South Africa - Rhodes University Semester Program 957

Fall, Spring, Full Year
Makhanda, South Africa (Map)

Rhodes University was founded in 1904.  It is one of the oldest universities in Africa, and has long been one of the finest universities in South Africa.  

South Africa lies at the foot of the great continent of Africa.  It is a diverse country with a long and interesting history.  With a population of about 46 million, South Africa is one of the most populous as well as largest nations on the continent.  It is a middle-income, developing country with modern infrastructure and abundant natural resources, well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors.  Its beauty is commented upon by every visitor.

Easter Cape Province, the region in which Rhodes University is located, is in the southeast of the country on the Indian Ocean.  It consists of rolling grasslands, The Great Karoo desert, extensive forests, mountain ranges, and fabulous beaches among the very best in the world.  Makhanda, the home of Rhodes University, is set in rolling hills.  It is a cathedral town founded as a military outpost in 1812.  Situated about 45 miles from Port Elizabeth, Makhanda is a peaceful town, home to one of South Africa's premier universities.

Rhodes owes its unique character among South African universities to a combination of factors, some historical, some geographical, some cultural and some architectural.  An important influence in this respect is the University's smallness, which, together with its residence system, allows unusually close contact between students and their lecturers, in surroundings that foster fellowship and learning.  Small classes mean more personal attention and encourage greater involvement of students in their work.  The end result is that successive generations of Rhodes graduates have had an influence on South African and world affairs out of all proportion to their small numbers.

Today Rhodes has just over 8000 students, with some fifty percent of them living in the University residences. Over 18% of the student body are international students. This number of overseas students enhances the cosmopolitan character of campus life.  At the same time, Rhodes could also be described as a most 'South African' university, drawing students from all the provinces of the country.

You must have sophomore standing or above and have both cumulative and major GPAs of at least 3.0.  Applicants with a disciplinary record or pending disciplinary hearings should alert the Study Abroad Office.

Program Dates:

Fall 2020:
Arrive Makhanda: TBD
Orientation: TBD
Classes Begin: July 26
Break: September 4-13
Classes End: November 30
Depart Makhanda: TBD

Spring 2020:
Arrive Makhanda: TBD
Orientation: TBD
Classes Begin: February 10
Mid-semester break: 28 March- 13 April

*Please check with the Study Abroad Office for the final semester dates before booking any flights.

Students will enroll in regular Rhodes University classes.  Academic departments at Rhodes include Afrikaans Studies, Anthropology, Biochemistry and Microbiology, Business, Education, English, Fine Art, Geography, History, Human Kinetics and Ergonomics, International Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology, Statistics, Zoology and Entomology, and more.  The university is broken down into Colleges of Commerce, Education, Humanities, Law, and Pharmacy.  Students may attend Rhodes for one semester or for one year. Course offerings can be found here: https://www.ru.ac.za//academic/departments/.


Academic Calendar at Rhodes University
Rhodes' academic calendar runs opposite that of most U.S. universities. Rhodes' has two semesters, Semester 1 (consisting of Term 1 and Term 2) and Semester 2 (consisting of Term 3 and Term 4). Semester 1 runs February - June, and Semester 2 runs July - December (so Rhodes' summer break is December - February). Students wishing to study in Rhodes for an academic year should make note of these calendar differences. Generally, more spaces are available in terms three and four.

All students studying in Rhodes should also note that during each mid-semester break (the break between Terms 1 and 2, and Terms 3 and 4) residence halls at Rhodes University closes; if students wish to stay on campus during their mid-semester breaks, they will have to pay an extra fee and very limited food service will be available.

Follow this link to view the Grade-Credit Conversion Chart: https://www.geneseo.edu/study_abroad/forms-and-downloads for courses taken on this program. 
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Housing will be arranged for students by Rhodes University. Student will live in residence halls on campus.  The 36 houses at Rhodes are grouped into eight halls, all in lovely gardens, with different atmospheres and traditions.  Students have single rooms, which provide private space for rest and study.  The residences are arranged in groups of three to seven houses around a central dining hall and recreation area.  Some halls are for men or women only, others have men's and women's houses.  Dining habits vary from hall to hall; except for Founders Hall, which has a sit-down waiter system, all the other dining halls have the less formal self-service system of meals.

Check out this blog post by a former student of this program!

Students within the Geneseo are will be required to attend a series of pre-departure orientation meetings.  Students who are not within easy driving range of Geneseo will receive orientation materials via email and skype from Study Abroad Staff.  Orientation for international students will also be provided upon arrival at Rhodes University.
For a detailed description of the costs associated with this program, download the Program Cost Sheet by clicking on the link below.

Program Cost Sheet Academic Year 2021-2022

*If the tuition at your home campus is different than the SUNY tuition shown on the above cost sheet estimate, your Program Fee will be correspondingly higher or lower. SUNY tuition and fees are subject to change without notice by action of the SUNY Board of Trustees.

Rhodes University International Office Webpage

Guide for Choosing Courses

Academic Department Information

 

Application Deadlines:

Fall (Rhodes' Terms 3 and 4): February 15
Spring (Rhodes' Terms 1 and 2) or Academic Year (Terms 1 - 4): September 15

Due to staffing capacity limitations in the Study Abroad Office, this program will not be available for Spring 2025 and Fall 2025. Please contact the Study Abroad Office with any questions.

 
Type:
Semester Study Abroad
Special Features:
Host Institution

Program Provider

SUNY-Geneseo
http://www.geneseo.edu/study_abroad

Host Institution

Rhodes University
Grahamstown, South Africa
http://www.ru.ac.za/