Uganda Studies Program

Name: Uganda Studies Program
Brand: CCCU GlobalEd
SKU: 244273
Rating: 5 (2 reviews)

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Location

Uganda
- Mukono

Term

Fall, Spring

Subject Areas

African Studies Biochemistry Biology Chemistry Christian Programs Conflict Studies Cultural Studies Education Global Studies Health Sciences Humanities Kinesiology Liberal Arts Life Sciences Linguistics Literature Medicine Natural Sciences Nursing Peace Studies Physical Therapy Pre-Med Psychology Religious Studies Service Learning Social Sciences Social Work Sustainable Development Theology +19

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Program Details

Program Type

Provider

Degree Level

Bachelors

Housing

Dormitory Host Family

Language

Swahili

Pricing

Starting Price

13350

What's Included

Accommodation Some Activities Classes Some Meals

What's Not Included

Airfare

Last Updated: Dec 07, 2020

Last Reviewed: Apr 24, 2019

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About Program

Picture yourself in Mukono, Uganda. You're chatting with fellow classmates from Uganda Christian University after a busy day at St. Francis Hospital. You're munching on rolex, an eggs and chapati snack, as you watch the sunset. At the Uganda Studies Program (USP), you're learning from Ugandans about the world.

Expand the horizons of your faith with Christian classes in a new context. Choose from three tracks in social work, global health, and interdisciplinary studies. In all three, you'll participate in Ugandan daily life through classes at a Ugandan university, internships in the community, and relationships with professors and peers.

Whether you live with a host family or in dorms, you'll be immersed in Ugandan culture. You'll also travel throughout Uganda, experience a rural homestay, and take a ten-day trip to Rwanda centered on reconciliation and understanding.

Through new friendships and family, let USP transform your vision and vocation for life.

This program is currently not being promoted on Go Overseas by its provider. Check with CCCU GlobalEd for the most up-to-date information regarding the status of this program.

Video and Photos

Ugandan and US students study riverside agriculture

A student on the Global Health track studies under the instruction of a Ugandan expert

Views of a waterfall in the Ugandan mountains

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Program Highlights

Explore the intricacies of cross-cultural relationships through practicums in the surrounding community
Participate in Ugandan family life through short-term and full-semester homestays
Reflect on your own faith as your encounter Christianity in a different cultural context
Join in choirs, sports teams, and other campus activities as a student at Uganda Christian University
Travel throughout Uganda on weekend trips as well as a 10-day trip to Rwanda

Program Reviews

5.00 Rating

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Academics 3.5
Support 5
Fun 5
Housing 5
Safety 4.5

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This program has provided for me the most influential experiences of my life thus far. It's nearly impossible to sum up the semester in a few sentences, but the lessons we were taught pertaining to the meaning of family, the vast greatness of God, and how to love better are lessons I will carry for the rest of my life. The people of Uganda are some of the most gracious, authentic, and welcoming people I have interacted with, and they took us in with loving arms and showed us what it means to live in their country rather than just be a tourist amongst their land. It was hard, it was uncomfortable, and it was not always fun. It was worth all of that, however, as the I now have a family there that will not fade. We were welcomed as sons and daughters and treated as such, which is something I could never thank our hosts enough for.

This review feels like the written equivalent of the elevator pitch or the two-minute version of sharing my study abroad experience. And yet, after a year back in the States to practice, I still haven’t gotten much better at sharing the “short version” of USP. While it may sound cliché, studying abroad in Uganda truly changed my life. I learned so much about myself and the world through the classes I took, the people I met, and the culture I was immersed in. I built relationships with my host family, Ugandan classmates, professors, internship co-workers, and other students in my cohort that impacted me deeply and continue to do so. What I learned through USP has pushed me to create more space in my lifestyle in the States to focus on investing in relationships and the simplicity of being, rather than being tightly bound to the schedules and over-commitment of a typical college student. Uganda taught me lessons about culture, development, faith, community, and so many other things. If you desire to be culturally immersed, to have your perspective of the world expanded, and to build lasting relationships, you will love USP.

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Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

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

Why did you choose this program?

I was studying international development at the time and knew that I wanted to study in a developing context so that I could pair my academic learning with tangible experiences. While USP doesn't explicitly focus on development, there was so much to learn from being immersed in the Ugandan context.

I was also drawn to the program's holistic and integrative approach that ties together travel, academics, faith, cultural immersion, and self-reflection.

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

The Global Education Office at my university gave me guidance with the application process, but the program provider was also exceptionally helpful throughout the process.

They assisted me in every step of the application process, as well as in coordinating plane tickets and other travel arrangements, visas, vaccinations, etc. As an organization, Best Semester has outstanding support and service available for students participating in their programs.

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

Hold your expectations loosely. You may think that you know what to expect based on previous travel experiences or prior knowledge of the country, but you will still be surprised. It will serve you well to enter with an open mind, be willing to examine your own biases and preconceptions, and to let go of your expectations.

Uganda (or anywhere else you go) will surprise you in marvelous and beautiful ways that you may miss if you're wrapped up in your own expectations.

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

No two weeks look quite the same. You will have the opportunity to regularly attend classes on a variety of topics, depending on which emphasis of study and classes you choose (e.g. politics, languages, history, literature, ethics, microbiology, and social work).

USP students will also participate in an internship program with an organization of their choice, attend regular group seminars, and become integrated in campus life at Uganda Christian University through dorm life, sports, clubs, ensembles, and small groups. Students will also have the opportunity to do two different homestays with local families and participate in organized, group travel all over Uganda.

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

I'm not sure that it occurred to me as a fear before entering the experience, but initial culture shock was by far the most difficult part of the semester. I was able to overcome through the encouragement, grace, and teaching of the program staff, my peers, and my Ugandan friends, roommates, and host family members.

Through not being afraid to ask questions and embarrass myself, reflection, practice, and time, I adjusted to the cultural differences that were initially challenging. I also came to deeply love and appreciate Ugandan culture and to recognize the ways in which I could learn from it, or the places where my American cultural values were lacking.

Any last thing you want to say?

It's hard to pick one last thing, because it's hard to summarize anything about this program. It will stretch you; it will be beautiful. The Best Semester website is really comprehensive and includes many more details than I can provide here, as well as being home to stories from other alumni like myself. Check it out to keep reading more!

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