Major Topics of Study
- The historical background of South Africa's apartheid system, the dismantling of that system, and emerging visions for post-apartheid South Africa
- Re-membering the past through individual and popular memory and the role of memory in healing the trauma of the past
- Reconciliation through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)
- The evolution from the Reconstruction and Development Program (RDP) to a developmental state
- The role of civil society, education, and media in the goal of nation building
- The challenges of transition
- Gender and social change
Please visit the SIT Study Abroad website for details on the program courses (including syllabi), educational excursions, and housing.
There is no "typical day" on an SIT program. Activities may take place on any day of the week and at any time of day to be in accordance with according to local norms and to take advantage of once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunities. Thus, the schedule and structure of the program are likely very different from what students are used to on their home campuses. The semester progresses in phases:
- The program begins with a thorough orientation.
- During the first two and a half months of the program, students are engaged in foundational coursework, including:
- thematic seminars, including education excursions,
- language instruction focused on improving practical communication skills, and
- a field research methods and ethics course that prepares students to conduct independent research.
- For the last month of the program, students conduct an Independent Study Project (ISP) on an approved topic of their choosing.
- Finally, students present their project, participate in program evaluations, and prepare to return home.
- SIT Study Abroad offers a field-based, experiential approach to learning.
- Each program has a small group of students (typically 10–35).
- On an SIT program, students gain high levels of access to many different stakeholders and experts relevant to the issues the program is examining.
- While some learning will be conducted at the SIT program center, extensive learning is done outside the classroom — in host communities, field stations, NGO headquarters, ecological sites, health clinics, and art studios.
- Many students go on to use their Independent Study Projects as a basis for senior theses on their home campuses. Others use their undergraduate research and overall study abroad experience to successfully apply for fellowships such as Fulbrights and Watsons.
Money Matters
Be sure to discuss how study abroad costs are handled at your school with your study abroad advisor.
SIT tuition and room and board fees include the following:
- All educational costs, including educational excursions
- All accommodations and meals for the full program duration
- Transportation to and from the airport, and on all educational excursions
- Health and accident insurance
Scholarships:
- SIT awards nearly $1.6 million in scholarships and grants annually.
- All scholarships and grants are need-based.
- Awards generally range from $500 to $5,000.
- The SIT Pell Grant Match provides matching grants to all students receiving Federal Pell Grant funding when it is applied to an SIT Study Abroad semester program.
- Contact the financial aid and/or study abroad office(s) at your college or university to learn if your school’s scholarships and grants and federal and state aid programs can be applied to an SIT Study Abroad program.
Contact SIT Study Abroad
Program
In cooperation with the School for International Training (SIT), Ohio State offers the option of enrolling at multiple programs based in South Africa.
Students may participate in the following program; South Africa: Social and Political Transformation- Semester length.
Students may explore the socioeconomic, political, and cultural dynamics of South Africa—an extraordinarily diverse country in transition—and enjoy unparalleled engagement with renowned activists, intellectuals, and political leaders.
Locations
Durban, South Africa
Accommodations
Students will be housed in local homestays
Ohio State Program Contact
Rebecca McMunn
Schedule an appointment
here
mcmunn.8@osu.edu
Courses and Credits
Each course a student takes abroad, regardless of the grade received or how course credit counts toward degree requirements, must:
- Be approved via the credit evaluation process; students are strongly encouraged to do this prior to submitting their applications.
- Transfer back to the student’s Ohio State record.
- Be completed for graded Ohio State credit. This grade will be factored into the student’s GPA.
Completion of the credit evaluation process does not guarantee the availability of the course abroad. Students are encouraged to have multiple back-up courses approved. Students who cancel their participation for failure to secure approval for desired course work will be subject to the
cancellation policy.
Admitted participants are required to register themselves in the temporary study abroad placeholder course, ARTSSCI 5797. Further instructions will be provided upon admission to the program.
Click
here for course information.
Eligibility
Applicants are required to have a 2.5 cumulative GPA, meet the program-specific pre- requisites and meet
OIA's General Eligibility Requirements and
Conditions for Participation. All students will also be required to participate in on-campus pre-departure orientations organized by the Office of International Affairs.
Students may not graduate during the same term in which they are participating on a third party provider/direct enroll program.
Application instructions
Applicants are required to submit TWO applications:
1. OIA education abroad application (start at the "Apply Now" at the bottom or top of this page);
2.
SIT application.
IMPORTANT:
Both applications must be submitted by the Ohio State application deadline
Passports
Passports are required for every Ohio State study abroad program. For many study abroad destinations, passport information is required to apply for an entry visa (as early as 6 months prior to departure). For information about applying for a passport, go to
travel.state.gov.
Program Costs
Students will pay the School for International Training program fee and the Geo Blue supplemental international health insurance fee.. A waiver of tuition for Ohio State students that participate on university-approved third party provider or direct enroll programming is in effect until June 30, 2021. The SIT program fee includes tuition, housing, on-site orientation. Airfare, some meals, books and supplies, international supplemental health insurance,personal expenses and independent travel are not included in the program fee.
If students withdraw or become ineligible any time 11 days after the acceptance notification from OSU, they will be held responsible for a $200 cancellation fee. Please refer to
OIA's Cancellation Policy.
Scholarships
Students should begin researching
funding opportunities before they have been accepted into a study abroad program.
Grants and Scholarships deadlines may occur before the study abroad program application deadline.
Students who receive or are eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant are encouraged to apply for the
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program. This program is Gilman eligible. Interested students should first verify their existing award package and make an appointment with Student Financial Aid as needed. After researching the scholarship, students wishing to apply for the Gilman International Scholarship should be in touch with the listed education abroad coordinator to begin working on a competitive application.
Information Sessions
Notices
U.S. Department of State:
travel.state.gov (travel advisories/country specific safety information)
Centers for Disease Control:
cdc.gov/travel (pre-travel health guidance)
Ohio State reserves the right to change without notice any statement contained herein, concerning but not limited to rules, policies, tuition, fees, curricula and courses. In the event of a change to an existing U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory, CDC Travel Health Notice or other
risk designated criteria, the Office of International Affairs reserves the right to cancel any program prior to departure or while in progress. Discrimination against any individual based upon protected status, which is defined as age, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, military status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status, is prohibited.
