Summer in South Africa is a 4-5 week program at Stellenbosch University during the month of June. Field trips, hands-on community service projects, and expert guest lecturers make Summer in South Africa a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
GPA Required: 2.8. If you find your GPA is lower than the requirement, do not despair! Use the "Contact An Advisor" button on this page or call us to let us know your situation. We'll do all we can to find the right program for you.
How to choose your courses
Now the fun part! As part of the application process you will be required to complete the CISabroad Course Selection Worksheet found in the CISabroad Application Page. The following instructions will guide you through the steps of choosing your courses. You can select from 6 summer courses.
Course load: 2–3 classes (4–6 US credits). You can take up to 3 classes during the summer.
Course approval: It is best to get 4–5 classes approved before you go abroad. This gives you some flexibility in setting up your class schedule. Think about courses required for your major, but also courses that fulfill your elective requirements.
Course descriptions and catalog
There are 2 distinct program offerings in Summer in South Africa. You can take up to 3 of the 6 general courses listed below, or you can participate in the 7-credit service-learning program.
If you choose the general courses, please note that Course 1 is mandatory. Also, general courses are 2 US credits; you can take up to 3 courses for 6 credits.
If you choose the service-learning program, you will need to write an additional essay for your application. You will take both courses listed below for a total of 7 US credits.
General courses
Course 1: Introduction to South Africa’s Political History (mandatory)
This course will introduce you to South Africa’s unique 20th-century history and the interplay of the country’s political, social, and economic issues. In particular, the focus is on South African identities and how they were and continue to be shaped by the country’s past.
Course 2: Biodiversity: Plants for the People in the Western Cape (elective)
An introduction to South Africa’s incredible biological diversity, with special focus on the plants of the Cape Floristic Region (a global biodiversity hot spot). It starts with an evaluation of people as threats to biodiversity, and of the conservation efforts being applied to help people use of the flora sustainably.
Course 3: Apartheid and After: Representations of South Africa in Art and Media (elective)
This course focuses on the way in which art and media register and reflect the social and political conflicts and tensions of nation building and racial reconciliation in South Africa. Through analysis of visual culture (which may include art, photography, and popular media such as music videos and soap operas), you will investigate the complexity of identity creation in pre- and post-apartheid South Africa. The course includes visits to artists’ studios, galleries, and other culturally significant sites in Cape Town and Stellenbosch.
Course 4: HIV and Aids: A South African Perspective (elective)
This course aims to nurture and develop in students—as leaders and future professionals—the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to manage HIV prevention and care in the workplace, both locally and abroad. You will develop a global understanding of HIV and AIDS through the South African experience of the HIV epidemic.
Course 5: Apartheid and After: Negotiating Identities in Literature and Film (elective)
This course focuses on the way in which South African literature and film registered and reflected the social and political conflicts and tensions of the apartheid years, and how, since the first democratic elections in 1994, these cultural products have served as a means of questioning and negotiating identity not only nationally, but also at the level of the community and the individual. This weeklong course will engage with poetry, songs, 2 novels, a play, and a small selection of apartheid-era and more recent South African films.
Course 6: Challenges for Democratic Consolidation (elective)
This course builds on some of the issues introduced in Course 1. Its focus is contemporary South Africa—a society in transition, characterized by elements of both change and continuity. You’ll explore some of the most urgent policy challenges facing the country (like crime, poverty, and social delivery) and further investigate the politics of identity, race, and nation building. In light of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, the course will specifically focus on sport as a driver of national identity and also take a look at the role the South African state plays in Africa and internationally
Service-learning option
Course 1: Introduction to South Africa’s Political History (mandatory)
An introduction to South Africa’s unique 20th-century history and to the interplay of its political, social, and economic issues. In particular, the focus is on South African identities and how these were and continue to be shaped by the country’s past.
Course 2: Learning for Sustainable Community Development (mandatory)
This program is an opportunity to demonstrate and develop your global citizenship through community engagement. You will come to understand the impact of both history and current issues on community life and problems in South Africa and experience it firsthand through engaging in a South African community—while earning academic credits.