interstudy: U. of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg

  South Africa

Pietermaritzburg

Term: Academic Year, Fall, Spring 
Dates: Early February - Late June, Late July - Early December

Description: The University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg is situated in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal, and consists of two centers: one in the coastal city of Durban, and one in Pietermaritzburg some 45 miles inland. The university was established in 1910 in Pietermaritzburg but expanded after the First World War with an extension at Durban. The number of students seeking admission to the university grows annually. Over the last twelve years the university has steadily increased its proportion of non-White students (including Black South African, Indian and Coloured students) who now make up more than seventy percent of the student population. The Pietermaritzburg campus offers coursework in the following faculties: Education; Engineering; Health Sciences; Humanities; Development & Social Sciences; Management Studies; Science & Agriculture.

An hour's drive from the Indian Ocean, Pietermaritzburg is a city of charm and old-world dignity set in the heart of KwaZulu-Natal. In 1837, the first party of Voortrekkers settled on this fertile land ringed by hills next to the Umsinduzi River. The British later turned the settlement into a military garrison town and made it the administrative center of the colony. Over the years, Indians were brought in as indentured laborers adding a touch of the East. The university campus is located in the shady, tree-lined suburb of Scottsville, a twenty-minute walk from the city center.

Highlights: There are several aspects of the interstudy KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg program that set it apart from other study abroad experiences. Among these are:

- Pre-Approval for courses prior to arrival - you know your list of approved classes before you ever even reach course registration on campus!
- Academic flexibility - interstudy's open academic policy allows students to take virtually any course or combination of courses in the undergraduate course catalog, without imposing interstudy course requirements.
- Pleasant green campus located in a quiet suburb of Pietermaritzburg
- Full academic integration - courses are taught by South African professors, in classes filled with South African students.
- Convenient access to sites such as Drakensbrug Mountains, Valley of 1000 Hills, St. Lucia Estuary
- Specific academic strengths in Dance/Drama, English, Ethics Studies, Fine Art, Nutrition, and Religion/Theology

Cost in US$: See interstudy website

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to American and Canadian Participants.

Participants Travel to South Africa Independently Or in Groups

Scholarships are Available. - interstudy awards scholarships each semester based on academic merit and/or financial need. Award amounts vary. Scholarship applications may be downloaded from the interstudy website, and must be submitted no later than May 1st for Fall Semester and November 1st for Spring Semester.

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Transcript
• Written Application

Post Services Include:

• Alumni Network

Year Founded: 1980