Program Provider: School for International Training (SIT)

Program Site: Mombasa and other sites throughout coastal Kenya

Duration: Fall or Spring. Fall semester runs from early September to mid December. Spring semester runs from early February to mid May.

Description: SIT is a pioneer of experiential, field based study abroad. Students learn from a variety of sources, including small seminars and discussions with academics, policymakers, and field professionals which offer a comprehensive perspective of local, regional and global issues.

The Mombasa-based SIT Kenya program provides students with an interdisciplinary, integrated curriculum focused on the Swahili people and those from surrounding communities. It also examines Indian Ocean trade and its historical significance, larger issues relating to coastal culture, and forms of narrative for this coastal history.

Academics: Students take Islam and Swahili Cultural Identity, Intensive Language Study: Swahili, Research Design and Ethics, and conduct an Independent Study Project (ISP). The Islam and Swahili Cultural Identity course examines the diverse cultures of the East African coast that are brought together by the Swahili language and the prevalence of Islam. It is designed to provide students with first-hand academic knowledge of Islam, Kiswahili, and the emergence and continuing contestations of East African coastal communities.

All lectures put a particular emphasis on the coastal region, in order to introduce the historical and cultural realities of the East African coast.  As part of the course, students also spend 10 days in a village setting where they will have a chance to compare rural and urban life.

Research Design and Ethics introduces students to the multidisciplinary tools and methods of ethnographic field study with an emphasis on qualitative research methods. Research ethics are a second focus of the course, with special attention devoted to the ethics of field study and the processes of Human Subjects Review. The course addresses the specifics of research ethics amongst vulnerable populations, the politics of subjectivity in field research, and the unique aspects of conducting ethical field study in Kenya. The final focus of the course is the creation of a research proposal that serves as a precursor to the ISP. The proposal requires students to create viable and applicable research questions related to Islam and Swahili cultural identity, determine appropriate methods based on the research questions, and, finally, design an initial proposal to address a selected issue. in the concepts of learning across cultures and from field experience.

Students conduct their ISP during the last month of the program and produce a substantial research paper.  Recent topics from USC program participants include: The Condition of Muslim Youth: Extremism, Westernization and Integration into the National Kenya State; Kaya Hip-Hop in Coastal Kenya: The Urban Poetry of Ukoo Flani; and An Exploration of Polygamy's Current State in Lamu.
   
Course load and Credit: Students take four courses for a maximum of 16 USC units.

Accommodations: Students live in homestays for a few weeks in Mombasa and during the rural visit. Other accommodations during the semester include small hotels, guest houses and hostels.

Activities and Other Program Features: Highlights of the program include a three-day sailing excursion aboard a traditional African dhow through the islands of the Lamu archipelago, visiting villages of historical significance, deep sea fishing or snorkeling off the island of Kiwayuu, and an excursion to the island of Zanzibar or the Sultanate of Oman.

Eligibility:  Minimum 3.0 GPA

Estimated Semester Cost:
Tuition............................$16,352
Additional Expenses*..........$8,527
Total...............................$24,879

Cost Updated: 6/1/11
Text Updated: 9/2/11

*Additional expenses include estimated costs for airfare, room and board, books and supplies, health insurance, and personal expenses (which can vary greatly from student to student). USC financial aid, scholarships, and tuition remission may be applied to program costs. Please visit the Office of Overseas Studies for more detailed cost information.