Office of International Programs
SIT Study Abroad
Not your ordinary study abroad experience!
Overview
SIT programs are focused on critical global issues: Climate and Environment, Development and Inequality, Education and Social Change, Geopolitics and Power, Global Health and Well-Being, Identity and Human Resilience, and Peace and Justice. Programs are offered in Asia and the Pacific, Africa, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East. Students on SIT programs take a set curriculum of courses focused on the critical global issue and then engage in an independent research project or internship. Courses incorporate local experts, cultural activities, visits to local organizations and excursions within (and sometimes beyond) the host country. SIT provides excellent student support and the semester courses prepare students thoroughly for the research project or internship. Coursework may be applicable to a range of academic departments but these programs are a great fit for students in International Relations, Anthropology, Environmental Studies, Biology, Marine Biology, and International Business.
- Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors
- Clean record with the Office of Community Standards and good academic and College standing
- Professional application: materials are submitted on-time, are edited before submission, and are thorough and thoughtful.
- Minimum 2.5 GPA
- Some programs have language pre-requisites; see the SIT program page for more information
- Some programs have specific course pre-requisites; see the SIT program page for more information
- SIT requires students be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to participate in their programs.
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This program has a required advising session (30 minutes) as part of the application process. Please visit our home page to schedule an advising appointment.
Spring 2023
- Most programs start in late January or in early February and run into late April, May, or June
- Note: Each program has its own exact dates. Please refer to the SIT website for individual program dates.
Fall 2023
- Semester programs start at different times, ranging from mid-August to early September and run into about mid-December.
- Note: Each program has its own exact dates. Please refer to the SIT website for individual program dates.
Flight & Orientation
The SIT orientation on-site during the first few days of the program is led by program faculty and staff and provides the students with an introduction to the host country and culture, health and safety information, cross-cultural skills, and site-specific information. During the orientation, students also learn more about the program expectations and get to know the other students on the program. Students are responsible for their own flight arrangements. Most SIT programs provide airport pick-up for students arriving at an arranged date and time.
Visa
Varies depending on program chosen. SIT will send detailed visa application instructions to you. US citizens are required to get a visa for many SIT program locations. For general information about the visa process and visas for non-US citizens, see our Passports and Visas Page
SIT and Courses
SIT, an accredited institution based in Vermont is a leader in the field of international education, and their study abroad programs are unique in the emphasis on total integration, field-based and experiential learning, and independent student research. Each SIT Study Abroad program comprises several of the following academic components:
- Interdisciplinary Seminars focused on global issues merge student experiences with academic theory to examine critical issues from multiple perspectives.
- Educational Excursions are an integral part of each program and provide comparative perspectives on program themes and opportunities for engagement.
- Intensive Language Study: Programs typically offer language study at the intermediate and advanced levels and/or beginning instruction in less commonly taught languages.
- Fieldwork Methods and Ethics prepares students to undertake a research project or internship and also helps students examine the impact of their work on local communities.
- Independent Study Project (ISP): the ISP allows students to design and pursue a research project related to the program themes.
- Internship: students work with a local entrepreneur, small business, nonprofit, or NGO related to the program themes. This internship course is NOT approved for internship credit at Rollins (it will usually transfer back as general elective credit). Please contact IP for more information.
For more information on the specific courses available on different programs, visit the program pages on the SIT website.
Transfer of credit
Most courses are worth 3 credits but the ISP/Internship is worth 4. Students take five courses total and earn 16 credits on most programs. Courses on this program appear on the Rollins transcript as transfer credit; the grades are displayed and are factored into the Rollins GPA. It can take up to three months for grades to be processed and appear on the Rollins transcript. For information on approving courses for major/minor and General Education/rFLA requirements, and other academic policies, please visit our Academic Information page.
The following list includes all the SIT programs that are Approved Rollins Programs. To find out more about each program - visit the SIT website. Make sure to cross-check with this list as NOT ALL PROGRAMS ARE APPROVED.
Rollins does NOT guarantee that Rollins students will be allowed to participate on any program to a country rated Level 3 by the State Department: requests to participate on these programs will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Climate | Environment
- AUSTRALIA: Sustainability and Environmental Action
- ECUADOR: Comparative Ecology and Conservation
- ICELAND: Climate Change and the Arctic
- MADAGASCAR: Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management
- MONGOLIA AND SIBERIA: Nomadism, Geopolitics, and the Environment - Will not include the excursion to Siberia in Fall 2022 or Spring 2023
- PANAMA: Tropical Ecology, Marine Ecosystems, and Biodiversity Conservation
- TANZANIA: Wildlife Conservation and Political Ecology
- TANZANIA: Zanzibar—Coastal Ecology and Natural Resource Management
Development | Economy | Inequality
- ARGENTINA: Transnationalism and Comparative Development in South America
- CAMEROON: Development and Social Change
- ECUADOR: Development, Politics, and Languages
- GHANA: Africa in the 21st Century
- INDIA: Sustainable Development and Social Change
- MALAYSIA & CHINA: International Relations and New Economies - on hold until further notice
- NEPAL: Development, Gender, and Social Change in the Himalaya
- SOUTH AFRICA: Social and Political Transformation
- SWITZERLAND: Banking, Finance, and Social Responsibility
- UGANDA: Global Development Studies
- VIETNAM: Culture, Social Change, and Development
Global Health
- ARGENTINA: Public Health in Urban Environments
- CHILE: Public Health, Traditional Medicine, and Community Empowerment
- CHINA : Health, Environment, and Traditional Chinese Medicine - on hold until further notice
- INDIA: Public Health, Gender, and Community Action
- JORDAN: Refugees, Health, and Humanitarian Action
- KENYA: Global Health & Human Rights
- SOUTH AFRICA: Community Health and Social Policy
Peace | Human Rights | Social Movements
- ARGENTINA: Social Movements and Human Rights
- CHILE: Cultural Identity, Social Justice, and Community Development
- MOROCCO: Multiculturalism and Human Rights
- RWANDA: Post-Genocide Restoration and Peacebuilding
- SENEGAL: Global Security and Religious Pluralism
- SERBIA, BOSNIA, & KOSOVO: Peace and Conflict Studies in the Balkans
- SOUTH AFRICA: Multiculturalism and Human Rights
Media | Arts | Social Change
- CZECH REPUBLIC: Arts and Social Change
- INDONESIA: Arts, Religion, and Social Change
- MOROCCO: Field Studies in Journalism and New Media - on hold until further notice
Migration | Identity | Resilience
- CHILE: Comparative Education and Social Change
- JORDAN: Geopolitics, International Relations, and the Future of the Middle East
- MEXICO: Migration, Borders, and Transnational Communities
- MOROCCO: Migration and Transnational Identity
- NEPAL: Tibetan and Himalayan Peoples
- NETHERLANDS: International Perspectives on Sexuality and Gender
- PERU: Indigenous Peoples and Globalization
- SAMOA: Social and Environmental Change in Oceania
- TUNISIA & ITALY: Politics and Religious Integration in the Mediterranean
Housing
Housing arrangements vary by program but all include a homestay for at least a portion of the program. Homestays provide unique context and perspectives on issues being studied, additional language practice, and new avenues toward cultural understanding. Many programs offer homestays in both urban and rural areas to give students contrasting views of life in different socioeconomic or ethnic contexts. Homestay placements are arranged by a local homestay coordinator who screens and approves each family. When not living with a homestay family, students stay in guest houses, educational institutions, hostels or small hotels, depending on local conditions and customs.
Meals
All meals are included in the program. Students generally eat some meals in the homestay, some meals with the program group, and receive a stipend for meals on-site during the Independent Study Project or Internship.
Things to Consider
Non-Asian students, especially BIPOC, may experience stares and heightened curiosity from locals in some Asian countries.
Some countries, including those in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, have strict laws against same-sex relationships as well as low social acceptance of LGBTQIA+ individuals. Make sure to check the US Department of State LGBTI Travelers page and ILGA Sexual Orientation Laws in the World for more information.
Attitudes towards women vary from country to country and some may hold more conservative or traditional views on gender roles. Check the resources female students on the IP Your Identity Abroad page for valuable tips.
Students with mobility disabilities may find accessibility and accommodations different from the United States. Check the US Department of State Travelers with Disabilities and specific to the country, Mobility International USA, and the IP Your Identity Abroad page for resources.
Make sure to check all the resources available on the IP Your Identity Abroad page.
Program Fee
Most Rollins financial aid and scholarships will apply to the semester abroad.
- Tuition: $29,150
- Housing: $4,925
- Meals/food: $3,170
Also Includes
Orientation, educational excursions and activities, program administration, and emergency insurance.
Estimated Additional Costs (vary by location)
- Transportation: Round-trip airfare from FL $600 - $2,000 depending upon program location
- Visa fee: $100 - $500 depending upon program location
- Immunizations (if required): $400 - $1,000
- Books, course materials, supplies: $200
- Personal expenses: $900
- Federal student loan fees if applicable: $40
- Professional licensure, certification or credentials costs: $0
Scholarships
Scholarships based on financial need are available to off-set costs associated with international airfare and other costs associated with study abroad. Students can apply for scholarships through the Rollins program application. SIT also has additional scholarships that students may apply for and offers a matching grant for all Pell grant recipients.
Living and Working
Having a credit card while abroad is very helpful.