CISP

CSU in Ghana: Africana Studies

May TBA, 2025
BST 493: Study Abroad Ghana - 3 credits
Spring 2025
Applications due November 15
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Apply Now Costs Financial Aid and Scholarships  Eligibility   
Health and Safety Itinerary in Ghana  Passport /Visa Deposit Payment link   Questions 

Academic Program

This 3 credit course (BST 493) offered in Spring 2020 by the Black Studies Program at Cleveland State University is an exploration of the peoples and cultures of Africa, emphasizing diversities and contrasts that characterize the continent.  The focus of the course is Ghana, the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence from Great Britain on March 6, 1957. The goal is to see Ghana as a microcosm of the African continent in terms of historical development, diversities, and contrasts in human and physical resources and development. Through lectures and site visits, students will learn the historical impact of Ghana on African liberation movements in the 20th century.

Pre-departure learning meetings are mandatory and are scheduled for Fridays in the later afternoon : 

Friday, February 28, 2020 from 4:00 - 5:00 pm BH 135
Friday, March 27, 2020 from 4:00 - 5:00 pm BH 135
Friday, April 17, 2020 4:00-5:30 pm  BH 136 
Friday, April 24, 2020 4:00-5:30 pm  BH 136 

This course BST 493, fulfills a Black Studies major or minor elective requirement. It is offered at the undergraduate level only.

Please note that the travel dates of this course run into Summer Session I. Students enrolling in the class with travel component will not be able to also take courses in Summer Session I.
 

Tentative Daily Itinerary- 2020

May 13 Wednesday

Depart CLE International Airport

May 14 Thursday 

Arrival in Accra, Ghana
Driving Accra City Tour

May 15 Friday 

Welcome: Orientation & Overview of Events by Leaders   
Campus Tour of the University of Ghana

May 16 Saturday 

Visit W.E.B. DuBois Center, Independence Black Star Square, and Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum
Driving tour of colonial section of Accra and Brazil House
Visit craftsmen at Nungua/Teshie

May 17 Sunday

Attend a religious ceremony and rituals in Accra

May 18 Monday

Participate in traditional African food preparation in Accra                                                                                                                          

May 19 Tuesday

Day Trip to Cape Coast & Elmina to tour Cape Coast & Elmina Slave Castles
Tour Cape Coast University Campus

May 20 Wednesday 

Visit the Shai Hill Game Reserve and Cedi Bead Factory in Accra

May 21 Thursday

Overnight to Kumasi Tour – Visit Manhyia Palace Museum, as well as National Cultural Center and Prempeh II Jubilee Museum

May 22 Friday

Continue tour of Kumasi. Visit to Ashanti craft village, Ahwiaa, Ntonso, and Bonwire to learn about crafts, including wood carving, as well as Adinkra and Kente cloth weaving

May 23 Saturday 

Free day/ a day at the beach

May 24 Sunday

Depart for Cleveland

 

Estimated Program Fee

~$4,699* for all students and community members -or-
~$4,199*  for the first 15 qualifying applicants with a declared major within the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Program fee includes: 

  • Round-trip international airfare from Cleveland, OH to Accra, Ghana
  • Double occupancy hostel or 2 or 3 star accommodation
  • All meals in-country
  • All in-country ground transportation, tours, and entrance fees and lectures
  • Professional guide services
  • Tourist visa for entrance to Ghana (must be secured in official passport prior to departure and facilitated by CSU)
  • Mandatory Yellow Fever vaccination (~$400) facilitated by CSU at Passport Health 

Price does not include tuition for the 3 credit course (may be covered by the spring tuition-band), health insurance with international coverage (~$55),  U.S. passport ($145), incidentals, souvenirs, and obtaining a medical clearance to travel as part of the pre-departure requirements (available at the CSU Health and Wellness Center by appointment at 216-687-3649 in IM 205 the Center for Innovations in Medical Professions located at 2112 Euclid Ave room 205).

*The program fee may change due to increases in airfare and/ or the exchange rate.

Financial Aid

Students should contact or meet with a Financial Aid Specialist in the All-in-One Enrollment Services Office in BH 116 to ask about using Spring 2020 financial aid towards the program cost. Financial aid can be used except towards the mandatory $250 non-refundable program deposit made at the time of application.

Students may enroll in a budget payment plan (BPP) for spring 2020 through their CampusNet account. Enrollment in the BPP before the first payment due signifies a student's commitment to paying for the program fee in a timely manner.  Making the remaining BBP payments towards the program fee over the course of the spring semester is completely acceptable. Please contact the Office of Treasury Services if you have questions at allin1@csuohio.edu or 216.687.5411.

Students can also consider private loans through private lenders.  If you have any questions about your ability to cover the program expenses, these should be answered BEFORE you submit an application to participate.

 

Scholarships 

The Center for International Services and Programs offers a scholarship to all qualifying applicants.  Please complete the scholarship application by the revised deadline of Nov 30th  CISP General Study Abroad Scholarship .  

Another study abroad scholarship, the Darwin and Myra Gift Fund is also accepting applications and will be awarding multiple scholarships to qualifying applicants. Application deadline is also Nov 30th https://cispcsu.formstack.com/forms/smith.

If your major falls within the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, the Dean will award you and the other first 15 applicants a $500 discount on the Ghana program fee, bringng the program cost down to $4199. Additionally, students are urged to contact their faculty or program adviser  (CLASS majors only) to inquire about their assistance in applying for the Bonnie and Peter Raquet High Impact Learning Fund directly through the department. 

 
 
 

Eligibility

All majors are welcome to apply.  Applicants must:

  • be in good academic standing
  • have successfully completed at least two semesters at CSU if new first-year undergraduate or at least one semester if a transfer student
  • be in good financial standing
  • have no current sanctions or previous egregious sanctions as a result of being found in violation of the CSU Student Code of Conduct
Every participant on the CSU in Ghana Black Studies program must have a valid passport before January 1, 2020. If you do not have a passport by the start of the Spring semester, you will be removed from the program. 
 
If you already have a passport,  please check to make sure that your current passport is valid until at least December 2020. If it is not or if you need to apply for a new, first-time passport please do not delay in applying now. Passport applications generally take 4-6 weeks to process and cost $145. The Center for International Services and Programs (Berkman Hall 411) is happy to walk you step-by- step through the passport application process.  Schedule an appointment with a study abroad advisor by clicking here or call 216-687-3910. Passports are valid for 10 years so it's a good investment.
 
Community members who are eligible to enroll at CSU as non-degree students and enroll in the 1 credit section of the course are also welcome to apply. However, priority consideration will be given to current CSU students. Please contact Dr. Thomas Bynum about applying. 
 
Eligibility- Health and Safety 

Participants on the CSU in Ghana program must be able to receive an injection of the Yellow Fever vaccine which includes eggs. This vaccine is mandatory for travel to Ghana.  Anti-Malaria medication is strongly recommended but not required.  Additional vaccines are optional or recommended based on your health history. The Yellow Fever vaccine is required. For more information on medical standards please visit the  CDC's Traveler's Health website on Ghana or schedule an appointment with the CSU Health and Wellness Center located in the Center for Innovations in Medical Professions building located at 2112 Euclid Avenue in room 205 on the second floor by calling 216-687-3649. Currently, the Yellow Fever Vaccine is only available at Passport Health in Beachwood and will be included in the charged program fee. CSU will facilitate group processing of the required Yellow Fever vaccine. 

Before applying, we recommend that prospective participants consult their primary healthcare provider about their plans to travel to Ghana, which is a developing country. Program participants may be required to walk long distances in warm, humid conditions and on unstable ground without sidewalks.  Air conditioning and refrigeration (electricity) may be unreliable and using or drinking tap water for anything other than bathing is not recommended. Consuming only bottled water and food prepared especially for the group are requirements.

 
All applications will be reviewed by Dr. Thomas Bynum as well as by the Center for International Services and Programs (CISP).  There is a minimum of 10 participants required for the program. The application deadline is November 15.
 

Applications

Applications and deposits are make on-line through the links below and are due by November 15. Applications are not considered complete unless the $250 non-refundable deposit is also made. Please click through both links below:

DEPOSIT for CSU in GHANA NOW 
(pay the $250 non-refundable deposit that counts towards the total program fee); If you plan to pas the deposit at the Cashier's Desk in MC 115, please contact Julie Good for the account number to use for the deposit payment. 

APPLY for CSU in GHANA
(If you have any questions about your ability to cover the program expenses, these should be answered BEFORE you submit an application to participate)

Do I need a passport?
Every participant on the CSU in Ghana Black Studies program must have a valid passport before January 1, 2020. If you do not have a passport by the start of the Spring semester, you will be removed from the program. 
 
If you already have a passport,  please check to make sure that your current passport is valid until at least December 2020. If it is not or if you need to apply for a new, first-time passport please do not delay in applying now. Passport applications  generally take 4-6 weeks to process and cost $145. The Center for International Services and Programs (Berkman Hall 411) is happy to walk you step-by- step through the passport application process. Schedule an advising appointment with a  CSU study abroad advisor by clicking here or call 216-687-3910. Passports are valid for 10 years so it's a good investment.
 
Do I need a visa?

Probably; most people will require a visa stamped into their passport to enter Ghana. U.S. citizens must obtain a visa from the Ghana Embassy of Washington D.C. PRIOR to leaving for Ghana. Other nationalities may be able to secure a visa upon landing at the airport in Accra. The Center for International Services and Programs will be applying for Ghanian visas for all travelers. Travelers MUST turn over their passports, Yellow Fever vaccination card, and other visa support documentation to the CISP in a timely manner and before February 1 .

Questions?

Dr. Thomas Bynum -  Program Director
Black Studies Program, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences BH 137
t.l.bynum@csuohio.edu
216-687-3655

Julie Good- Manager of Education Abroad
Center for International Services and Programs- BH 411
j.a.good88@csuohio.edu
216-687-3910

All-in-One Enrollment Services - Financial aid questions- BH 116
allinone@csuohio.edu 
216-687-5411