Location
  • Switzerland
    • Geneva
Term
Fall, Spring
Subject Areas
Anthropology Global Studies Health Sciences
Need-based funding, Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships
Health & Safety

Program Details

Program Type
Provider
Degree Level
Bachelors
Housing
Host Family
Language
French

Pricing

Starting Price
21971
Price Details
View cost information: https://studyabroad.sit.edu/program/spring-2024-switzerland-global-health-and-development-policy/?subpage=cost_scholarships
What's Included
Some Accommodation Domestic Airfare Airport Transfers Classes Transportation Travel Insurance
Sep 18, 2023
Aug 09, 2023
0 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Geneva is the world capital of public health and sustainable development organizations, making it the ideal place to study global health and development policy. Meet with experts for briefings and lectures at the World Health Organization (WHO), International Committee of the Red Cross, and IOM, among others. An eight-day excursion to Morocco, including the modern capital Rabat and a rural area, allows you to compare and contrast public health systems in two countries and contextualize the impact of development on health.

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion

Program Highlights

  • Have onsite briefings with experts at WHO, Médecins Sans Frontières and other IGOs and NGOs.
  • Explore Switzerland with a travel pass offering free public transportation.
  • Rapidly improve your French language skills through intensive instruction.
  • Enjoy eight days in Morocco examining health systems and development up close.

Scholarships

SIT Robert Kantor Memorial Scholarship

Each year one student will be granted $10,000 in scholarship aid to study abroad with a SIT program. Funded by individual donors and foundations, the requirements are tight: seeking first-generation college students who've never traveled abroad before, currently attend an HBCU, and demonstrate strong financial need.

Program Reviews

4.25 Rating
based on 4 reviews
  • 5 rating 50%
  • 4 rating 25%
  • 3 rating 25%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Academics 3.75
  • Support 3.75
  • Fun 3.75
  • Housing 4.25
  • Safety 4.75
Showing 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Default avatar
Lia
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great experience, friends, classes, and trips

There were many aspects of the program that I loved. Morocco was such a great experience and really cool that it was covered by SIT and that we were able to all go as a group. We had classes where we learned about the medical system in Morocco and were able to talk to traditional midwives and healers which was very interesting to me. We would also go on excursions and one of them was this hike up this massive sand dune which was amazing; I felt like I was on a different planet! We also learned about their culture through a homestay.

The program is really comprehensive and I learned so much regarding global health from experts in the field. We had guest lecturers from the International Red Cross, the United Nations, governmental organizations, and NGOs all working in the health sector. The academics were so interesting and we had two projects where you picked what you were interested in and conducted research based on that which was really cool that we could research almost anything we wanted. Some lectures inspired me so much to the point of helping me figure out what direction I want to go in for my future!

This program is focused on academics I would say which I enjoyed but was challenging at some points because class started at 9 and would go sometimes until 5. We would have 3-hour lectures from 9-12 then a lunch break from 12-2 then either a French class or a field trip from 2-5. For me, my homestay was an hour bus ride away so my days were pretty busy. That was the most challenging adjustment for me because I did not have a lot of free time during the week or time to exercise. But, some of my friends lived closer to classes so they were able to have more free time, it just depends on where you get placed for your homestay. And, eventually, I decided to romanticize it because my bus ride included beautiful views of Lake Geneva and the Swiss Alps!!

I have friends that went abroad to a university and they barely did any school work and just traveled and did whatever they wanted which they loved and sometimes I was jealous of that but I am really happy that I decided to do this program in the end because the staff was amazing, the people in my group were so kind and because it was a small group we got really close, traveling from Switzerland was easy because it’s in the center of Europe, I got to ski and hike in the alps!!!, I have contacts that I can reach out to that are experts and leaders in world-renowned organizations in the health field, and Switzerland is so beautiful! I would say if you’re looking for a semester with more free time maybe looking at university instead of SIT, but if you’re looking to immerse yourself through making connections with a Swiss homestay family and studying global health and development policy then I would say this program will do that.

Pros
  • Students
  • Morocco trip
  • classes
Cons
  • not a lot of free time
  • long commute to class
27 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Muskaan
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great experience, broadened my understanding of Global Health

This experience was honestly everything I would have wanted my study abroad experience to look like.
Even though it was not extremely academically challenging, I learned so much that I would not have been able to learn in the typical classroom setting. I am a Public health major at my home university and this experience really broadened my understanding of what a career in the Global Health field looks like. We attended briefings at various International organizations such as the WHO and the UN and we had the opportunity to hear from professionals working in the field which was very awesome. This also gave me the opportunity to develop my professional communication skills.

Apart from academics, I also had the opportunity to travel to neighboring countries. The train system in Switzerland is very efficient and easy to use, so I was able to really explore Switzerland as well.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Switzerland is quite expensive, so it is important to budget. Instead of eating out at restaurants everyday you could get groceries at either migros or coop.
82 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Karina
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A semester full of beauty, adventure, empowerment, and growth!

The program offered everything I was looking for personally and professionally. It gave me an introduction to global health. It increased my awareness and knowledge of human rights. It propelled me to tackle a new language that I love and will continue to learn. It empowered me by putting me in places I only dreamed of, but now I know that I can one day go back to as a professional.

It was extremely worthwhile. I was able to expand my global lens and really learn what it means to be a citizen of the world! I gained a new perspective on the issues that our world is currently facing, and how I can utilize my education and skills to tackle these problems. I stepped out of my comfort zone and was able to become more confident in my abilities and discover new things about myself. The small and big experiences I had each taught me something either about myself, others or some aspect of the world we live in. I gained a greater appreciation for nature and other things. Lastly this experience and the individuals I met influenced the life I want to live as I move forward!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Switzerland is expensive but there are ways you can stretch out your budget to last longer. Buy at grocery stores rather than eating out often. Migros and Coop are reasonably priced. If you are traveling with somebody else, consider splitting meals when eating out.
87 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Josie
3/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Learn from briefings. Learn at the humanitarian capital of the world

This program exposed me to humanitarian aid and global health and what people can do to get involved. The different briefings at different organizations exposed me to an array of different career options. Morocco was also a very special experience. There was much more cultural interaction and exposure in Morocco. The academics in this program is not rigorous which I recommend taking advantage of by traveling. Explore the surrounding countries and explore Switzerland (use the Swiss Pass! You can even go to parts of France and Italy with it). Not the right program if you really want to improve French. The right program if you want to learn more about global health.

What would you improve about this program?
More interest from the staff, better lecturers, early peer interaction support, more local interaction, more exposure to local culture
87 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers