Courseload:
16 credits for fall or spring semester and 32 for the academic year. Add 4 credits for optional pre-session.
Faculty
Dr. Ousmane Sène of the Department of English, Université of Cheikh Anta Diop, directs the program. Waly Faye is the program coordinator, and Senegalese faculty provide all instruction.
How to Apply
Click the button below to visit this program's web page for more information about the application process for this program.
About This Program
Senegal has long been seen as a crossroads where black African, Islamic, and European civilizations have met, clashed, and blended. Today it is still seen as a bridge between Africa and the West; yet 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, with internship sites scattered throughout the country. Heated by the African sun while surrounded on three sides by cool Atlantic waters, Dakar has a climate often described as "eternal spring."
Homestays are an integral component of the MSID learning experience. All students live and share most meals with at least one family, and many with two different families--one during the classroom phase and one during the internship/research phase. Students with internships in the main city typically choose to remain with the same family throughout.
Language Pre-Session: An optional intensive French language course is taught over a four-week period and awards 4 undergraduate credits. The Senegal program offers fifth-semester French language instruction. The syllabus focuses on language skill development and daily oral practice. Housing is with host families, and local excursions are included.
Internship and Research: The internship and research experience is the cornerstone of the MSID program and may be where you will learn the most. Your placement will be with an agency engaged in grassroots work related your selected track and will immerse you in the social realities of the poorer strata of the population.
About the Learning Abroad Center
The Learning Abroad Center in the Global Programs and Strategy Alliance is the University of Minnesota's comprehensive resource for study, service-learning, work, intern, volunteer, and travel experiences worldwide.
The Learning Abroad Center is a leader in providing innovative international learning experiences that expand and redefine the world for a diverse population of students, colleagues, and staff. The Learning Abroad Center staff and University of Minnesota faculty and staff participate in numerous leadership opportunities and serve on the advisory boards of organizations who provide and/or support education abroad programs. Through collaboration and individual attention, the Learning Abroad Center continues to promote empowerment, development, understanding, and responsibility in the global community.
A variety of program options--300 programs in over 80 countries--have been developed to address the diverse needs of students. Programs vary in length, level, academic focus, teaching format, language requirements, cost, and degree of independence demanded of the participant.
