Study Abroad

STUDY ABROAD ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT

Over the years, the University of Pennsylvania through Penn Abroad has established a number of vibrant linkages with partner institutions on the African continent. Currently, there are six Penn approved programs that students can go on in the Fall and the Spring Semesters.  

1. CIEE Dakar, Senegal

Live and study African culture and develop skills in French and Wolof, a regional sub-Saharan African language, in one of the most developed, democratic -and friendly - nations in the region. On CIEE's Language and Culture program, you will take a variety of courses in African studies, development studies, anthropology and sociology. You'll immerse yourself fully in the culture by living with a Senegalese family and participating in an important fieldwork project. You are able to participate in African art, dance, and music and engage in community service and/or an internship and have opportunities to visit Goree Island, Toubab Dialaw, Saint Louis, and the Sine-Saloum region. You will also learn during a rural stay with a host family, or PeaceCorps or NGO. If you're ready to seize the opportunity, Senegal and CIEE are ready for you.

For more information visit Penn Abroad's page on CIEE Dakar, Senegal.

2. CIEE Cape ToWn, South Africa

Experience the hopes & triumphs and over-oppression culture of Cape Town during CIEE's Arts and Sciences program. You'll get involved with the local community in so many ways - from community service to visits to local theater, museums, historical sites and independent study opportunities - and take rigorous courses ranging from commerce, engineering, humanities and science at the University of Cape Town. Don't miss this chance to have an adventure to remember, while gaining a comprehensive understanding of social relations in South Africa. You will live, interact, and study with African students in a society in transition, and visit dance productions, rural cooperatives, cricket and rugby matches.

 For more information visit Penn Abroad's page on CIEE Capetown, South Africa. 

3. University of Botswana in Gaborone, Botswana

Normally, in this program, Penn students select courses in the broad area of African studies from the regular curriculum of the Univeristy of Botswana. These courses focus on both contemporary and historical studies of the African continent, its people and its cultures. A number of UB departments offer courses that include some aspects of Africa's past: its environment, social structure, languages, traditions, and religions. In addition, issues such as HIV/AIDS, nature conservation, gender relations, democratization and human rights are among the current contemporary studies in the relevant departments. A list of regularly offered courses is available from the Penn Abroad Overseas Program Manager for this program. Penn students are required to study Setswana language and normally will pursue and independent study project, internship or service leading in addition to their coursework. Students live in student housing offered by the university and offer opportunities to travel around the Southern African sub-region. 

For more information visit Penn Abroad's page on University of Botswana in Gaborone, Botswana.

4. CIEE Iringa, Tanzania

Experience hands-on exploration of the challenges and issues facing Tanzania today, including sanitation, malaria, hunger and deforestation. And study the Kiswahili (Swahili) language in Iringa. Through fascinating coursework and activities with locals, you'll learn about issues impacting urban, peri-urban, and rural Tanzanian communities. You'll also participate in a four-week field study with an organization serivng orphans, vulnerable children, and underserved populations in rural Tanzania. You'll have a chance to explore three distinct communities in Tanzania: the economic epicenter, Dar es Salaam; the small town of Iringa; and the rural village, Mufindi. You will also participate in an intensive, four-week, embedded field study experience at an NGO that addresses public health, and educational and social welfare issues in rural Tanzania.

For more information visit Penn Abroad's page on CIEE Iringa, Tanzania.

5. American University in Cairo, Egypt

AUC's academic programs are organized into three schools: Humanities and Social Sciences, Sciences and Engineering, and Business, Economics and Communication. Penn students at AUC elect courses from the regular general course offerings and integrate into courses alongside degree-seeking AUC students. Penn students normally select courses that contain a Middle Eastern focus; students who wish to take courses in general subjects that are not specifically related to the Middle East must ascertain that relevant Penn departments will recognize them for Penn credit. AUC's language of instruction is English, except for advanced courses in Arabic literature. Past participants have commented that the pace of instruction is affected by the fact that English is often the second or third language of their degree-seeking classmates.

Prior to the beginning of each semester, AUC offers a pre-semester intensive course in colloquial Arabic. The International Student Affairs Office organizes an extensive new student orientation and academic advising (including final course registration) program prior to the start of each semester.

For more information visit Penn Abroad's page on American University in Cairo, Egypt.

6. AMIDEAST Rabat, Morocco

Students engage in experiential learning every day by haggling for goods in local shops, cooking meals with host families, and frequenting local cafes with Moroccan friends. AMIDEAST students get to know diversity of people who make up a society that stands at the crossroads of Arab, indigenous (Amazigh), African, and European cultures. In their daily life, students learn directly from Moroccans through the hospitality of the people of this welcoming country. In addition to the rigorous academic program, AMIDEAST students have the flexibility to have that third cup of mint tea, spend hours perfecting a traditional dish with their host mothers, watch the sun set over the Atlantic Ocean, and wander through ancient markets. From the bone-dry sands of the Sahara to the lush Atlas and Rif Mountains, Morocco is one of the most ecologically diverse countries in the Mediterranean basin. Rabat, home to palaces, wide boulevards, and bustling markets, offers students the opportunity to move from the shops and cafes of the “European” city to the labarinth alleys and exciting markets of the old medina in a few minutes’ walk. Whether sitting around one large dish of couscous with their host family or practicing the art of bargaining, AMIDEAST students find that Moroccans’ insistent hospitality allows the beauty of this country to emerge in thousands of small moments.

For more information visit Penn Abroad's page on AMIDEAST Rabat, Morocco.