Study Abroad

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

Study the root causes of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis and civil war in northern Uganda Learn to speak Kinyarwanda, the language of 12 million people Examine healing programs for genocide survivors and victims of displacement Visit Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s largest national park

Discuss program themes with peers from Senegal and neighboring African countries. Explore international and regional security institutions. Visit Senegal’s rural areas and experience daily life during a rural homestay. Examine political relations between Sufi orders in Morocco and Senegal.

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

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.

Study cutting-edge advances in development in a culturally rich African city. Visit refugee camps and historic sites, and survey wildlife in national parks. Participate in a field-based Independent Study or a hands-on internship. Experience both urban and agrarian lifestyles of a fast-changing country.