Academics

Academic Highlights 

Curriculum Outline 

Students are required enroll in 4-5 Trinity credits to be considered full time.

1. Required core course – 1 Trinity credit – CPTN 279 Imagining South Africa
2. Required internship seminar – 1 Trinity credit – CPTN 150 Internship Seminar
3. Required University elective course
4. Required University elective course
5. Optional University elective course

Course Descriptions

Core Course – CPTN 279 – Imagining South Africa – Professor Sibs Moore

Fulfills  Trinity College requirements: Humanities and Global

This course is intended to provide an interdisciplinary context for your experience in South Africa.​ The goal is to systematically relate your personal experience in South Africa with your experiences in the United States in general and at Trinity College in particular. The focus will therefore be comparative. Readings will expose you to South Africa from various angles,  from that of an Afrikaaner soul-searching liberal (Rian Malan); the autobiography of the daughter of a white liberationist communist couple (Gillian Slovo); a black consciousness  leader  (Steve Biko); and a political commentator on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Antjie Krog). The course will conclude with an analysis of a post modern, post-apartheid novel (J.M. Coetzee). Whenever possible, this course makes use of the city and its environs as a classroom through walking tours, academic excursions and other immersion techniques.

CPTN 150- Internship Seminar – Professor Sibs Moore

Internships in Cape Town give the student the opportunity to explore personal and academic interests while working with organizations and people at the top of the field. This seminar is intended to complement the student’s internship experience in Cape Town and the project that they must complete as part of the internship. Students are required to discuss readings and to share cultural experiences from daily life as a bridge between the intern’s experience and South African life and culture. Placements include, but are not limited to, human rights, Aids/HIV education and prevention, medical/clinical, women’s rights, education, radio broadcasting, public policy research, fundraising and law. Students must work a minimum of 8 hours a week for a period of 13 weeks, plus periodic meetings with the academic director in Cape Town. They submit a research paper at the end of the term.

University Courses

Students will take two courses at the University of Cape Town (UCT) OR the University of the Western Cape (UWC). Choose from a broad spectrum of courses available in nearly every discipline. Recommended majors/possible areas of study: biological sciences, natural and life sciences, economics, engineering, African studies, international studies, music, theater and dance, neuroscience, political science, psychology, environmental studies, human rights, urban studies, public policy and law, international studies, political science, anthropology, sociology, history and more.

Local University Information

Trinity partners with two exceptional universities in Cape Town. Students select ONE to take their University electives at. University selection depends on students personal preference and academic need.

University of Cape Town

University of Western Cape

History

University of Cape Town (UCT): Established in 1829 as a school for boys, the University of Cape Town (UCT) is South Africa’s oldest university and one of the continent’s leading teaching and research institutions. Students take classes at UCT’s picturesque Upper Campus, situated at the foot of Table Mountain in the leafy Cape Town suburb of Rondebosch. The University of Cape Town has a population of approximately 29,500 students, including the over 700 study abroad students from North America who enroll in a typical semester.​

University Size

The University of Cape Town enrolls approximately 26,000 students (undergraduate and graduate) and is situated in the Rondebosch neighborhood at the base of Table Mountain.

The University of Western Cape enrolls approximately 20,000 students (undergraduate and graduate) and is located in the suburb of Bellville.

Academic Differences

The academic system in South Africa is different from what you are used to in the U.S. It is more similar to the British tutorial system, with which some of you may be familiar.  South African students do not take many electives or general education requirements. Thus, they specialize in  their  majors  or  fields  of  study  earlier  and  often  are  more  advanced  in  their concentrations  than  U.S. students  are  as  undergraduates.  Professors  expect  students  to  be  independent,  self motivated,  and  able  to keep up with their reading and prepare for the final examinations without receiving as much direction (such as  regular  help,  homework  to  keep  you  on  track,  very  specific  reading  lists,  etc.).  In  short,  the  system  is geared  toward  students  who  are  self-sufficient,  hard-working,  and  deeply  interested  in  the  subject  matter.

Students  have  greater  responsibility  and  must  show  greater  initiative  in  a  less structured  environment. Depending  on  the  course  and  the  professor,  there  may  not  be  a  syllabus  or  regular  homework. Rather, students may be given a list of books to read throughout the semester.

Class Sizes

Class size varies greatly, depending on the course.

Amenities 

• Library
• Computer lab
• Cafeterias and Cafes