Description

Examine the interplay of health care policy, education, and practice in South Africa. Students will focus on topics such as the relationship between traditional healing and Western medicine, prenatal care, access to health care, and public health education. Building on a multidisciplinary and historical analysis of public health in South Africa, the program explores critical issues and initiatives in a nation where public health policies have achieved mixed results in addressing health problems.

The program base of Durban, in KwaZulu-Natal, serves as a nexus of public health teaching, research, and practice in both Western and traditional healing systems. Students participate in a two-week internship with a non-clinical public health initiative and some students choose to return to the same organization for their Independent Study Projects.

Highlights

16 credits; Intensive Language Study: Zulu, Public Health Seminar, Field Study Seminar, four-week Independent Study Project; Four-week homestay with families in the Durban area and a one-week rural homestay.

Field Visits
The Public Health Seminar generally includes several daylong field visits outside of Durban.These trips may focus on school- and homebased food programs, community-based programs for orphaned and vulnerable children, and research institutions centered on women and reproductive health.

Educational Excursions
The program includes educational excursions to several areas in urban and rural KwaZulu-Natal. Visits and seminars feature interaction with health institutions initiated by nongovernmental organizations, missionary organizations,and government clinics and centers.

Degree Level

Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Subject Areas

Cost in US$:

contact sponsor

Program Fees Include:

Please inquire for costs: Fees include tuition, full room and board, all field trips and related fares, health and accident insurance, and other direct program expenses. Participants pay for international airfare and domestic travel to the point of departure from the USA.

Experience Required

no

This Program is open to

Worldwide and American Participants.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Group living
• Home-stays

Participants Travel

in Groups

Typically Participants Work

Independently or in Groups of 12-15

Scholarships are Available

To make study abroad opportunities available to a wide range of students, SIT Study Abroad offers a variety of scholarships. We base all scholarship awards on need and merit. Awards range from 500 to 5,000. For a full list of scholarships, and to download a scholarship application, please visit our web site.

Application Process Involves

• Letters of Reference
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Transcript
• Written Application

Typically The Application Process Time is

3 weeks

Post Services Include

• Alumni Network
• Exit Debriefing Abroad
• Job and Internship Network

SIT Study Abroad's Mission Statement

A pioneer in experiential, field-based study abroad, SIT offers semester, summer, and academic year programs for undergraduate students in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, as well as comparative programs in multiple locations.

Programs focus on critical global issues in specific geographical and cultural contexts using an interdisciplinary approach. Studying with host country faculty and living with families, students gain a deep appreciation for local cultures and become immersed in diverse topics ranging from the politics of identity to post-conflict transformation, from global health to environmental policy. 

Year Founded

1932