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University of Stellenbosch
Matieland, South Africa
(pop. 90,000)
Student Enrollment: 22,000
Language of instruction: English, Afrikaans
www.sun.ac.za/
Tips for Accessing Course Information in English
Undergraduate Course Offerings in English Within Faculty Departments
IPSU Course Offerings in English
IPSU Service Learning Certificate Program
PROGRAM TYPE
Academic year or semester exchanges
ISEP-Direct academic year, semester or summer programs
ISEP-Exchange for International students; chance of placement is limited.
ISEP-Exchange for US students; chance of placement is limited.
ISEP-Direct site for member and affiliate students.
Summer program available.
Courses taught in English
Fine Arts (art teaching methods, drama, elementary photography, music, visual arts concepts); Humanities and Social Sciences (African languages, Afrikaans & Dutch, English/literature, history, linguistics, political science, South African studies); Public and Development Management; Sciences (agronomy, civil engineering, community forestry, conservation ecology, crop production, crop protection, electrical engineering, forest botany, forest management, genetics, mechanical engineering, process engineering, wood science).
Academic Notes
ISEP participants are welcome to select any combination of courses from the listings of courses taught in English (1) regular academic course offerings within faculty departments or (2) courses specifically designed for international students through IPSU (International Programmes Stellenbosch University). Individual course approval is subject, however, to timetable, class space, and prerequisite satisfaction. Academic highlights include African studies, nature conservation and political science. ISEP students are also welcome to enroll in the IPSU Certificate Program in Community Engagement in South Africa. This program provides access to service learning while earning academic credit.
Special ISEP Application Instructions
The courses you intend to take at University of Stellenbosch will need to be approved by the relevant department. In order to gain approval, you will need to submit course descriptions of classes completed at your home institution in the same field as the Stellenbosch courses in which you would like to enroll. This will allow the relevant department to ensure that the requested courses are appropriate and that pre-requisites are met. Students should not supply an internet link to course descriptions online. Instead, a short description in word form is requested. This required information must be submitted with your ISEP application, so please be sure to allow yourself time to collect these descriptions before the application is due.
Language Notes
Being historically and officially an Afrikaans institution, the University of Stellenbosch offers most of its classes in Afrikaans and the majority of its students are Afrikaans speaking (51 percent) (all students speak English). Reflecting the needs and interests of an increasingly diverse student body, the university also offers courses taught in English, and it is from these that international students typically make their enrollment selections. Such courses are available in various departments.
For additional information on the language policy at Stellenbosch click on "Tips for Accessing Course Information in English."
Program Dates
Academic year: late-January to mid-December; Semester 1: late- January to late June; Semester 2: mid-July to mid-December. Summer Programs: mid-June to mid-July. Observes the Southern Hemisphere Calendar.
Housing and Meals
Students will be housed in on-campus housing facilities and receive a stipend for meals.
Student Activities
There are more than 20 competitive sport clubs including: basketball, cricket, cycling, diving, hockey, judo, parachuting, rowing, rugby, and soccer.
ISEP-Direct
Information about ISEP-Direct fees and dates.
Summer Program
Nation-Building and Development: Challenges of South Africa
This 4-week summer program consists of lectures, group discussions, and field trips. Students take South African History and Politics, and have an additional choice of one of the following courses:
- Biodiversity: Plants for the People in the Western Cape
- Apartheid and After: Representations of South Africa in Art
- Apartheid and After: Representations of South Africa in Literature
- Understanding the HIV/AIDS Epidemic
- Challenges for Democratic Consolidation
Learning Through Community Engagement
The aim of this 5-week program is to provide students from abroad with the opportunity to demonstrate and develop their global citizenship through community engagement. The program focuses on the historical background and current issues impacting community life in South Africa, which students will experience firsthand through service to a South African community. Learning through Community Engagement carries a heavy academic and practical component and will demand a great level of participation from students during the 5 weeks.
See summer program information
Profile
The history of the University of Stellenbosch dates back to the opening of the Stellenbosch Gymnasium in 1866. From a small institution with a mere 500 students in 1918, Stellenbosch has grown into a modern university with nearly 25,000 students. The University of Stellenbosch aims to serve higher education in South Africa in the best possible way by delivering high quality teaching, research, and community service.
The Langenhoven Student Centre, or "Neelsie," is the social heartbeat of the campus. The modern center offers students a variety of commercial, financial and entertainment services. A wide range of societies - from cultural and political to religious and recreational - contributes greatly to the bustling atmosphere on campus. Joining a club or a society is a good way for international students to integrate with local students. The International Student Organisation of Stellenbosch (ISOS), a society specifically for international students, supports and facilitates international student integration. The university prides itself on its outstanding sporting achievements.
Location
Located in the Western Cape of South Africa, Stellenbosch was founded in 1679. However, it is not simply a town of dignified historic buildings and tree-lined avenues, it is also a modern city, a bustling center for commerce, agriculture and education with the campus as an integral part. The town has moved with the times while maintaining its rural character and preserving its historic heritage.
Stellenbosch is 12 miles from beautiful beaches and 34 miles from Cape Town. The active nature-lover can enjoy the hiking trails in the surrounding mountain ranges or even a walk in the town's nature reserve. Stellenbosch also offers a wide variety of cultural activities in which the university's departments of Music, Drama and Creative Arts play an important role. The Stellenbosch wine region, the Napa Valley of South Africa, is one of the oldest in the southern hemisphere, and certainly regarded as the most beautiful.
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