SIT Study Abroad Switzerland: International Studies and Multilateral Diplomacy

Major Topics of Study

• Roles of intergovernmental, regional, and nongovernmental organizations in building peace and helping to prevent and manage conflict
• Links between international stability and sound economic and sustainable development
• The evolving role of diplomacy in contemporary international relations
• Geopolitics in relation to natural resources
• Evolving international security challenges
• The UN system and the European Union

Please visit the SIT Study Abroad website for details on the program courses (including syllabi), educational excursions, and housing.

Program Structure

There is no "typical day"on an SIT program. Activities may take place on any day of the week and at any time of day to be in accordance with according to local norms and to take advantage of once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunities. Thus, the schedule and structure of the program are likely very different from what students are used to on their home campuses. The semester progresses in phases:

• The program begins with a thorough orientation.
• During the first two and a half months of the program, students are engaged in foundational coursework, including:
  • thematic seminars, including education excursions,
  • language instruction focused on improving practical communication skills, and
  • a field research methods and ethics course that prepares students to conduct independent research.
• For the last month of the program, students conduct an Independent Study Project (ISP) on an approved topic of their choosing. 
• Finally, students present their project, participate in program evaluations, and prepare to return home.

What Makes SIT Unique

• SIT Study Abroad offers a field-based, experiential approach to learning.
• Each program has a small group of students (typically 10–35). 
• On an SIT program, students gain high levels of access to many different stakeholders and experts relevant to the issues the program is examining. 
• While some learning will be conducted at the SIT program center, extensive learning is done outside the classroom — in host communities, field stations, NGO headquarters, ecological sites, health clinics, and art studios.
• Many students go on to use their Independent Study Projects as a basis for senior theses on their home campuses. Others use their undergraduate research and overall study abroad experience to successfully apply for fellowships such as Fulbrights and Watsons.

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 $1.3 million in scholarships and grants annually.
• All scholarships and grants are need-based.
• Awards generally range from $500 to $5,000.  
• The SIT Pell Grant Match provides matching grants to all students receiving Federal Pell Grant funding when it is applied to an SIT Study Abroad semester program. 
• 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

• Visit our website: studyabroad.sit.edu
• Request more information or email us: studyabroad@sit.edu
• Call an admission counselor: 888-272-7881
• Contact a former student.
• Apply to SIT.

International Studies, Multilateral Diplomacy, and Social Justice Current Program Information With its long history of neutrality, independence, and protection of the disenfranchised, Geneva is the world's capital for international organizations dedicated to conflict transformation, social justice, and sustainable development. While the city retains much of its French heritage and Swiss culture, Geneva's population is truly international, with a unique microculture of social and political organizations. From its base in Nyon, this program provides a thorough background in international studies, using an experiential, case study approach. The program takes a different topical focus each semester, with classroom seminars supplemented by lectures and briefings at international and nongovernmental organizations, including the United Nations, the Red Cross, the International Labor Organization, and the World Trade Organization. Interactive research studies and field excursions in Switzerland and France deepen your understanding of the challenges faced by organizations that foster human rights, peacebuilding, multilateral diplomacy, environmental accountability, and sustainable development. Interactive research studies and field excursions in Switzerland, France, and Belgium deepen students' understanding of the challenges faced by organizations that foster multilateral diplomacy, peace building, human rights, environmental accountability, international trade, and global cooperation. Prerequisites Previous college-level coursework and/or other significant preparation in international studies or a related academic discipline, such as political science or prelaw coursework, as assessed by SIT.