Education Abroad & Exchange - MSID in Kenya

Minnesota Studies in International Development Program in Kenya

About the 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.

Minnesota Studies in International Development

Learning from experience is the core of Minnesota Studies in International Development (MSID). 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. Why are the rich richer and the poor poorer after decades of development efforts? Are there alternative development models that are more just, sustainable, and liberating? Students from a variety of disciplines—the social sciences, African studies, agriculture, forestry, enviromental studies, business, education, public health, health sciences, and many others—find MSID an academically challenging and personally enriching experience.

The MSID curriculum explores the theoretical and practical implications of international development and intercultural issues. Field experience is an integral part of all courses. Pre-departure readings and assignments create a common knowledge base from which the courses and internships build. All of the curriculum except the language course can be taken for graduate level credit.

Academics

Fall or Spring Semester Curriculum 17 credits

The five semester courses are outlined below. All classes are with program participants and are taught by local faculty. Through the coursework and the internship, students have the opportunity to discuss and reflect on the complex and diverse nature of development as realized in their MSID country.

Beginning or Intermediate Swahili
(Afro 3110, 4 credits)
Focus on practical skills while emphasising conversation and vocabulary building.

International Development: Critical Perspectives on Theory and Practice
(GloS 4801, 4 credits, 3 graduate credits)
Explore a wide variety of perspectives on international development, with the host country as a case study. Liberal education requirement fulfilled: Social Science core and Citizenship and Public Ethics theme.

MSID Country Analysis
(GloS 4803, 4 credits, 3 graduate credits)
This multi-disciplinary study of the MSID country emphasizes the social sciences and history, especially as they relate to development issues. Liberal education requirement fulfilled: Social Science core and International Perspective theme.

Community Internships in the Global South
(GloS 4805, 4 credits, 3 graduate credits)
An internship with a host-country development agency or project provides an unparalleled opportunity to study community characteristics, development strategies and problems, organizational structure and culture, and cross-cultural communication issues. The length of the internship depends on the enrollment option: fall or spring semester, six weeks; academic year, five months. Students typically spend approximately 25-30 hours each week at their internship site, although this may vary depending on the specific site and project. Written assignments help link experiences to theories and issues raised in the classroom. Liberal education requirement fulfilled: Social Science core and International Perspective theme.

Past internships include:

Working with 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

Program faculty visit all students at their sites during the internship. At the end of each semester, students gather in the host city or a retreat site for a seminar, which helps integrate experiences and newly acquired knowledge.

Maximizing Study Abroad
(EdPA 3103, 1 credit)
This course enhances students’ learning abroad experience, eases adjustments with its culture-learning and language strategies (where applicable), and covers topics related to intercultural communication.

Dates & Fees (2007-2008)

Terms	Dates	Deadlines	Fees
Fall Semester	Sept–Dec	Apr 1	$8,900
Academic Year	Sept–May	Apr 1	$12,900
Spring Semester	Jan–May	Oct 1	$8,900

The program fees include tuition, fees, international health insurance, room, most meals, and field trips. Entry visas, pre-departure immunizations, airfare, some meals, and personal expenses are additional.

The program fees are based on estimates and may change depending on international economic factors. Non-University of Minnesota students add $850.

Payments

A non-refundable deposit is due upon acceptance into the program and will be applied toward the program fee. You will receive email notification from the Learning Abroad Center that the balance of the program fees have been billed to your student finance account approximately one month before the University of Minnesota term begins (August for fall semester and academic year; December for winter break and spring semester; and May for May session and summer session). You will receive official notification of billing and payment due dates from the Office of Student Finance (OSF) via your University of Minnesota email account. All payments are made to the OSF.

Please note that the University of Minnesota requires all non-degree students, including students from other institutions who are participating in a University of Minnesota study abroad program, to pay their University of Minnesota study abroad charges in full no later than the first billing due date for the term. Payment must be received, not postmarked (if sent by mail), by the first billing due date, or you will be cancelled from the study abroad program, will not receive credit, and cannot be re-enrolled in the program.