Academics
- Learn about international development.
- Gain hands-on experience by participating in a community internship.
- Take Swahili language classes.
- Program type:
MSID Kenya is an experiential program. Learn about Kenya through classes, field trips, internships, and research.
- Level:
3000-4000 level courses.
- Term:
Fall semester plus optional pre-session, spring semester, academic year plus optional pre-session.
- Prerequisites:
2.5 GPA; juniors and above; experience in your MSID country, relevant course work, or volunteer experience preferred but not required.
- Courseload:
16 credits for fall or spring semester; 32 for the academic year. Add 5 credits for optional pre-session for fall and academic year.
Faculty
Dr. Mohamud Jama, an economist at the University of Nairobi, directs the program. Khalif Maalim assists with the program coordination, and Kenyan faculty provide the instruction.
How to Apply
Click the button below to visit this program's web page for more information about the application process for this program.
About This Program
Kenya's geographic and cultural diversity make it a microcosm of the African continent. It includes hot coastal plains, vast plateaus, Africa's largest lake and highest mountain, and hundreds of miles of the great Rift Valley. Home to more than 45 tribes, significant European and South Asian minorities, and a population of 28 million speaking dozens of languages, Kenya shares with its neighbors the challenges of forging a multi-ethnic, post-colonial nation. Most Kenyans are farmers or herders, yet the capital of Nairobi is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in East Africa and the base for many international and Kenyan organizations promoting development and social change.
Homestays are an integral component of the MSID learning experience. All students live and share most meals with at least one family, and many with two different families--one during the classroom phase and a second in a different part of the country during the remainder of the program. Students with internships in the main city typically choose to remain with the same family throughout.
Language Pre-Session: An optional August intensive language course is offered for fall semester and academic year students. One language course is taught over a 4-week period and awards 5 undergraduate credits. The Kenya program offers beginning or intermediate Swahili. The syllabus focuses on language skill development and daily oral practice. Students live with host families, and local excursions are included.
Semester Program: The semester program consists of four courses. All classes are with program participants and are taught by local faculty. Through the coursework and the internship, you have the opportunity to discuss and reflect on the complex and diverse nature of development as realized in your MSID country.
About Learning Abroad Center
The Learning Abroad Center in the Office of International Programs is the University of Minnesota's comprehensive resource for study, service-learning, work, intern, volunteer, and travel experiences worldwide.
The Learning Abroad Center is a leader in providing innovative international learning experiences that expand and redefine the world for a diverse population of students, colleagues, and staff. The Learning Abroad Center staff and University of Minnesota faculty and staff participate in numerous leadership opportunities and serve on the advisory boards of organizations who provide and/or support education abroad programs. Through collaboration and individual attention, the Learning Abroad Center continues to promote empowerment, development, understanding, and responsibility in the global community.
A variety of program options--300 programs in over 70 countries--have been developed to address the diverse needs of students. Programs vary in length, level, academic focus, teaching format, language requirements, cost, and degree of independence demanded of the participant.
