology

Classes are conducted mainly in academic French, with university professors and experts in relevant fields teaching the Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management seminar. The Environmental Research Methods and Ethics seminar, conducted mainly in English, focuses on research techniques and cross-cultural adjustment skills and is intended to prepare students for the Independent Study Project. Readings and classroom sessions for the Research Methods and Ethics course are supplemented by a short field research project undertaken in a rural village.

The Migration and Transnational Identity course examines the historical, economic, political, and cultural underpinnings of migration. The approach is informed by the reality that migration is more dynamic than static push-pull models or simplified economic or demographic interpretations can reflect. Rather, the course challenges the student to approach migration from a multidisciplinary perspective in which migration is only one constituent part of more complex economic, development, demographic, and cultural processes. The Research Methods and Ethics course addresses culturally appropriate, ethical field methodology in the context of migration issues, in preparation for the Independent Study Project. Study of Arabic opens windows into the culture and the program’s theme.

Through the interdisciplinary coursework outlined below, students explore Moroccan society and culture, Arabic language, field research methodology, and independent research or an internship. The Human Rights and Social Movements in a Multicultural Context course is divided into three components, each of which is coordinated by one or two scholars specializing in the field under question. Lecturers of renown as well as politicians and civil society activists are invited to talk to the students as part of this course. Intensive Arabic instruction is provided for students at many levels allowing all students to understand the culture more deeply.

Fields of Study: African Studies, Arabic, Economics, French, Gender Studies, History, International Studies, Literature, Religion/Theology, Sociology

Venture to a cosmopolitan city that is still emerging from decades of apartheid, and is marked by its history of legal and racial discrimination, inequality and oppression, but is all a hub for community organizations working on issues related to human rights and social justice. Through discussions, lectures, site visits and meetings with community leaders, you will gain insight into the history of South Africa and the system of apartheid and extend this understanding to analyze the ongoing impact of past injustices on present policies and social movements. In addition to lectures and discussions led by faculty and site visits to historical places, you will be immersed in local cultural contexts through a placement at a community service organization where you will observe and participate in community struggles for economic, education, and social equality.

Are humans part of or separate from nature? Do our current relationships to our natural surroundings affect how we live our lives? How do various perspectives on these fundamental questions affect the way human societies interact with and use nature? In this three-week study abroad program, you will travel to Cape Town, South Africa to explore answers to these questions and use them to understand how humans both shape and are shaped by the ecological systems in which modern societies exist. Hosted by the University of Cape Town’s International Academic Programmes Office, the program will delve into the principles and practices of nature conservation, the use of natural resources, and the impacts of human activities on local wildlife. Students should be prepared for an immersive experience, involving lots of time in nature as well as visiting animal sanctuaries and nature preserves.

Through the interdisciplinary coursework in this program, students examine contemporary public health issues in South Africa through a multidisciplinary lens while analyzing the historical, political, economic, cultural, and geographic forces that shape the history of public health interventions in South Africa. Through the Social and Community Health Research Methods seminar, students learn to be critical consumers of medical research papers and media reports on health, to gather primary data on health issues through questioning and observation, and to conduct ethical, culturally appropriate research in preparation for the Independent Study Project (ISP). Through language study and homestays, students gain a unique window into the culture and insights into community healthcare.

This program is composed of two thematic seminars, Multiculturalism and Human Rights in South Africa and Narratives of Identity and Social Change; a course on research methods and ethics; conversational isiXhosa; and the Independent Study Project or internship. All components are intricately linked so that students acquire the knowledge and understanding to successfully complete an Independent Study Project or internship.

Witness the mechanics and dismantling of South Africa’s apartheid system. Travel to Mozambique to learn about its role in the struggle against apartheid. Visit the homes of the late Nelson Mandela, Mohandas Gandhi, and others. Observe lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, giraffes, and zebras on safari.

Fields of Study: African Studies, Art/Art History, Biology, Chemistry, Classics, Economics, Education, English, Environmental Studies, Government/Political Science, History, International Studies, Literature, Mathematics, Religion/Theology, Sociology

The Tanzania Healthcare Experiential Learning Initiative is a faculty-led, short-term service-learning experience for undergraduate (BSN) and graduate (MS-Clinical Nurse Leader, MS-Advanced Practice Registered Nurse [FNP, NM/WHNP and WHNP]) nursing and midwifery students in the Kilimanjaro region of rural Tanzania, Africa. A small group of students will be selected for participation through a competitive application process. The program is well integrated into the curriculum and provides experiential learning that may count toward clinical requirements for courses and degree requirements. Clinical hours may or may not be counted for this experience based upon program clinical requirements. For Nurse- Midwifery/WHNP and WHNP students, clinical experiences will be largely observational and will not count toward educational program required clinical experiences. The experience is framed by humility, grace, and care for the people of Tanzania and adheres to Georgetown’s Jesuit mission and values.

Delve deeply into ecosystems of the Indian Ocean and the islands of Tanzania-Zanzibar. Learn marine and terrestrial field methodologies on Unguja, Mafia, and Pemba islands. Study the sustainability of coral reefs, coastal forests, and vulnerable fauna. Observe rare and endangered wildlife, such as the hawksbill sea turtles and Zanzibar red colobus monkeys.

What are the connections between environmental change, culture, and subsistence in early African history? How do you reconstruct history of communities who left behind no written records? Explore these and other fascinating research questions as part of Georgetown’s newest summer study abroad program, the Africa Field School. On this program, you’ll experience what it means to conduct real field-based research in Africa working alongside scholars from around the world on a multi-year research project in central Zambia. You will conduct original research across a number of disciplines, including Archaeology, Soil Science (to produce environmental and climate records), and History in order to reconstruct the environment, climate, and culture of the region during watershed transitions in Medieval African History. You’ll develop and enhance your own research skills, participate in data collection and analysis, and present findings to community partners. You can even propose to conduct research connected to a future Senior Thesis or Capstone project.