American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS)
Stellenbosch, South Africa
Stellenbosch is South Africa’s second oldest town, after Cape Town, in the world’s most beautiful wine country: the Jonkershoek Valley on the southern tip of Africa. Superb beaches are a half hour away. Scenic mountains nearly 5,000 feet high form a spectacular backdrop. South Africa’s million-plus square kilometers host a variety of landscapes, from breathtaking coasts and mountains in the south to the grassland bush in the north. The tip of the continent encompasses everything from the austere flats of the Karoo Desert to the subtropical beauty in Natal’s exotic beaches, capped by the majestic Drakensberg mountain range.
The 60,000 year-round residents enjoy easy access to Cape Town, which is a 30 minute drive. Stellenbosch is host to music, theater and the arts. Art galleries, restaurants and shops dot oaklined streets, while numerous parks, gardens and nature reserves contribute to the town’s beauty. The climate is temperate year round, making it the ideal location for outdoor activities. During March and October, festivals celebrate food, wine, books, music, crafts and film. During the summer, concert-goers picnic in gardens by the amphitheater while listening to performances. Sports facilities draw international competitions in cricket, rugby, golf, cross country, cycling, swimming, tennis and mountain biking.
Stellenbosch University
A century-long tradition of quality teaching and research ensures Stellenbosch University’s place among the finest academic institutions in both Africa and the world. It has four campuses and a student population of 19,000, a third of whom are post-graduates. The University population is more than 30 percent nonwhite, while 98 percent of the students speak English as their first or second language.
African Studies courses open to international students are taught in English, as are a number of regular University courses described in this chapter. However, most undergraduate teaching is in Afrikaans. All South Africans at the University speak English, and English is the common language of the international student population of 400. A variety of post-graduate courses are offered in English as well as Afrikaans.
The University houses a modern, extensive library collection catalogued on a computerized database. Part of a network of five mutually supported academic libraries in the Western Cape province, the library is electronically linked to major library databases worldwide. Its architecture is distinctive in that the library is entirely underground.
Included in AIFS program fee:
-
Tuition, housing and meals
-
Round trip air fare*
-
Cultural activities
-
3-day London stopover before program
-
6-day visit to the famous Garden Route
-
Services of a pre-departure Student Advisory Center and an on-site Resident Director
-
Computer facilities with Internet access
-
Phone card on arrival to call the U.S.
*Supplement applies from 26 U.S. cities
Academics
-
Academic year, July-November or February-June semesters, summer
-
Open to college sophomores, juniors and seniors
-
On-site orientation in Stellenbosch
-
Transcripts issued by Stellenbosch University
-
Visa mandatory. Apply to the South African consulate
Housing and Meals
Cultural activities
-
Events include cultural, social and sporting events, day trips to Robben Island , Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope and a camping weekend in the Cederberg Mountains
www.aifsabroad.com
*Source: American Institute for Foreign Study 2005-6 Academic Year/Semester catalog