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SIT Study Abroad/IHP Health and Community: Globalization, Culture, and Care (Fall) (Outgoing Program)

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  • Locations: Cape Town, South Africa; Delhi, India; Washington, D.C., United States;
  • Program Terms: Fall
  • Homepage: Click to visit
  • Program Sponsor: SIT/World Learning 
  • Restrictions: Rice applicants only
Fact Sheet:
Fact Sheet:
Click here for a definition of this term Program Type: Field Study, Research
Program Description:
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IHP/Comparative: Health and Community: Globalization, Culture, and Care (Fall 1)

SIT Study Abroad has six IHP/Comparative programs. Each of these programs spends time in multiple locations over the course of the semester.

Key Questions Explored on this Programsouth africa

  • How can a deeper understanding of culture transform our view of health?
  • Is health a fundamental human right? If so, who is responsible for guaranteeing it?
  • What can be done about the health inequities — between rich and poor, urban and rural — that exist around the world?
  • What is the role of public health in the global context? How do the forces of globalization impact health and healthcare?
  • How do grassroots activism and top-down approaches conflict with or complement one another?
  • What is the role of community in health and well-being? And, how do different people understand what it is to be a healthy person in varied cultural contexts?

Please visit the SIT Study Abroad website for details on the program courses (including syllabi), program sites, and housing.

Recent Program Sites

  • Washington DC, US
  • Delhi, India
  • Cape Town, South Africa
  • São Paulo, Brazil

Program Structure

There is no "typical day"on an SIT International Honors Program. Activities may take place on any day of the week and at any time of day to be in accordance with 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 in a US city, where students receive an introduction to the program’s theme, examine that theme in a US context, and prepare for travel to the other program sites.
  • The program then spends four or five weeks in each of the other program sites where students:
    • are introduced to field experiences by exploring neighborhoods,
    • live with a host family, and
    • examine the interconnections of the economy, the environment, politics, and society in vastly different contexts.
  • Each program is composed of four courses, totaling 16 credits.
  • Students produce a cumulative study project involving comparative research from across the semester.

What Makes SIT Unique

  • 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. 
  • 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 research project 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 $1.3 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