Language Requirement: None
Academic Standing by Program Start: Sophomore or above
Location: Africa, Kenya
GPA: 2.75

Program Overview

Cutting-edge public health initiatives are being implemented in Kisumu, a Kenyan port city on Lake Victoria and home to the largest U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention facility outside North America. The CDC’s relationship with the Kenya Medical Research Institute, which spans four decades, offers students unparalleled access to distinguished medical professionals, scholars, and scientists. Attend classes on a campus with high-speed internet and surrounded by gardens. Learn research protocol and how to gather and analyze data from experts developing improved delivery of treatments and vaccines for infectious diseases and translating findings into policy recommendations.

You’ll also study Kiswahili, the lingua franca of East Africa, and gain a range of perspectives from two homestay families, one in urban Kisumu and one in the rural hills and lakes region of Siaya County. As part of the program, you will also travel to Kenya’s capital city of Nairobi, a center for relief, health, and human rights organizations, and to Rwanda, where you will survey its significantly lower rates of HIV and malaria. 

For further information about the program, including dates and course information, please visit: SIT: Global Health and Human Rights in Kenya

Dates and Deadlines

Term Year Deadline Arrival Date Departure Date
Spring Semester 2026 10/15/2025 2/2/2026 5/17/2026
Fall Semester 2026 05/01/2026 8/31/2026 12/13/2026

If you are interested in applying to a SIT program, we strongly advise you to meet with an advisor prior to applying.

Selection for the program is based on a review of your written application, recommendation, transcript(s), and completion of the interview process. Qualified applicants are recommended by a GEO Study Abroad Program Advisor. The final selection of participants is made by SIT.

IMPORTANT: Application for a SIT program involves two parts:

  1. Completion of the GEO application process.
  2. Completion of the SIT application process.

Please note that the GEO deadline supersedes the SIT deadline. 

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Hear from Our Students

Sadie's Experience Researching Abroad

Sadie standing outside of a building in Kisumu, Kenya
Sadie Creemer, who participated in the Fall 2024 SIT: Health and Human Rights in Kenya program, turned an eye-opening experience abroad into research that was presented at the 2025 Undergraduate… read more

Learning by Living: My Public Health Journey Abroad

Person smiling at the camera while standing with a bicycle on a dirt path in a natural setting, wearing a helmet and sunglasses. There's a scenic view of hills and a lake in the background.
This program fundamentally changed how I am thinking about what I want to do with my future. Having the opportunity to take courses in the field of public health then apply them to an independent… read more

Discount for Pell Recipients

To expand access to study abroad, GEO is offering a $500 discount for this program to UO students who currently have the Pell Grant as part of their federal financial aid (FAFSA).

Course Equivalencies

UO students: please refer to the UO Course Equivalency Process and the UO Office of the Registrar Course Equivalency Database.

Non-UO students: Actual credit awarded is determined by the relevant department at your university in consultation with the study abroad office. Check with your study abroad advisor for more information.

Budget and Price

SIT: Global Health and Human Rights in Kenya

2026 Spring Semester

Program Fees Paid to GEO
UO Study Abroad Fee ($1,000 per semester) $1,000
Other Estimated Expenses
SIT Application Fee Paid to SIT $50
SIT Educational Costs Paid to SIT $18,664
Housing Paid to SIT $3,941
Participation Confirmation Paid to SIT $400
Estimated Airfare from Eugene $1,620
Estimated Course Materials $100
Estimated Additional Meals $1,600
Estimated Local Transportation $113
Estimated Cell Phone Expenses $150
Estimated Travel Clinic & Pre-Departure Physical $100
Estimated Cost of Acquiring Passport $160
Estimated Visa Fees $100
Estimated Additional Living Expenses $880
Total
Total Estimated Cost of Participation $28,878

Included in Program Costs: Program tuition, medical insurance, pre-departure orientation, and on-site support

* Non-UO Students: study abroad fees and application fees vary by campus; check with your home campus study abroad office.

Please visit GEO Billing Information for information about how you will be billed and when payments are due.

 

Please also refer to the SIT Cancellation Policy.

 

Cancellation Policy

Cancellation Date Cancellation Penalty
8 weeks before program start date

50% of UO Study Abroad Fee
Program start date or after program begins

Full amount of UO Study Abroad Fee
Note that scholarship funds are not able to be applied to program deposit.

IMPORTANT: The GEO Cancellation Policy is effective from the time a student agrees to pay their non-refundable program deposit or electronically signs the program commitment form, regardless of application or acceptance status. It is essential to read this policy before a potential cancellation takes place, to fully understand the withdrawal and cancellation penalties, and to understand what it means financially to commit to a study abroad program.

Students who cancel their participation must notify GEO in writing. Email is acceptable (geoinfo@uoregon.edu). Verbal notification to GEO or notification given to a non-UO campus study abroad office is not sufficient.

For full details, see the complete GEO Cancellation Policy.

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