CIEE College Study Abroad in Cape Town, South Africa

Name: CIEE College Study Abroad in Cape Town, South Africa
Brand: CIEE
SKU: 268352
Rating: 4.74 (27 reviews)

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4.74 Rating

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Location

South Africa
- Cape Town

Term

Fall, J-Term, Spring, Summer

Subject Areas

African Studies Anthropology Arts Business Engineering Film History Language Studies Liberal Arts Literature Marine Biology Music Public Health +3

Need-based funding, Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships

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Program Details

Program Type

Provider

Degree Level

Bachelors

Housing

Apartment

Language

English

Pricing

Price Details

You get more for every dollar when you study abroad with CIEE! Our high-quality programs include tuition, housing, on-site airport pick-up, field trips and cultural activities, 24/7 on-site professional staff, and automatic iNext insurance. There are no hidden charges or surprises when you arrive, and scholarships opportunities are available!

What's Included

Accommodation Some Activities Classes Some Meals Travel Insurance

Last Updated: Apr 30, 2024

Last Reviewed: Aug 04, 2023

Wish List

9 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

With a glorious climate and natural draws like Table Mountain and stunning beaches, it’s no wonder Cape Town is Africa’s number-one tourist destination. Day and night, this multicultural city offers much to do: water sports, mountaineering, nightclubs, and restaurants. As a microcosm of many African countries in transition, Cape Town also illuminates the issues of joining the global economy while grappling with vast socioeconomic inequalities born from its colonial and apartheid heritage.

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CIEE College Study Abroad in Cape Town, South Africa

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Program Highlights

CIEE Cape Town is located in the Rondebosch district, near the University of Cape Town campus.
Day and night, this multicultural city offers much to do: water sports, mountaineering, nightclubs, and restaurants.
Receive more than you give by participating in an Impact Project in a local community or giving your time on a weekly basis by tutoring students, working with health and medical organizations.
Depending on their program of study and availability, students may be able to volunteer or participate in an internship.
Do Cape Town on your own terms by customizing your experience through the Open Campus program. Take one, two, or three six-week blocks, select your academic track from six options, then choose your courses from a wide range of subject areas.

Popular Programs

CIEE Cape Town Summer Programs

Cape Town is Africa’s most popular destination for many reasons, starting with its glorious climate and natural attractions.Earn credits in Cape Town this summer exploring South African literature and film; the history of protests and social movements; and the historical, political, and economic transitions of South Africa.

CIEE Cape Town Semester Programs

Cape Town serves as a commercial and industrial entry point to Africa and houses regional headquarters for many companies, nonprofits, and NGOs. Take your arts and sciences studies a step further with study abroad in Cape Town exploring the wonders of nature while learning about South African society.

CIEE Cape Town January Programs

Earn credits in Cape Town this January and witness the incredible changes taking place in this vibrant country. January in Cape Town features the course, From Rhodes to Mandela and from Apartheid to AIDS.

CIEE Open Campus Block

With CIEE's Open Campus Block Programs, you can design your very own study abroad program to include up to three different locations for 6, 12 or 18 weeks.

Stay in one city the entire time or spend other blocks at our other Open Campus Block locations in Berlin, Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Copenhagen, Dublin, Kyoto, London, Madrid, Monteverde, Paris, Rome, Shanghai, Singapore, or Sydney.

Program Reviews

4.74 Rating

based on 27 reviews

Leave a Review

Rating Spread Study

5 rating 81.48%
4 rating 14.81%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 3.7%
1 rating 0%

Academics 4.25
Support 4.3
Fun 4.6
Housing 4.85
Safety 4

Good for Students, Adventure travelers, Photographers

Showing 17 - 24 of 27 reviews

I loved my time in Cape Town with CIEE! I spent a semester studying at UCT. The classes were challenging but I learned a lot. UCT is one of the best ranked universities in Africa, and is known worldwide. The CIEE staff in Cape Town were so helpful and kind, they supported us from beginning to end and I made some great connections with them. Additionally, the staff were extremely helpful in providing all of the information we need to stay safe in South Africa. Cape Town is beautiful and had so much to do. You have a city, mountains and the beach all in one! I came to South Africa alone, without knowing anyone here, and left with lifelong friends who were also on this program. I would definitely recommend this program for someone who is looking to get out of their comfort zone!

I studied with the CIEE Open Campus Program in Cape Town for six weeks, along with two other locations. Cape Town was by far my favorite. The faculty and staff are so kind and helpful every step of the way. The locals and fellow students are friendly and outgoing. The food is amazing. Cape Town has something for everyone: city life, mountains, beaches, arts, sports, adventure and shopping. The coursework is rigorous, yet extremely rewarding. Studying with CIEE in Cape Town helped me grow academically, professionally, and personally.

Studying abroad in Cape Town through the CIEE program was without question the best life experience I have had to date. I walked out of the Cape Town Airport knowing not a single person in the country, and left with a heart full of fondness for the country, memories with the many students I came to call best friends, and an eagerness to return to the home that Cape Town became for me.

The most profound aspects and impacts of this experience, for me, emerged in the connections I made with other people. First and foremost, the students in my program truly became a family. Upon our arrival, my apartment complex, Rondebosch Court, became filled with American students just as wifi-deprived, homesick, and scared as I was. After only a week of orientation and bonding activities, we each turned into confident, excited, and supportive individuals who each came to recognize the extraordinary experience we were going to share with one another in the 5 months to follow. I walked out of Rondebosch court for the last time on June 11, followed by a teary group of people (strangers as of January), who came to see me off. Out of the many "unexpecteds" of this study abroad experience, I would say that the profound and deep connections I made with the students in my program, the staff in my program, and the students at UCT by far surprised me the most. The "Cape Town Connection", as I would call it, has lasted beyond the end of the trip. I have taken so many fond memories of the country and lasting friendships into the next chapter of my life and I could not be more thankful for that.

Studying abroad with CIEE in Cape Town was incredible. The city itself is a beautiful, vibrant city always buzzing with things to do, places to go, things to see or try. It was also a very interesting and difficult time to be in Cape Town amidst the recent sociopolitical unrest especially amongst students, but even that was a very perspective broadening experience. My fun and happy adventures were balanced and challenged by times of times of critical self-reflection both in and out of the classroom which allowed for a richer educational experience than what I believe I would have received elsewhere.
CIEE as a program did a great job supporting me socially, by planning several dinners, outings and excursions for the students. They also effectively coordinated community service trips, cultural events and homestay weekends which added to my time in Cape Town by getting me plugged into the local scene. This was also facilitated by a fantastic RA staff.

What would you improve about this program?

Perhaps by having better academic support from CIEE staff as sometimes adjusting to the educational climate of such a large university with different teaching styles can be hard. Maybe having a staff member that does more than oversee the logistics of academics but can actually help struggling students.

I cannot recommend this program more!! The 5 months I spent in Cape Town with CIEE were absolutely incredible and life changing. I was able to explore an amazing country with the support of a well trained staff and expand my academic capacity while studying at the University of Cape Town. This country is truly unlike any other and CIEE strives to demonstrate and highlight its unique characteristics through various programs and opportunities. Specifically, their integration of Resident Assistants throughout the different housing spaces were not only a way for us to have a source of reliable information and aide in times of need, but also a great way for us to interact directly with local residents. I fell ill during my experience, but CIEE individuals were alongside me every step of the process, from taking me to doctor's appointments to helping me fill out insurance forms. In the words of many of the individuals who spent time studying in Cape Town, there is simply no better program to do it with!

What would you improve about this program?

More emphasis on understanding the region's history prior to arrival.

I love Cape Town! It is such an amazing city, however there are plenty of reviews on that. What I would like to warn future participants of, is CIEE. I am recommending Cape Town, absolutely not the CIEE program. CIEE is not a good program, please look elsewhere if possible. I haven't heard a positive thing about CIEE from a single one of the two hundred and something participants. In fact, everyone I have spoken with about CIEE is upset with them as well. I feel like I was lied to when signing up they were disorganized and unhelpful. They cancelled several of the activities (for example the summer concert AND Johannesburg trip) due to poor communication and planning on their part. CIEE ended up becoming more of an obstacle than a help during my time in Cape Town.

What would you improve about this program?

CIEE should get organized. Trips that were promised when signing up were cancelled. No one gave us advance notice of when certain activities were going to happen. The ones that were planned, were cancelled due to poor planning by CIEE. CIEE made it extremely difficult for me to succeed in school, in fact, they became more of an obstacle then help. Every time I was supposed to receive an email about an event, it was sent out around 9pm the evening before, or the event was cancelled. Not only that, I feel as if CIEE did not give us full information when signing up for the program. And once I arrived in Cape Town, I did not feel like CIEE was supporting me at all. If anything the information they gave me, for example how to open up a bank account and the letter required to do so, only furthered my frustration.

The program housing and orientation were a great start to the semester. The campus where classes were held was beautiful, and the city has so much to offer from hiking, nightlife, shopping, and lots of eating. The CIEE staff was very unorganized, and once the semester started, I received very little support from program staff. Overall, I had a wonderful, life-changing semester.

What would you improve about this program?

Support of the on-campus staff.

Studying abroad in Cape Town was a great experience. The local people were typically very welcoming, the food was amazing, and the culture and city are incredibly. I would advise anyone considering studying in Cape Town to take the leap and go for it. Its a great place to explore. However, I would not recommend going through the CIEE program. The staff that coordinates the CIEE Cape Town program is extremely unorganized. They made it very difficult to succeed at our coursework. We were constantly given incorrect or misinformation regarding where we needed to be, what time events were occurring, or when assignment or outings were taking place.

Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

I chose this program for a couple of different reasons. The first reason is that I'm a senior and I was looking for a way to go abroad again before I graduated. The second, and more important reason, was the class subject.

I took the Economics of Wine course through CIEE's January in Cape Town program, and this was probably the most informational, enjoyable, and awe-inspiring course that I've gotten the chance to take. Our professor was well versed in the ways of the wine industry in South Africa and had plenty of first-hand experiences to share, and because there were only three students in my term, we got more exclusive co-curricular too.

These experiences were vital to our coursework and definitely added some renowned connections to my contact list in the process. We got to tour the cellars and chat with Managing Directors, Head Wine Makers, and Marketing and Outreach professionals from each of the wine farms we went to. Not to mention we got to do all of this in beautiful Cape Town, South Africa!

The location was also a big selling point, and I was really excited that this was going to be the venue because I was looking for something different than my first study abroad; which was a semester in Estonia. I also picked this course because I work for my college's Office of International Education, and when wee had recently added CIEE as a partner I noticed that they have some really affordable and exciting programs!

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

My university helped with completing their own application as well as providing a pathway to create an application with CIEE.

CIEE was extremely helpful and communicated quickly and efficiently with everything that I had problems with or questions on that my home university couldn't. Given that I work as one of the people that would help me at my home university and that I had already gone abroad once before, I only had a few things that I needed to contact them for, but when I did Lauren, the advisor I was assigned, was helpful and kind. She was also proactive before departure and tried to get all of us involved in some activities too!

I was also responsible for organizing my own flights, but since I got a small scholarship through CIEE, I had to go through their corporate travel agent to do so.

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What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

One piece of advice that I would give to someone going on this program would be to be open to stepping outside of your comfort zone both in the classroom and outside of it.

I'm really good at not wanting to speak up in class in case my answers are wrong, and I really thought an economics course was going to be rather unforgiving. But in reality, it was quite the opposite! Our professor fostered an environment of learning and civil discussions where each of us could bring our personal backgrounds (none of which were actually in economics!) in for a different point of view.

Additionally, Cape Town is an energetic and vibrant community, and trying things is one of the main components of your study here; or anywhere really!

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

Being that this is a short-term program, the coursework and time overall there go by pretty quickly. But the professors keep you well informed on expectations, and the staff at the GI do their best to help fit in everything you want to do during your stay by incorporating some excursion into the structure of the program itself. This is really helpful if you're indecisive about what to do like me! We had class every day for about three hours at either 9 am or 1 pm-ish, and then the activities through CIEE happened on either weekend or during the afternoons/evenings after class. Otherwise, the rest of the time was our own to go exploring; in groups, that is.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

Given that this wasn't going to be my first time out of the country, I think my biggest fear was getting all of the course requirements done in such a short amount of time while still getting to go out and explore my host community. I think I overcame this by keeping really good track of what was due and when.

I also made sure to really prioritize what I wanted to do while I was in Cape Town, and made sure to plan out time to do work around them. It's kind of hard when there are only like 14 people in the entire J-Term program because we all did things together, and while I really hated not being able to do everything with them, I feel like I struck a good balance between the two.

What has studying abroad taught you?

I have learned so many different things during my time abroad, and they extend so far beyond the courses that you take.

My favorite thing is to meet people and hear their stories, and studying abroad is literally the perfect avenue to do that. My favorite experiences from these terms abroad have been attending language cafes, Iranian New Year (Nowruz), the Eziko cooking school in Langa, our family lunch where we got to visit and eat with families in the townships, and the food jam where we worked as a team to prepare a whole buffet of dishes.

The reason this has stuck with me is how much they provide insight into other cultures and ways of life.

Going abroad is so much more than exploring another country: it's about experiencing a change in yourself and growing while you do.

I never expected to feel connected to the counties that I stayed in this much, but they really do start to feel like home. Studying abroad has taught me more about myself than anything else; helping me see how resilient and capable I really am.

I honestly can't promote this enough to people that can afford to do so.

Location

Location:

Cape Town

Currency:

South African Rand

Weather:

Jan-Mar

79 F / 57 F

Apr-Jun

73 F / 46 F

Jul-Sep

66 F / 45 F

Oct-Dec

77 F / 52 F

Airports:

Cape Town International

( CPT )

Cape Town is a port city, the legislative capital of South Africa, the most southern city in all of Africa, and referred to as the "Mother City". It is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, reflecting its role as a major destination for immigrants and expatriates to South Africa.

About CIEE

A nonprofit, non-governmental organization, CIEE is the world leader in international study and exchange programs. For more than 75 years, CIEE has helped thousands of students, professionals, and educators gain the knowledge and skills necessary to live and work in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world by offering the most...