SIT Study Abroad Indonesia: Arts, Religion, and Social Change
Explore Indonesia’s arts, agriculture, and six officially recognized religions shaping sociocultural discourses on the side-by-side islands of Bali and Java.
WHY STUDY ARTS AND RELIGION IN INDONESIA?
Discover the astounding dynamics of a highly pluralistic society in one of the most visually arresting, culturally rich and biodiverse parts of the planet. Bali, the program base, is known for its beautiful rice terraces, beaches, temples, and distinctive art forms. Attend classes in an ancient palace. Then travel to witness Indonesia’s arts, including processions to the river, the making of tall and beautiful rice ornaments, and dance performances lasting late into the night. Explore Java’s religious sites, temples, and mosques; view street art with Javanese peers; and roam mountains. Java is the original home of tempe and batik textiles, so you will learn techniques from experts and produce a batik T-shirt. In a farming village in Bali’s Tabanan district, study the local agriculture and unique practices of the subak societies, which govern rice-field irrigation. Plant rice, cook traditional dishes, and make a coconut bowl and coconut oil. Meet healers and make medicines. Hear Indonesia’s peculiar and widely influential traditional gamelan music. Attend visual arts and ballet performances, as well as Hindu and Muslim ceremonies in Bali and Java.
Please visit the SIT Study Abroad website for details on the program highlights and details of coursework, educational excursions, and housing.
MONEY MATTERS
SIT is an all-inclusively priced study abroad program – including academics costs, excursions, accommodations and meals, airport transfers, and health insurance. Be sure to discuss how study abroad costs are handled at your school with your study abroad advisor and read the website for more specific information.
SCHOLARSHIPS
SIT has awarded an average of over $1.3 million in scholarships and grants to SIT Study Abroad students in the past three years. All scholarships and grants are need-based. Awards generally range from $500 to $5,000.
CONTACT SIT STUDY ABROAD
· Visit our website: studyabroad.sit.edu
· Request more information or email us: studyabroad@sit.edu
· Call an admissions counselor: 888-272-7881
· Contact a former student.
· Apply to SIT
Major Topics of Study
- The dynamic ways in which Balinese traditional arts, social networks, and the environment are changing, especially in urban settings, in conjunction with the opportunities and pressures of globalization
- Current debates on the future of Balinese culture and society in relation to global pressures such as increased development and international tourism
- The ancient roots of Javanese and Balinese culture and the history of the republican movement that led to the formation of modern Indonesia
- How religion, society, and the arts have developed side by side on each island
Please visit the SIT Study Abroad website for details on the program courses (including syllabi), educational excursions, and housing.
There is no "typical day"on an SIT program. Activities may take place on any day of the week and at any time of day to be in accordance with according to local norms and to take advantage of once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunities. Thus, the schedule and structure of the program are likely very different from what students are used to on their home campuses. The semester progresses in phases:
- The program begins with a thorough orientation.
- During the first two and a half months of the program, students are engaged in foundational coursework, including:
- thematic seminars, including education excursions,
- language instruction focused on improving practical communication skills, and
- a field research methods and ethics course that prepares students to conduct independent research.
- For the last month of the program, students conduct an Independent Study Project (ISP) on an approved topic of their choosing.
- Finally, students present their project, participate in program evaluations, and prepare to return home.
- SIT Study Abroad offers a field-based, experiential approach to learning.
- Each program has a small group of students (typically 10–35).
- On an SIT program, students gain high levels of access to many different stakeholders and experts relevant to the issues the program is examining.
- While some learning will be conducted at the SIT program center, extensive learning is done outside the classroom — in host communities, field stations, NGO headquarters, ecological sites, health clinics, and art studios.
- Many students go on to use their Independent Study Projects as a basis for senior theses on their home campuses. Others use their undergraduate research and overall study abroad experience to successfully apply for fellowships such as Fulbrights and Watsons.
Money Matters
Be sure to discuss how study abroad costs are handled at your school with your study abroad advisor.
SIT tuition and room and board fees include the following:
- All educational costs, including educational excursions
- All accommodations and meals for the full program duration
- Transportation to and from the airport, and on all educational excursions
- Health and accident insurance
Scholarships:
- SIT awards nearly $1.3 million in scholarships and grants annually.
- All scholarships and grants are need-based.
- Awards generally range from $500 to $5,000.
- The SIT Pell Grant Match provides matching grants to all students receiving Federal Pell Grant funding when it is applied to an SIT Study Abroad semester program.
- Contact the financial aid and/or study abroad office(s) at your college or university to learn if your school’s scholarships and grants and federal and state aid programs can be applied to an SIT Study Abroad program.
Contact SIT Study Abroad
