Program Duration
Academic year: Early September - Late April
Fall semester: Early September - Mid- December
Spring semester: Mid-January - Mid-May
Program Description
Co-sponsored by UW-Madison, the University of Minnesota offers students the opportunity to study in Kenya through its Minnesota Studies in International Development (MSID) program. This unique opportunity allows students to explore the real world of international development in Kenya, a country of immense geographic and cultural diversity. Learning from experience is the core of this MSID program. The program aims to put students in direct contact with the social and economic realities of actual communities and of people working within them to address complex problems. Through classes, field trips, internships, and research, MSID strives to establish a continual dialogue linking experience with theory and critical analysis.
Located on the east coast of Africa, Kenya is home to twenty-eight million people who represent over forty-five ethnic groups. The modern capital city of Nairobi has a population of three million and functions as the base for many international organizations engaged in areas of international relief, development, and social change. Kenya’s geography is marvelously varied with striking landscapes, ranging from snowcapped Mount Kenya to rich farmlands, barren deserts and tropical beaches. Villages in the fertile highlands are an interesting contrast to the cities. Small, family-owned farms are home to most of Kenya’s people.
Academics
The core of the academic program is a combination of on-site coursework and an unpaid field placement/internship for academic credit. The fall or spring semester program consists of eight weeks of classroom work, which focuses on development theory, development efforts and their effectiveness, sustainability, cultural appropriateness, and equity. All classes are with program participants and are taught by local faculty. During this time, a Swahili language class is also required. Following the completion of class work, semester students start a six-week field placement with a development project or agency. Students return to Nairobi to conclude the semester with the MSID final conference - a time for reflection, exams and papers, reconnecting with MSID peers, and preparing for departure. During the fall semester, academic year students follow the same academic format as fall participants. Then, after a three-week semester break, academic year students return to their field placements for the second semester to do an internship, and design and carry out a substantial research project.
Field placements/internships involve work in development agencies in urban or rural settings. Typical categories for field placements and internships include: public health, environmental protection, social services, women in development, agriculture, and small businesses. Some examples of previous internships include:
• Working with a youth group developing income-generating projects
• Working with a clinic on AIDS education
• Promoting sustainable agriculture
• Working with communities to develop eco-tourism
• Contributing to a rural adult literacy project
• Working in a shelter for street children
• Assisting women with micro-business proposals
• Working at family health care clinics
• Working with indigenous groups on rainforest protection.
Prior to departure, students must complete assigned readings for selected courses. In addition, students have the option to enroll in the one-credit online course titled “Global Identity: Connecting Your International Experience to Your Future.” This course enhances the learning abroad experience and covers topics related to intercultural communication. It is also designed to assist students with articulating their abroad experience in the future.
Housing
Program participants live with local host families. 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. Students take at least breakfast and the evening meal with their host families, and all three meals on weekends.
Excursions and Activities
Students will travel from Nairobi to their field placement/internship for six weeks. Students on the academic year program will have the opportunity to travel independently during their three-week semester break.