Location:

Dakar, Senegal

Program Type:

Study Abroad

Degree Level:

Undergraduate

Term:

Academic Year, Fall Semester, Spring Semester

Program Overview

Program Description:

Immerse yourself in classes, an internship with a grassroots agency, and research addressing the social and economic realities of Senegal, a captivating country seen as the bridge between Africa and the West. Choose from beginning Wolof or advanced French language study and live with host families to gain deeper insight into the language and culture.

Spend 7 weeks engaged in coursework in Dakar followed by 6 weeks in a rural area working as an intern or conducting a research project with a local grassroots organization. MSID students enroll in four required courses, in addition to an internship or research project.

Students from a variety of disciplines—the social sciences, African studies, agriculture, forestry, environmental studies, business, education, public health, health sciences, and many others—find MSID an academically challenging and personally enriching experience.

Setting Description:

Senegal has long been seen as a crossroads where African, Islamic, and European civilizations have met, clashed, and blended. Today, it is still seen as a bridge between Africa and the West. But it is also a place where Senegalese people remain deeply attached to traditional values and cultures. This program is based in Dakar, Senegal's cosmopolitan capital. Heated by the African sun while surrounded on three sides by cool Atlantic waters, Dakar has a climate often described as "eternal spring."

Additional Program Information

Requirements:

2.5 GPA; juniors and seniors; minimum 4 semesters college-level French; American degree-seeking students

Scholarships:

Yes

Scholarships Description:

The Learning Abroad Center’s Study Abroad Scholarship provides awards for non-University of Minnesota undergraduate students going on eligible Learning Abroad Center credit-bearing programs.