Will I get the courses that I initially requested?
There is no guarantee you will get the specific courses that you requested. Because every program is different, course approval and registration processes vary. Please see your program page details.
There is no guarantee you will get the specific courses that you requested. Because every program is different, course approval and registration processes vary. Please see your program page details.
As South Africa is located in the Southern Hemisphere; its seasons are reversed from the Northern Hemisphere. Summer will last from December through March and winter lasts from June through August. South Africa is a large country with a variable climate; however regardless of location the summers tend to be quite hot and winters are mild. In Cape Town the daytime is warm and the temperature drops in the evening. You should be prepared to carry a sweater or jacket in the evenings and during the cooler months of May-July, a waterproof coat is recommended.
About $50 already exchanged to South African Rand (ZAR) for meals and basic expenses during the orientation. Take an ATM card that's linked to your U.S. primary checking account.
Yes. Many home colleges want to review the work you completed overseas before final credit is awarded. Unless you make specific arrangements with your tutors prior to departure, final exams and/or papers will not be returned to you. It is important to keep copies, therefore, of your papers, reading lists and syllabi from all of your courses.
YES! Your study permit will be affixed inside your passport, so the South African immigration officials need it to award you a study permit. This is why it is so important that you send your application in a package with a tracking number.
The study permit is affixed inside the passport, on one of the pages behind the identity page. If you have thoroughly searched your passport and there is no South African study permit (or the information is incorrect), please contact the Embassy/Consulate immediately.
Yes. Please see our Scholarships & Financial aid page for South Africa.
We will send an official copy of your transcript to your home school and an unofficial copy to you, once we have received your official transcript from your South African university. Most transcripts are issued within three months of the end date of the program.
Your transcript will be withheld by Arcadia University if you have an outstanding balance on your account resulting from nonpayment of the program fee (in whole or in part) or special course surcharges, any late fees or returned check fees, damage charges, library fines, or other unmet financial obligations as deemed appropriate by Arcadia University.
It depends on your length of stay and your country of origin. Find out more.
There are several options you may wish to consider for keeping in touch with friends and family back home.
South Africa is six hours ahead of our Eastern Standard Time for most of the year. South Africa does not observe daylight savings time. An excellent resource for determining the time in different areas of the world is The Time Now.
Arcadia University enrolls all participants in a comprehensive health and accident insurance plan. Details of this coverage are outlined in the health and accident insurance section of our website. Please note that Arcadia University does not provide insurance for your possessions. We encourage you to purchase coverage for them or to leave irreplaceable valuables at home.
Some students choose to bring personal laptops for convenience, although you will have access to your institutions' computing facilities. The majority of modern laptops are dual voltage and will work in South Africa with only an adapter plug. All housing is equipped with WiFi. Make sure that your laptop is insured.
Before you leave home, check with the Board of Elections at your County Court House about procedures for voting by absentee ballot. You may want to arrange for a member of your family to pick up the ballot and mail it to you. Visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program for more details.
Whatever you bring, you carry in two checked luggage bags and one carry-on bag. Be prepared to move your luggage through airports, on and off busses during orientation, and up several flights of stairs to your room. Here are some tips:
The Leave Half Behind Rule – Select what you think you’ll need and leave half of it behind. Nobody ever complains about having too little luggage. Layering – with such a changeable climate layer your clothes from warm to cold so you can change them up easily. Include a rain jacket. Use Duffel Bags - with wheels or an internal framed backpack. Closet space will not be as generous as what you are used to, so even if you can get it there, you won't necessarily know where to put it. Be versatile - Student rooms are normally equipped with only a foot and a half of hanging space and two, three-foot bureau drawers or the equivalent shelf space, and emptied luggage is usually stored under beds. Go for multi-purpose clothing.We will send an official copy of your transcript to your home school and an unofficial copy to you. Program transcripts are usually issued:
Fall: mid-March; Academic year and spring: late September. Summer: early September.Your transcript will be withheld by Arcadia University if you have an outstanding balance on your account resulting from nonpayment of the program fee (in whole or in part) or special course surcharges, any late fees or returned check fees, damage charges, library fines, or other unmet financial obligations as deemed appropriate by Arcadia University.
Once you have provided your flight details to your program advisor, Arcadia arranges to have you met at Cape Town International Airport. You will have orientation put on by Arcadia staff in South Africa, which will include excursions, activities, and lively discussions, then go on to a location-specific campus orientation hosted by your school in South Africa.
YES! Please visit the U.S. State Department travel pages for the most up-to-date information regarding passport application and fees. Make sure that your passport is valid at least six months beyond your program end date.