Humanities, Social Sciences & Psychology

Cape Town, South Africa
Humanities, Social Sciences & Psychology

About the Program

Step into the Faculty of Humanities at UCT to explore one or more of the 17 departments and 30 academic majors. Join local and international students in learning how to think outside the box, ask questions to solve real-world problems, and delve into a uniquely South African perspective. Debate, talk, and learn with students from 44 countries to study everything from philosophy to history, religion to education, and development to political science. Take a seat in a Cape Town classroom to flip your perspective while also earning credit towards your major back in the U.S.

Requirements

Overview

Location:

Cape Town

Dates:

2/3/24 - 6/13/24

Price:

$20,895

Credits:

16 - 20

Deadlines

Apply By:

Closed

Withdraw By:

10/26/23

Requirements

Complete Application
$95 Online Application Fee
Transcript - Official

Eligibility

Course Prerequisites:

Some courses may have prerequisites.

Education
Completed:

3 semesters of college completed by time of application

Minimum GPA:

3.0

Get a Flight Credit worth up to $1,000 when you apply with code* by January 1, 2025

Where You'll Study

University of Cape Town

Ranked as the number one institution of higher education in the continent of Africa, the University of Cape Town (UCT) stands out as a premier institution. Founded in 1829, UCT now boasts eight specif...

Student Offices
Student Offices
Clubs & Organizations
Clubs & Organizations
Student Government
Student Government
Student Center
Student Center
16-20

Credits

Program Structure & Courses

You will enroll in 3-4 courses at UCT. The academic structure below lists a small sample of the subject areas in which you can take courses. You will have access to introductory, intermediate and advanced courses in all subject areas.

Prior to departure, you will complete a UCT application form on which you will indicate your preferred courses. More information is available in each of the Faculty Handbooks on the UCT website. See below for how to access the handbooks for a full list of courses and their descriptions. You will be enrolled into courses based on availability and further changes can be made during the add/drop period at the beginning of the semester.

The University of Cape Town awards credits based on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) to determine course and contact hour recommendations per course. 1 NQF credit represents roughly 10 notional hours of work which includes study time, assignments and examinations. 1 NQF credit is equivalent to .222 U.S. semester credits. NQF credits may vary by course, and are indicated in the UCT handbooks You will enroll in between 72 and 90 NQF credits (16-20 US credits) for the semester.

Due to differences in the South African higher education system, there is no standard for the number of days a week a course may meet. Class meeting times vary across departments and subject areas.

It is in your best interest to have multiple alternative courses approved by your home university prior to your departure due to course availabilities. Please consult with your academic advisor at your home university on credit pre-approval guidelines.

All Levels Course Structure

Courses

The host institution has offered the following courses in the past. Please note that course listings will not be finalized until the start of the term.

*Courses with an asterisk indicate that the course has been associated with multiple subject areas.
Please click on the course title to view additional subject areas and detailed course information.

Course Name Level Lang Hours Credits
Afrikaans Courses 300 En 0 4
Course Name Level Lang Hours Credits
Art History Courses 300 En 0 4
Course Name Level Lang Hours Credits
Cultural Studies Courses 300 En 0 4
Course Name Level Lang Hours Credits
Film Studies Courses 300 En 0 4
Course Name Level Lang Hours Credits
History Courses 300 En 0 4
Course Name Level Lang Hours Credits
Humanities Courses 300 En 0 4
Course Name Level Lang Hours Credits
Media Studies Courses 300 En 0 4
Course Name Level Lang Hours Credits
Philosophy Courses 300 En 0 4
Course Name Level Lang Hours Credits
Political Science Courses 300 En 0 4
Course Name Level Lang Hours Credits
Psychology Courses 300 En 0 4
Course Name Level Lang Hours Credits
Religious Studies Courses 300 En 0 4
Course Name Level Lang Hours Credits
Sociology Courses 300 En 0 4
Course Name Level Lang Hours Credits
Theater Arts Courses 300 En 0 4
  • Accounting
  • African Languages & Literature
  • African Studies
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Biology
  • Business
  • Chemistry
  • Classics
  • Computer Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Ecology
  • Economics
  • Education
  • English Language & Literature
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Film Studies
  • Finance
  • Fine & Performing Arts
  • Gender Studies
  • Geology
  • History
  • International Relations
  • Law
  • Marine Biology
  • Mathematics
  • Media Studies
  • Philosophy
  • Physics
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Religious Studies
  • Sciences
  • Social Sciences
  • Sociology

Navigating the University of Cape Town Website for Courses

Navigating the University of Cape Town Website for Courses

The University of Cape Town (UCT) is organized into six faculties (schools) and study abroad students are eligible to take courses from five of those faculties: Commerce, Engineering & the Built Environment, Humanities, Law, and Science. You can take courses from more than one faculty, and the subject(s) or discipline(s) of interest to you may be in multiple faculties. Not all courses at these five faculties are available to study abroad students so ensure you review the following steps when choosing your courses.

Choosing Your Courses

Step One
Click here to view the current UCT Handbooks for each faculty. The handbook is the course guide with an explanation of degree plans, information on how to read course codes and the full list of upcoming courses for all undergraduate and graduate courses.

Select to view the undergraduate handbook that most closely corresponds to your program of choice to view the Core Course options:

  • Engineering & Computer Science: Open the Faculty of Engineering & the Build Environment or the Faculty of Science Handbook
  • Humanities, Social Sciences & Psychology: Open the Faculty of Humanities or Faculty of Law Handbook
  • Business & Economics: Open the Faculty of Commerce Handbook
  • Sciences & the Environment: Open the Faculty of Science Handbook
  • Identity, Politics, & History of South Africa: Open the Faculty of Humanities or Faculty of Law Handbook

Step Two
Review the below guide to understand which courses are available to you based on the course codes and course levels. Each code is 8 characters, such as AA1nnnS, where:

  1. AAA - The first three letters are the department code and discipline.
  2. 1 - The first number is the academic level/year of study in which the course is usually taken. You are recommended to take courses with designations 1, 2 or 3.
    1 = First year course
    2 = Second year course
    3 = Third year courses
  3. nnn – The 3 character number is the courses unique identifier
  4. S – The single letter at the end describes the duration and semester placement of the course. You are only allowed to take courses with an S or F designation.
    1. F = first semester, which is the Spring Term on the US calendar
    2. S = second semester, which is the Fall Term on the US calendar
    3. W/H both mean the course is taught over a full year
    4. Z = non-standard period of time
    5. Summer or Winter Term Courses have a P (November – December), U (November – January) or L (June-July)

While you will need the full course code to register for courses, when first looking at your options for courses, pay most attention to the term F (Spring) or S (Fall) and to the level of the course.

Example: HST2047S Gender & History

  • HST = a history course
  • 2 = a second year course
  • 047 = unique code for this course
  • S = second semester (Fall) course

Step Three
From the Index section at the end of each handbook, locate interesting courses alphabetically. Follow the page number to discover the course description, term, level, NQF credits and requirements. It is important you review your eligibility for each course you would like to take.

At UCT, courses are validated at a level corresponding to a particular year of study. The levels are as follows:

The University of Cape Town uses HEQSF/NQF levels to determine course levels.  The following chart displays the recommended U.S. course level equivalencies:

HEQSF/NQF Level

U.S. Course Level

Year

5

100 (Beginner)

Freshmen

6

200 (Intermediate)

Sophomore

7

300/400 (Advanced)

Junior/Senior


Some modules at Level 5 and Level 6 may have pre-requisites requiring students to have already completed specific modules or equivalents at a lower level. As a study abroad student, you are not expected to have taken the specific pre-requisite requirement, but you must have studied a relevant or similar course/module in your home country/institution.

If no pre-requisites are specified, and study abroad students are not explicitly excluded in the course description, then course should be open to all students. However, you should take previous academic experience into account when making course choices.

Prior to departure, you will complete a UCT online application form on which you will indicate your preferred courses. This application is used to pre-register for courses and to allow the university to review your eligibility. Upon arrival you will go through an extensive orientation and registration period with UCT's International Office. Your course schedule will be finalized with an individual UCT academic advisor at that point.

If you have further questions regarding how to select courses or about the CEA CAPA program at the University of Cape Town, please contact a CEA CAPA Student Advisor at 1-800-266-4441.


Interested in taking your career to the next level?

Excursions

Get out and explore! Excursions are offered for most semester, year, and summer programs. Semester students are typically offered between two to three excursions and summer study students are typically offered between one to two excursions. You'll receive a calendar of excursions during orientation; here are a few day and overnight excursions we've offered in the past.

Sample Calendar

Below is a tentative itinerary for your program. Please note, dates and events below may change without prior notification. Contact CEA CAPA before purchasing airline tickets.

You will receive a finalized itinerary once you arrive onsite.

Note: Additional cultural activities/excursions or required course-related activities may be incorporated into your final itinerary. You are advised not to make personal travel arrangements until you have the final dates.

Date Description
February 03
Arrival/Program Begins

Official Program Start Date. Students must arrive at the Cape Town International Airport on this date in order to be eligible for airport pickup. Students will then be transferred to their assigned housing.

February 04
Orientation

Mandatory CEA CAPA Orientation will be held.

February 05 - 09
Orientation

Mandatory University of Cape Town (UCT) Orientation and academic registration will be held.

February 12
Classes Begin

Classes begin at UCT on this day.

March 25 - April 01
School Break

UCT is closed for Spring Break. No classes will be held.

May 15
Classes End

This is the last day of classes at UCT.

May 23 - June 12
Final Exams

Final exams will be held at UCT.

June 13
Program Ends/Move-Out

Official Program End Date. Students must move out of housing no later than this day.

Sample Budget

The sample budget is unavailable at this time. Please check back later or ask your CEA CAPA Admissions Counselor/Site Specialist for a comparable program's sample budget.