In Cape Town, every day will be like a choose-your-own-adventure book, with outdoor activities to enjoy, South African residents to meet, and African cultures to learn.
Field experience in and around Cape Town is a core component in our program. Participate in field work and research opportunities (such as like the University’s Students’ Health and Welfare Centres Organisation’s volunteer program) that will give you practical exposure to topics you’re learning in at South Africa’s leading research university, the University of Cape Town. Through these opportunities, you will get a first-hand look at the city’s society and landscape that are constantly changing.
While in South Africa, you’ll register for 2-4 courses at The University of Cape Town (UCT). Nestled into the beautiful slopes of Devil’s Peak, located in a pleasant suburban area five miles from the City Center, UCT first opened in 1829, as the South African College. UCT is South Africa’s oldest university and has undergone incredible change since its opening, particularly since the end of the apartheid, working to make quality higher education available to students regardless of race. UCT is officially recognized for its strengths in African Studies, Biology, Botany, Business, Environmental Sciences, History, Mathematics, Engineering, Sociology, and Anthropology.
Cape Town will be your classroom. From visiting local gems like the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens (a natural UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the Castle of Good Hope, we challenge you to take full advantage of South Africa’s beautiful climate and geography. We’ll also take you to Kruger National Park for a three-hour game drive with one of Kruger’s experienced game rangers. Hopefully your adventure will include seeing the “Big Five”—welcome to study abroad!
We want you to feel at home in South Africa, so we will do everything we can to help you integrate into life in Cape Town, from internships to cultural events. Get to know South Africa in a way only IES Abroad can show you.
These dates are preliminary and are subject to change. Students should not book flights according to these dates.
Our mission is simple: to provide you with the best study abroad program possible—which includes the highest quality academic and cultural experiences. That is why we partnered with the University of Cape Town.
You take 15–19 credit hours per semester. Full year students may elect to take all of their courses at the University of Cape Town in their second semester.
IES Abroad also offers field experience courses in Environmental Studies, Health Studies, and Management through an in-depth and hands-on approach.
You create your own academic experience by selecting from the following required and optional program components:
This is a list of planned IES course offerings. After you are accepted, you will see a list of final course offerings in your MyIESabroad account.
About the University of Cape Townwww.uct.ac.za The oldest university in South Africa, the University of Cape Town is also South Africa’s leading research institution. International students make up about 20% of the total enrollment at the University. UCT is located in the suburbs near the Cape Town City Center. Your commute time to campus will be between 15-30 minutes, which is common for local students.
Courses You can choose from a variety of courses in the following faculties at the University of Cape Town. For course descriptions, visit the University's Handbooks site.
South Africa-focused courses are available in fields such as cultural studies, history, literature, photography, political science, religion, and sociology. You cannot enroll in courses in the Health Sciences faculty.
IES Abroad and the University of Cape Town reserve the right to cancel a course due to insufficient enrollment or circumstances beyond our control.
Get involved in the community and learn about the local culture through 60 hours of required field work or field research. Your field work or research is tied to your chosen IES Abroad field experience course, and you complete a supervised field research project on a topic relating to your course.
You may do your field work or research with a local business, or with various non-governmental organizations. Once on-site, you work with your IES Abroad professor to determine the topic and location of your field research. All placements provide cultural experience and development of professional and personal skills.
Our job is to make sure that your greatest challenge is deciding what landmarks to see first or discovering the best café—not finding a place to live where you feel comfortable. We do our best to locate housing that is reflective of how the local students are living. Our goal is that when you leave Cape Town, it will feel like home.
Houses or Apartments – Live in furnished houses or apartments in residential areas near the University of Cape Town. Residential advisors live in IES Abroad housing and are available to assist you throughout the semester. Student houses and apartments offer fully-equipped kitchens for meal preparation, but meals are not included in the program fee.
Part of making you feel at home in Cape Town is doing our best to help you feel safe and cared for. Whether it is an orientation program that makes you feel prepared, housing that is well-located and comfortable, or the field trips that take you to places off the beaten path— we’re all about our student services. This is just one of the things we’re known for.
Our two-day orientation introduces you to our IES Abroad Cape Town staff, your fellow students, and the city of Cape Town and surrounding area. The program begins with a trip to Bo-Kaap Kombuis, followed by a visit to Muizenberg and Kalk Bay situated on the beautiful shores of False Bay. Topics such as academics, housing,transportation, and health and safety are covered during this time.
Additionally, CORE™, IES Abroad’s Comprehensive Orientation & Re-entry Experience, begins during orientation and continues throughout the semester with activities focusing on cultural adjustment, goal achievement, and preparing for the return home.
During our orientation, you also enjoy a tour of downtown Cape Town and a local township. You participate in the University of Cape Town’s orientation that gives you details on academics, extracurricular activities, and volunteer opportunities. The international academic program’s office activities include a day-tour around the Cape and the chance to participate in an African-style drumming performance.
Redefine the way you live and learn in Cape Town through cultural events, such as:
Although your adventure begins in Cape Town, our field trips take you to other exciting African locations to provide contrast and context to what you are learning in Cape Town. You share a portion of the cost with IES Abroad. Past destinations are listed below.
Kruger National Park/Soweto 5 days Take a 3-hour game-drive in an open safari vehicle with one of Kruger’s experienced game rangers. Then, enjoy a 4-hour, ecofriendly bike tour in Soweto, Johannesburg’s historic African township, to see a workers’ hostel, the Meadowlands, the Hector Pieterson Memorial, and Nelson Mandela’s former home.
Garden Route 3 days Along a stretch of coastline between the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma Mountains, tour the Cango Caves, visit an ostrich farm, and hike the Goukamma Reserve.
Our Cape Town Center is conveniently located on the upper campus of the University of Cape Town. Located on the slope of Devil’s Peak in a pleasant suburban area of Cape Town, the scenic campus blends into the natural scenery and provides beautiful views.
Features at our Center and the University of Cape Town campus include:
Naomi ClaassenIES Abroad Center Director Before beginning with IES Abroad, Naomi worked at the University of Cape Town where she served as coordinator of Study Abroad students for nine years and a recruiter for the University for six years. Naomi has also been a resident Warden at Rochester House, a UCT residence. Naomi earned her diploma in Education at the Western Cape College of Education and has completed an Associate in Management at UCT’s Graduate School of business. She also has an Advanced Certificate in Adult Education
IES Abroad Staff Portia AdamsAdministrative and Finance Officer
Maxine JacobsStudent Affairs Coordinator
Nick ShepherdAcademic Coordinator
Devonne BobbertIES Coordinator at the University of the Western Cape
Faculty
Mr. David StephensHealth and Community Development
Ms. Deborah Platen (Coordinator)Dr. Benita Moolman
Ms. Violet AdonisSocial and Economic Development
Ms. Liziwe McDaidEnvironmental Management and Sustainable Development
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