Witness Nepal’s challenges in balancing tradition and modernity, while negotiating economic, political, and social change in a dynamic period of its history.
16
None
Nepali
English
Sep 1 – Dec 14
Nepal
India
Kathmandu
Required
Development & Inequality
In the past few decades, Nepal has seen tremendous changes in development, discourse surrounding equality and inclusiveness, and civic and human rights. Live in the Kathmandu Valley, home to seven UNESCO World Heritage sites, and learn from experts, activists, and academics about development, gender, and social change. Visit organizations and institutions to understand how they work with government and non-government agencies to make meaningful change in society. Learn Nepali from expert teachers in small, dynamic classes. Connect with NGOs, INGOs, and bilateral and multilateral donors. Visit the Chitwan National Park in the plains to learn about conservation, community development, and collective action. Then, trek from village to village along ancient Himalayan trade routes going as high as 13,000 feet to see community development efforts as well as Nepal’s remarkable biological, geological, and cultural diversity. In the final four weeks, research a topic of your choice while conducting an independent field study or gain professional skills in an international work environment as part of an internship.
None
There are two excursions included in the program. The first is a week-long trip that will take you to a selected location, either in Nepal or India.
In Nepal, you may travel to the following:
Conservation and Development in Chitwan National Park
Learn about conservation and development from the communities that live within the premises of Chitwan National Park. Interactions with activists, scholars and community members will provide a deeper insight into how community development and conservation efforts complement each other in the first national park, situated in the Terai belt.
OR
Palpa and Lumbini
You will have the opportunity to learn about community forestry, cottage industries, gender dynamics, and empowerment programs for both women and youth. Additionally, you will explore feminist approaches to local development, gain cultural insights, and understand the livelihoods and impacts of development on the marginalized Madheshi community in the region.
OR
Ilam (Nepal) and Darjeeling (India)
Ilam (Nepal) and Darjeeling (India) are the tea capitals of Nepal and India. Learn about tea processing, organic farming, agriculture and market linkages, fair trade, workers’ rights, and gender relations in tea production. An exploration of well-established tea estates in Darjeeling and relatively newer estates of Ilam will provide a comparative study of the dynamics of tea farming and production. In Darjeeling and Ilam, you will stay in small guesthouses or homestays while you will visit the renowned tea estates.
Depending on different factors like feasibility and all students’ access to Indian visas, this week-long excursion might also take you to one of these locations in India to learn about rural development, gender dynamics, organic farming, food security and climate change in the Himalayan mountains of India.
In Himachal Pradesh, you will be based at the Jagori Rural Charitable Trust (“Jagori Grameen”), a non-governmental organization located in Rakkar, a village in the foothills of the Himalayas near Dharamsala. Jagori works on issues of development, gender, violence, leadership, and organic farming. Through its initiatives, you will gain insights into the organization’s operations and its impact on the local community. During your stay, you will be accommodated on Jagori’s campus and will participate in field visits to nearby rural areas as well as workshops conducted on-site.
In Uttarakhand, in the northwestern region of India, you will explore the work of Navdanya in Dehradun—an organization dedicated to biodiversity conservation, agroecology, and seed saving. Through this experience, you will deepen your understanding of food security, ecology, and environmental justice. You will stay at Navdanya Farm, where you will have the opportunity to engage in fieldwork and participate in workshops organized by the organization.
In Sikkim, the organic state of India, learn about food security and the impacts of national policy changes. You will learn farming techniques from local farmers and gain an understanding of the different challenges and opportunities for food security. Get hands-on experience working on a subsistence farm. Focus on women’s roles in farming and development and see the impact of social change and development on food security. You will stay in a Nepali-speaking village in the lush, green foothills of the Indian Himalaya.
Rural Immersion in the Himalayas of the Eastern or Western Region of Nepal
During this two-week excursion, you’ll immerse yourself in a rural community, working with homestay families on their farm. Weed, plough, or participate in a local group or a small community project with village youth. Fieldwork focuses on ecotourism; sustainability of development in mountainous areas; community development efforts; culture and religion; and economic links. Connect with villagers, learn social customs and norms, and work with community members to assimilate while remaining ethically aware of your interactions with community members.
Additionally, as part of the second excursion, there will be an optional 5-day trek included in the program’s itinerary. This trek offers a unique opportunity to experience the natural beauty of the region and engage more deeply with the local landscape and communities. While we encourage participation, joining the trek is not mandatory. Alternative arrangements will be available for those who do not participate.
Please note that SIT will make every effort to maintain its programs as described. To respond to emergent situations, however, SIT may have to change or cancel programs.
Upon successful completion of the program, students will be able to:
The following syllabi are representative of this program. Because courses develop and change over time to take advantage of dynamic learning opportunities, actual course content will vary from term to term.
The syllabi can be useful for students, faculty, and study abroad offices in assessing credit transfer. Read more about credit transfer.
Development, Gender, and Social Change in the Himalaya – syllabus
DVST3000 / 3 credits
An interdisciplinary course conducted in English with required readings and relevant educational excursions. Using gender as a lens for engaging with development theory and practice, the seminar examines historical and contemporary Nepal and the social, political, cultural, environmental, and economic forces — both internal and global — that have shaped and continue to define the country. Lecturers are a cross-section of Nepali society, including activists and experienced academics drawn from academic institutions such as Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu University, and the Fulbright Commission. Site visits to nongovernmental organizations may include rights and development agencies like MITINI Nepal, ICIMOD, and Teach4Nepal, among others.
Beginning Nepali – syllabus
NEPA1503 / 3 credits
Intermediate Nepali – syllabus
NEPA2503 / 3 credits
Advanced Nepali – syllabus
NEPA3503 / 3 credits
OR
Beginning Nepali: Intensive – syllabus
NEPA1506 / 6 credits
Intermediate Nepali: Intensive – syllabus
NEPA2506 / 6 credits
Advanced Nepali: Intensive – syllabus
NEPA3506 / 6 credits
These fun, interactive courses help students develop a working fluency in Nepali language with an emphasis on speaking and comprehension skills through classroom and field instruction combined with practice in reading and writing the Devanagari script. Classes are taught two-and-a-half hours daily. The expert instructors are native speakers with many years of teaching and teacher training experience with SIT and the Peace Corps. Instruction includes a variety of interactive, communication-based language teaching techniques that incorporate cultural information into language learning, which helps facilitate ISP research and internships during the final month of the program.
Nepal’s Economy: Trade, Tourism & Globalization-syllabus
DVST3500 / 3 credits
This course offers an in-depth examination of Nepal’s economy, focusing on international trade, tourism, and the impact of globalization. It traces Nepal’s economic trajectory—from the advent of democracy in the 1950s to its current engagement with foreign aid and trade—highlighting the complexities of development in a global context. Through readings, case studies, policy analysis, field visits, and discussions, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the key forces shaping Nepal’s economy today.
Field Methods and Ethics – syllabus
(ANTH3500 / 3 credits)
A course in the concepts of learning across cultures and from field experience and an introduction to the Independent Study Project and Internship and Seminar. Material includes cross-cultural adaptation and skills building; project selection and refinement; appropriate methodologies; field study ethics and the World Learning / SIT Human Subjects Review Policy; developing contacts and finding resources; developing skills in observation and interviewing; gathering, organizing, and communicating data; and maintaining a work journal.
In addition to taking the above courses, students will also need to enroll in one of the following two courses:
Independent Study Project
Independent Study Project – syllabus
(ISPR3000 / 4 credits)
At the end of the program, you will spend four weeks working on an Independent Study Project (ISP), pursuing original research on a topic of interest to you. The ISP is conducted in Kathmandu or, conditions permitting and with program approval, in other parts of Nepal, and is an opportunity for students to conduct firsthand, meaningful, and original field study projects. Sample topic areas include ecotourism and its effect on wildlife management; geographies of development; preservation of temple architecture and heritage sites; water scarcity in Kathmandu valley; statelessness and discourse on citizenship; community forestry; migration and population issues; rural development and aid; and women’s health challenges. A large number of students have gone on to use their ISPs as the basis for further research under Fulbright fellowships in Nepal or in securing professional positions with NGOs, the State Department, and the United Nations.
Sample ISP topic areas:
Browse this program’s Independent Study Projects / undergraduate research.
OR
Internship and Seminar
Internship and Seminar – syllabus
(ITRN3000 / 4 credits)
This seminar consists of a four-week internship and weekly academic seminar. The aim of the internship is to enable the student to gain valuable experience, enhance their skills in an international environment, and reflect more deeply on key program themes. The internship experience may be with a local community-based development organization, research organization, human rights and advocacy organization, international NGO, or organization working for food security and sustainable development. The internship seminar meets weekly (typically online) so students can reflect on the internship experience, and it includes complementary readings, weekly progress reports, and a final paper and presentation linking the internship learning experience to the program’ s theme. The internship seminar includes a module titled Internship in the Context of Nepal, which is designed to help students build a foundation on which to engage in the internship experience. SIT academic internships are hands-on and reflective.
Sample internships:
Live with a host family in Kathmandu for six weeks, sharing daily activities and observing or participating in several important festivals. Families vary in occupational, educational, and economic backgrounds and live anywhere from a 20- to 35-minute walk from the program center. Families include one or more adults and may or may not include children.
On excursions to rural, mountainous regions in Nepal and India, participate in village homestays to better understand Nepalis’ lifestyle by participating in the daily activities of these rural communities.
During the excursions, accommodations may include guesthouses and small hostels (called tea houses), as well as dormitory-style housing.
Recent positions held by alumni of this program include:
Founder and international advisor at SmartPaani and One Planet Solution, Nepal
Professor of geography at the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Assistant professor of anthropology at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
Director of international operations for Nepali Tea Traders, Denver, CO
Independent filmmaker
Director with the Peace Corps, Nepal
Director with the Fulbright Program, Nepal
Many other alumni have used the Nepali language skills they gained on the program to win Fulbright fellowships and secure professional positions in Nepal after graduation.
SIT Study Abroad is committed to ensuring that international education is within reach for all students. We believe in the transformative power of immersive, intercultural experiences and are dedicated to supporting students in their educational journey.
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Students are required to obtain a visa for this program. Your admissions officer will provide you further guidance on the process and support documents. Please do not apply without instructions from your admissions officer.
