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Programs
 Brochure
This page is the brochure for your selected program. You can view the provided information for this program on this page and click on the available buttons for additional options.
Akwaaba! (Welcome) NC State invites you to spend a semester or year studying at the University of Ghana! Click here to see photos and video clips taken by students in Ghana! Photos: Album 1 Album 2 Videos: Festival Dancing Twi Storytelling Drumming Class Dance Class Children Drumming and Dancing Riding on a tro-tro The Location Formerly known as the Gold Coast, Ghana is now one of the most politically and economically stable countries in West Africa. Europeans arrived in the late 15th century looking for gold, but the real colonial wealth turned out to be in slave trading. Ghana overcame this grim history to become the first independent nation in Africa in 1957. Ghanaian culture is probably best known in the U.S. for the crafts of its Ashanti ethnic group; colorful kente cloth, fertility dolls, and finely carved wooden statues, drums and stools. Ghana has a year-round equatorial climate with the rainy seasons causing mild temperature variations. Kumasi (the cultural and historic center of the Ashanti people), the Kakum National Forest, the Elmina and Cape Coast slave forts, and the beaches of the Atlantic are all within a day's travel or less of the capital of Accra. Click here (Album 1, Album 2) to see photos of Ghana taken by students and here (Festival Dancing, Twi Storytelling, Drumming Class, Dance Class, Children Drumming and Dancing, Riding on a tro-tro) to see video clips.
The University of Ghana
On-site Support A knowledgeble University of Ghana faculty member serves as the on-site Resident Director for NCSU to assist our students with orientation, academic issues, emergencies, and other essential services. In addition to the NC State on-site Resident Director, participants in this program are supported by the International Programmes Office at University of Ghana. Click here for the IPO homepage for prospective and accepted international students. From this link, you can view academic calendars, international student handbooks, and frequently asked questions from international students at University of Ghana.
Accommodations Participants will be housed in the newly constructed on-campus International Student Hostel. Students will live in double-occupancy dormitory rooms, which they will share with an African roommate. Dining facilities are available in each residence hall and there are inexpensive private restaurants on campus as well. Internet cafes are located throughout the University and international students have access to free internet at the University of Ghana International Programmes Office. Course Listings Please visit the following link for course listings at University of Ghana: http://www.ug.edu.gh/index1.php?linkid=185&sublinkid=66 Please note that courses ending in even numbers are usually offered in the spring semester; odd numbers are generally offered in the fall semester; and courses ending in "0" are usually offered both semesters. "Core" courses are usually available every semester, but the availability of elective courses in a given semester is very unpredictable. These listings should be viewed as a guideline to courses normally available and do not constitute a guarantee of specific course availability. Courses numbered in the 200's are intended for 2nd year students, 300's for 3rd year, etc. Upper level courses should not be chosen without prior study in the subject area. NOTE: Although English is the language of instruction and administration, a knowledge of Twi is useful for cultural and social integration, so all students on the NC State program are required to take an introductory Twi language course as part of their semester schedule.Orientation and Excursions The NC State program orientation will include practical sessions on health & safety issues personalized assistance with course registration, a city tour and a hands-on transportation overview.
Volunteer/Community Service Opportunities Opportunities for volunteer/community service work in non-profit and government organizations are numerous and the NC State Semester in Ghana Resident Director can assist students with serious interests to locate such opportunities.
Eligibility Full-time students who have completed one year of college and have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.75 may apply to participate in the program through their home institution. Students can contact our office with questions or initiate an online application through the NC State Study Abroad Web-site. Considerations for Applicants Students applying for NC State's Semester in Ghana should be very independent, motivated, and prepared for the unique challenges of living in, studying and experiencing life in a developing country. Ghana's rich history and stable political situation make it a prime study location for students interested in African and international studies and for those who are looking for a unique and enriching cultural immersion experience. The NC State on-site Resident Director facilitates a comprehensive and thorough orientation and provides continuous on-site support for the academic, administrative, and personal needs of students on the program. Nonetheless, participants must be prepared to experience life in a developing country. The rewards of studying in a culture as rich, diverse, open, and fascinating as that in Ghana are great for those students ready for the challenge!
Scholarship Opportunity The NC State Study Abroad Office, Africana Studies and the Africa Project at NC State offer scholarship support for students studying in Africa or the African Diaspora. Contact Dr. Craig Brookins for further information. Links
The University reserves the right to alter the program format and/or costs in case of conditions beyond its control. If the program is canceled or a student withdraws, a refund of program costs may not be available in all cases. Please refer to the Study Abroad Office Refund Policy for details. Stories From Ghana: "I spent two weeks at XOFA eco-village, a friend from Canada I met in Ghana and I exchanged the labor of planting trees along the coast of Lake Volta for a place to stay. We met an amazing friend Cha-Cha whom took us under his wing and really taught us about Ghana. Cha-Cha introduced us to XOFA's neighboring villages. After our visits to each village the local schools asked if we would teach for the limited time in town. For two weeks we each walked to separate villages and taught. Every morning we awoke before the sun, swam in Lake Volta and walked miles to school, through high grasses, across swampy areas in some cases and through smaller villages where the kids would run from their morning chores back to their home, grab their bags and walk the remaining way with us to school. I taught at Agiebui Primary School. I loved it! It was such a different life and one I was sad to leave. It is hard to narrow my time and experiences in Ghana to a few because my time in Ghana was amazing. I have framed pictures of the land and people and often reflect on them with love for the country. The people are amazing, they are sweet, kind and patient. I gained from Ghana the ability to look at everyday and take it for all it is worth, the ability to look at my life and realize I have so much and can be happy with what I have. Somehow meeting the people in Ghana and being able to really get to know a handful of them on a personal level has changed me and everyday since I have returned home, they continue to change how I live my life. I do hope to one day return to Ghana." "At the market outside my hostel there was a 60 year old woman named Vida who sold food at a stand called Vida's Corner. Since September, Vida had been there every Monday through Saturday from 9 am to 9 pm situated, seriously, directly outside my window. Her smile was contagious, her portions were generous, and she made some mean fried plantains. My only qualm with Vida was her advertising strategy. Vida was notorious for her loud shout 'beans wa ha!' (meaning 'beans are here!') literally every 20 - 25 seconds that she was at her stand. I guess you can sort of describe it as melodic, as the inflection in her voice had a sing-song quality to it that made it so catchy. Well, at least that's what I can say now. When 'beans wa ha' first graced my ears, I initially thought it was quite funny, but still strange that Vida found it necessary to remind people that often that if they really were craving beans, she had some. By October, Vida had gotten the attention of nearly everyone in the hostel, but with my window being right next to her stand (who would have thought that screen windows weren't soundproof?), I started to get a little agitated. Vida was still going strong in early November, but admittedly, 'beans wa ha!' had grown on me a little bit. It always lingered in the background noise of the market quite noticeably, but I could tolerate it a little more and sometimes even caught myself singing along. Then, on that that fateful November the 15th, 'beans wa ha!' came to a sudden halt. As soon as I noticed, I looked out my window and breathed a sigh of relief as I saw Vida still there happily stirring her famous beans. I went back to work, thinking maybe she lost her voice or something. By day 3 of the absence of Vida's song, 'beans wa ha!' seemed to be the central topic of conversation in the hostel. We were all worried. The spirit of the market was gone. We marched out to Vida's corner and, with the translation help of her apprentice, we learned that the market queen had demanded that Vida stop shouting her jingle. 'Beans wa ha!' was now and forever forbidden. Sadly, we finished up the semester passing Vida with a simple wave, but no ear candy. It wasn't until after I returned home (while remembering how my friend had jokingly stolen my computer one day and run off outside to the market shouting 'laptop wa ha!') that I realized that those beans were sort of symbolic of my whole experience in Ghana. In the first few days, the excitement and novelty of living in a new place was thrilling. Soon though, after life became more routine, I found myself easily getting frustrated with the slow pace of life and hassle of living there. It wasn't until my final couple of weeks when I was preparing to leave and come home that I realized how much I did appreciate it and how much it had grown on me. I will terribly miss riding in tro-tros to Circle, eating fufu with light soup with my hands, or waking up at 4 am to catch an STC bus to Kumasi to go to its bustling market. I returned to the United States with a greater appreciation for it than I left with. But, I'm happy to say that Ghana has become more to me than just a place I visited for 4 months. I can't quite describe what it means to me and, even now, I don't think even I understand how special it will be to me in the future. But, I do know that going was probably the best thing I've ever done. So for now, if anyone is interested in hearing stories or just looking at photos, I can confidently say, 'pictures wa ha!'"
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