interstudy: Rhodes University

  South Africa

Grahamstown

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

Description: Rhodes University College was founded by an Act of Parliament on May 31, 1904. It was named after the famous Victorian commercial explorer, Cecil Rhodes, whose posthumous foundation contributed substantially to the University's expansion and whose name, in recognition of this fact, the University has since adopted. One of the distinctive features which evolved early in Rhodes' history was the tutorial system, modeled closely on that of Oxford and Cambridge Universities. Each student was assigned to a staff member who took a personal interest in the student's work and welfare. As student numbers increased, students were assigned to tutors and tutorial groups within academic departments, providing a forum for the lively debate characteristic of a Rhodes University education. Despite steady growth, classes are still small enough to make individual tuition in tutorial groups feasible. The future of Rhodes lies not in greater numbers, but in increasing academic excellence and building upon almost a century of academic achievement.

Grahamstown was founded by Colonel John Graham in 1812 as a garrison post on the eastern frontier of the Cape Colony. For the greater part of the 19th Century, Grahamstown was second only to Cape Town in the Cape Colony in size and importance. The discovery of diamonds in the Transvaal changed the fortunes of the city as railways, built to link the new wealth of the interior with the ports, lead to Grahamstown on a branch line. With the departure of the military in 1871, the city was plunged into an economic depression. Yet the presence of the local division of the Supreme Court gave a new twist to its fortunes. The professional men of the city joined the local farmers in developing good educational facilities for their children. By the beginning of the 20th century Grahamstown had become a prominent educational center and the establishment of the University in 1904 stamped it as a center of importance. Today, it has many first-class private and public schools that constitute prominent architectural features in the city. Grahamstown is situated in the Eastern Cape, about 560 miles from Cape Town and 80 miles from Port Elizabeth. All the amenities of a large city are thus close to hand and complement the small town friendliness that is a feature of life in Grahamstown. In the past twenty years Grahamstown has become a cultural center in the widest possible sense. For ten days in the middle of the year the National Arts Festival, rivaling the Edinburgh Festival, is centered around the 1820 Monument. With its vibrant fringe and the influx of hundreds of thousands of visitors, the character of the city changes from a small university town to a bustling cosmopolitan center.

Highlights: There are several aspects of the interstudy Rhodes University program that set it apart from other study abroad experiences. Among these are:

- 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.
- Beautiful modern campus located in the vibrant cultural center that is Grahamstown
- Full academic integration - courses are taught by South African professors, in classes filled with South African students
- Convenient access to sites such as Addo Elephant Park, 1820 Settlers National Monument, Artificer's Square
- Specific academic strengths in Classics, English, and Psychology

Degree Level: Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Cost in US$: See interstudy's 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-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network

Year Founded: 1980