Field Course to South Africa Savannas

Elephant walking through grass in Kruger National Park

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Field Course to South Africa Savannas

Join Dr. Ward on this unique international experience and study the diverse ecosystems and nature of South Africa. You will have the opportunity to study a major biome in South Africa: the savanna.

Following the successful format of the Organization for Tropical Studies, you will be based at the renowned Wits Rural Facility near the Kruger National Park in South Africa. From there, you will work on individual projects concentrating on northeastern South African savannas.

You will also travel into Kruger National Park on at least two occasions to discover the Big 5 (lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards and Cape buffalo).

Coming Soon! This program will be offered again in Winter Break, January 2027. Updates will be made to this page as they are available. Contact your Education Abroad Advisor at edabroad@kent.edu to be notified when applications open!

Location

Kruger National Park, South Africa; Capetown, South Africa

Term

Winter Break

Housing

Dormitory, Hotel

Program Highlights

Students will engage in hands-on field work and research in the savanna biome in eastern South Africa. Students will get the opportunity to visit Kruger National Park, Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, Bourke's Luck potholes and Blyde River Canyon. Students will also interact with locals and students to discuss environmental change, health issues, and more.

Program Contact Information

Desiree Dube

Sr. Education Abroad Advisor

Email: ddube1@kent.edu

Office Phone: 330-672-7989

Important Dates & Billing

Application Deadline: September 1, 2024 - Extended to September 10, 2024!

Withdrawal Deadline: September 6, 2024

Deposit Deadline: September 1, 2024

This program requires a deposit to secure your space on the program.
The deposit amount is $300.
You can pay your deposit online here:
- Under "Categories" select "Student Travel Deposit: College of Arts and Sciences"
- Under "Items" select "Field Course to South Africa, Savannas Deposit"
- From there, you can add the item to your cart and complete the payment.

Program Fee Deadline: The remainder of the program fee will be billed to your Kent State student account. The program fee deadline will be in accordance with the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center's Spring 2025 payment due dates. You should refer to the first Spring 2025 due date.

Application Process

You will need to complete a Kent State Education Abroad application. These quick steps will help walk you through the process.

1. Start an Education Abroad Application

When you click the "Apply Now" button (located towards the top and bottom of this page), you will be brought to the Education Abroad application system where you can view program costs and start an application. Be sure to submit your application before the deadline!

2. Guest Application (If applicable)

Are you a student at another university? To apply for a Kent State education abroad program, you will first need to apply for admission to �鶹��ý as a “Guest Student”. Please apply as either an “Undergraduate Guest Student” or as a “Graduate Guest Student”, depending on your course level.

Once you have applied and been accepted as a �鶹��ý student, you will receive an email with your FlashLine login credentials. Activate your account and then proceed to the next step, which is to apply to the Education Abroad program of your interest. You can return to this page and follow the “Apply Now” button to start that application.

You can also refer to the FAQs for Guest Students if you need further help.

3. Wait for Acceptance

Once you have submitted your study abroad program application, it will be reviewed by the faculty leader. Applications are evaluated on a rolling basis. You should hear back from us within one month.

4. Commit to the Program

If you are accepted, you need to log back into your application by going to and clicking LOGIN. Once you see the name of your program, you need to click on it and commit (i.e., accept your offer of admission).

Academics

Course Information

Course Name and CRN: BIOL 40377 Field Course to South Africa

Number of Credit Hours: 5 (1 credit in the Fall, 4 credits in the Spring)

KSU Sponsoring College: College of Arts and Sciences

Pre-Requisites: Sophomore standing or higher

Program Language of Instruction: English.

Faculty Contact Information

Professor's Name: Dr. David Ward

Title: Art and Margaret Herrick Endowed Professor of Plant Biology

Email: dward21@kent.edu

Phone: 330-672-9394

Tentative Itinerary

This program is designed to take place over Winter Break 2025.

Below is a tentative itinerary; however, the exact sequence, sites, and departure city are subject to changes in availability and cost.

DAY 1:

Fly from Cleveland to Atlanta.
Fly from Atlanta to Cape Town, South Africa.
Lunch and dinner on flights.

DAY 2:

Arrive in Cape Town, South Africa.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner on flight.

DAY 3:

Visit Boulders Beach; tour with Dr. Taryn Morris to see African penguins (morning). See fynbos at Cape Point Nature Reserve (Afternoon).
Breakfast, lunch, dinner included.

DAY 4:

Visit Kirstenbosch National Botanic Gardens (morning). Talk by Dr. Tony Verboom – head of University of Cape Town’s Botany department. Travel on cable car up Table Mountain (afternoon).
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

DAY 5:

Karoo Desert National Botanic Gardens (Worcester) (morning). Visit Bainskloof Pass (afternoon).
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

DAY 6:

Boat trip to Robben Island (morning). Visit Cape Town aquarium (afternoon).
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

DAY 7:

Go to V&A Waterfront (morning). Visit Mnandi Designs (early afternoon).
Fly to Johannesburg (afternoon) (Roy’s Travel, Stow, Ohio).
Breakfast, lunch included.

DAY 8:

Visit the Cradle of Humankind (morning – Sterkfontein caves only), site of several prominent hominid fossil discoveries. Travel to Wits Rural Facility (WRF) near Acornhoek by bus (afternoon).
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

DAY 9:

Field projects at Wits Rural Facility.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner at WRF.

DAY 10:

Field projects at Wits Rural Facility (morning). Visit Moholoholo wildlife rehabilitation center (afternoon).
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner at WRF.

DAY 11:

Field projects at Wits Rural Facility. Talk by Ngoni Ngwarai, public health expert at Agincourt, Wits Medical Facility, in afternoon at WRF.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner at WRF.

DAY 12:

Visit Kruger National Park.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

DAY 13:

Field projects at Wits Rural Facility
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner at WRF.

DAY 14:

Field projects at Wits Rural Facility. Talk by Dr. Wayne Twine, ecologist at Wits Rural Facility, in the evening.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner at WRF.

DAY 15:

Visit Kruger National Park – counting mammals activity.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

DAY 16:

Finish up projects at WRF; drive from Hoedspruit to Johannesburg.
Fly to Cleveland.

DAY 17:

Arrive back in the U.S.
Meals on flights.

Location

Kruger National Park and Capetown, South Africa

Students will engage in hands-on field work and research in the savanna biome in eastern South Africa. You will get the opportunity to visit Kruger National Park, Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, Bourke's Luck potholes and Blyde River Canyon.

Transportation

All transportation is included in the program cost.

Housing & Meals

Accommodations

Maropeng Boutique Hotel

Set in the heart of the Cradle of Humankind, the Maropeng Boutique Hotel offers exquisite views of the Witwatersand and Magaliesberg ranges. The hotel is a convenient 5-minute walk from the Maropeng Visitors’ Centre and 10km (six miles) from the Sterkfontein Caves.

Wits Rural Facility

The Wits Rural Facility (WRF) is a unique, rural campus of the University of the Witwatersrand. It is situated on a 350 hectare bushveld estate in the central lowveld of the Limpopo Province, close to the border of the Kruger National Park.

The WRF was created as a base from which Wits could bring academic resources to bear on development challenges created by the Apartheid ‘homeland system’. The facility continues to support a wide range of research, student training and community engagement initiatives in the area. Infrastructure includes a variety of accommodation, seminar and conference facilities, a restaurant, staff housing, offices, and laboratory space.

Meals

All meals are included in the program cost.

Financial Aid & Scholarships

It is possible to use your federal financial aid to go on �鶹��ý-approved education abroad programs. You can learn more on the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center website.

It is also possible to use most Kent State scholarships for education abroad costs. You can find education abroad scholarships on ScholarshipUniverse.

If you have any questions about using your financial aid and scholarships for study abroad, you can contact the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center.

Health & Safety

Pre-Departure Orientation

Prior to your study abroad experience, you will participate in a mandatory pre-departure orientation hosted by the Office of Global Education. During this orientation, you will be provided with information including but not limited to:

international travel procedures;
in-country resources;
health and safety resources and information;
culture shock and resources to help prepare for living abroad.

All students are encouraged to register with the prior to departure.

You can also review a wide variety of resources we’ve pulled together for you on our “Before You Go” page.

Country Profile

You can learn more about your destination(s), including travel advisories, through the .

In addition, we encourage you to visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) travel page for for traveling to your destination(s).

If vaccinations or medications are needed according to the CDC, you should make arrangements for appointments with your healthcare provider or the DeWeese Health Center as soon as possible. Appointment openings at the DeWeese Health Center are limited and vaccines may need to be ordered, which takes time. Please note that not all immunizations are available at the DeWeese Health Center.

Costs and Funding

Costs for the program will differ for every student. You can use our Cost Calculator to get an estimate of what you might expect for your program.

We also encourage you to meet with your Education Abroad Advisor and reach out to Financial Aid the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center to see how your aid may apply to an international program.

Kent State students at the Cape of Good Hope.

Julia Coyle

Biology

“I went into this trip not knowing a single student, and came out with amazing friends who I could count on for anything. Going into the trip with an open mind and the willingness to try new things such as food will further enhance your experience!”

Your Journey is Just Beginning

Before You Go