SIT Study Abroad Nepal: Development, Gender, and Social Change in the Himalaya
Witness Nepal’s challenges in balancing tradition and modernity, while negotiating economic, political, and social change in a dynamic period of its history.
WHY STUDY SOCIAL CHANGE IN NEPAL?
In the past few decades, Nepal has seen tremendous changes in development, discourse surrounding equality and inclusiveness, and human and civic rights. Live in the Kathmandu Valley, home to seven UNESCO World Heritage sites, and learn from experts, activists and academics about development, gender and social change. Visit organizations and institutions to understand how they work with government and nongovernment agencies to make meaningful change in society. Learn Nepali from expert teachers in small, dynamic classes. Connect with NGOs, INGOs, and bilateral and multilateral donors. Visit the Chitwan National Park in the plains to learn about conservation, community development and collective action. Then, trek from village to village along ancient Himalayan trade routes going as high as 13,000 feet to see community development efforts as well as Nepal’s remarkable biological, geological, and cultural diversity. In the final four weeks, research a topic of your choice while conducting independent field study, or gain professional skills in an international work environment as part of an internship.
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
Major Topics of Study
- Economic development, the emerging middle class, and labor migration
- Climate change and environmental concerns in the Himalayas
- Development theory and defining development in Nepal
- Redefining development, social capital, and civil society
- Ethnicity, nationhood, and social and political change
- Causes and conditions for change and conflict
- Caste, class, gender, and religion in Nepal
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
