NOTE: SIT will make every effort to maintain its programs as described. To respond to emergent situations, like COVID-19, SIT may have to modify programs. Visit the SIT website for more details.
Discover the social, economic, and political impacts of globalization, westernization, and climate change in Oceania.
WHY STUDY SOCIAL CHANGE IN SAMOA?
The launching point for the settlement of Polynesia, in 1962 Samoa became the first Pacific island to achieve independence. After a weeklong orientation in Hawai‘i—where you will meet members of Hawaii’s indigenous community and visit the Bishop Museum—travel to Samoa where you will live in Apia, the cosmopolitan capital and the program’s base, and study social justice issues and efforts to protect the environment across the Pacific. Hear perspectives on social transitions, conservation, and resilience from Hawaiians, Samoans, and other Pacific Islanders and interact with Samoan university students. Visit Samoa’s largest island, the volcanic island of Savai‘I, to see the sea arches, blow holes and lava flows of the South Pacific. Journey to Fiji and witness how Oceania’s diverse communities are supported by the environment but impacted by development, tourism, and climate change. Experience a traditional taro lo‘I in Hawai’i and, if you choose, the slaughter, roasting, and serving of a small pig in Amaile, Samoa. In the final month of the program, undertake a self-designed research project on a topic of your choice with experts to guide you.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Hear perspectives on the human dimensions of climate change in the Pacific.
- Swim the turquoise waters and explore the beaches and wildlife of Oceania.
- Experience the Oceanic lifestyle in rural homes, as well as urban landscapes.
- Study globalization issues in the cradle of Polynesian history and culture.
Please visit the
SIT Study Abroad website for details on the
program courses (including syllabi), educational excursions, and housing.KEY TOPICS OF STUDY
- Climate change, vulnerability, and resilience in Oceania
- Comparative studies and perspectives on Hawai’i, Samoa, and Fiji
- Dynamics of habit fragmentation in tropical ecosystems
- Varying perspectives on communal, individual, and human rights in Samoa
- Environmental, water, soil, land use, and agribusiness issues
- Completion of customized, independent study project in Samoa
MONEY MATTERS
Be sure to discuss how study abroad costs are handled at your school with your study abroad advisor.
SIT tuition and room and board fees include the following:
- All educational costs, including educational excursions
- All accommodations and meals for the full program duration
- Transportation to and from the airport, and on all educational excursions
- Health and accident insurance
SCHOLARSHIPS
- SIT awards nearly $1.6 million in scholarships and grants annually.
- All scholarships and grants are need-based.
- Awards generally range from $500 to $5,000 for semester programs.
- Contact the financial aid and/or study abroad office(s) at your college or university to learn if your school’s scholarships and grants and federal and state aid programs can be applied to an SIT Study Abroad program.
CONTACT SIT STUDY ABROAD
