Stellenbosch, South Africa Academics
Courses
Summer students, see the summer section below for all summer program information.
Semester Students: Stellenbosch University is historically an Afrikaans institution. However, the languages of instruction at Stellenbosch are Afrikaans and English. International students typically enroll in the courses taught in English due to not being fluent in Afrikaans. If you are fluent in Afrikaans, you are able to enroll in those units. Stellenbosch is AACSB accredited.
Students will choose courses offered in the Global Education Program (GEP) and mainstream courses from various academic departments. Stellenbosch encourages students to select a few courses from each option to find a nice variety and to engage with local students.
GEP Courses:
- Offered just for international students.
- All are taught in English.
- Subjects are very limited and focus on Afrikaans language and South African history and culture.
Mainstream Courses:
- These are taught by academic departments and students are integrated with local/other international students.
- Not all are taught in English.
- Not all are open to international students.
- Most degrees are 3 year degrees so 2nd and 3rd year courses may have pre-requisites that you need to meet before enrolling in them. Any pre-requisites are listed in course descriptions.
When looking at Stellenbosch courses, to better understand their numbering system, keep in mind:
- The 5-digit code = the department the course is offered in
- The 3-digit code = when the course is offered & at what level
- 1st digit = level
- 2nd digit = when offered
- 1, 2, 3 = first semester which is UWEC's spring semester
- 4, 5, 6 = second semester which is UWEC's fall semester
- 3rd digit has no meaning
- Example: 12084-214
- 12084 = the Department of Economic Management
- 214 = second year level course offered in the first semester (UWEC's spring)
Credits & Course Load
Semester Students- Students are required to carry a full course load of 60 South African credits/semester.
- 4 South African credits = 1 UWEC credit
- Most Stellenbosch courses are worth 15 Stellenbosch credits (3.75 UWEC)
- UWEC students earn 15 UWEC credits
How to Find Courses at Stellenbosch
Semester students can view course options for the GEP and Mainstream on Stellenbosch's website. To find course catalogs, click on "The Online Yearbook" link in the middle of that page.How Courses Come Back to UWEC
To find courses that have been evaluated, go to the Transfer Wizard site by clicking here.- Choose South Africa, then click "Search"
- Click on Stellenbosch Univ
- Click "Search" again. All courses that have been evaluated for UWEC credit will appear.
Please remember that the transfer wizard is a historical record. There is NO guarantee that the same courses will be offered in the future or that they will be offered during the term in which you will be abroad. It is very important to use the current Stellenbosch offerings site along with the transfer wizard. Using only the transfer wizard may result in inaccurate course knowledge.
Summer Program Academics
The academic programs consist of lectures, group discussions and field trips. They are taught by Stellenbosch University faculty and other South African experts. Historically, courses have not changed dramatically from one summer to the next. UWEC students can choose from one of the three program options to take during the summer school program. The UWEC equivalencies for summer 2019 are listed below, 2021 will be available fall 2020. Course descriptions and outlines for each course are available on the Stellenbosch University website.Option 1: General Elective Programme:
The lectures cover a variety of topics, including History, Politics, Economics, Philosophy, Art, Literature, Marketing, Geo- and Bio Diversity and Sociology. The term is divided into 3 blocks. During each block, students take one class. During the first block all students take the mandatory Introduction to South Africa's Political History. In the next blocks students can choose two classes from a list of possible electives. Students take three classes for a total of six U.S. credits. Each class is worth 2 U.S. credits.
Elective One:
Required: Introduction to South Africa's Political History = GE 3 upper division elective or LE-K2,R2
Note: If you would like the course to count as a History or Political Science elective, you will need to talk with department chair when you are back to have the "Elective" changed to Pols or Hist prefix. You will also need to request that appropriate chair designate that the course as fulfilling foreign culture.)
Note: If you would like the course to count as a History or Political Science elective, you will need to talk with department chair when you are back to have the "Elective" changed to Pols or Hist prefix. You will also need to request that appropriate chair designate that the course as fulfilling foreign culture.)
Elective Two 2019 options:
You will choose one class from those listed within this section. (IMPORTANT: A minimum of 5 students must register for a course before it can be offered).
- Bio-Diversity: Plants for the People of the Western Cape = BIOL upper division elective, GE 2 or LE-K1
- Visual Controversies in South Africa, Past and Present = CJ upper division elective
- Transitional Justice = under review
- Growth, Unemployment and Inequality in South Africa = ECON upper division elective, GE 3 or LE-K2
- Multilingualism and Intercultural Communication = CJ 301
- Equity and Leadership in the Global Classroom = under review
Elective Three 2019 options:
You will choose one class from those listed in this section (IMPORTANT: A minimum of 5 students must register for a course before it can be offered).
- Marketing = MKTG 330
- Present Imperfect: Negotiating Identities in Film and Literature = ENGL 330
- Understanding HIV in South Africa: A Health & Social Justice Perspective = SW 491
- Ethics, Science and Culture in Philosophical Perspective = PHIL 291
- China in Africa = under review
- Biomedical Engineering: Designing Solutions for African Health = under review
Option 2: Doing Business in Southern Africa Programme
This course aims to help students investigate the unique institutional and policy conditions in Southern African countries which will not only allow future entrepreneurs and managers to understand the challenges that will confront their businesses, but also allow them to identify the opportunities that this rapidly growing region offers. Note: Business studies background is recommended, although not a requirement
The classes you will take are:
- Introduction to South Africa's Political History (2 USA credits) = GE 3 upper division elective, or LE-K2R2
- Doing Business in Southern Africa (5 USA credits) = BSAD upper division elective
Option 3: Public Health Programme
This course introduces students to the health care system in South Africa and takes a thematic approach. The course includes an experiential component that introduces students to health care facilities in the Western Cape Province.
The classes you will take are:
The classes you will take are:
- Introduction to South Africa's Political History (2 USA credits) = GE 3 upper division elective, or LE-K2R2
- Public Health (5 USA credits) = ENPH upper division elective
Grade Conversion
All grades you earn at Stellenbosch will count in your UWEC GPA; you cannot take courses pass/fail. The grades will appear on your UW-Eau Claire transcript using the conversion scale below, approved by the UWEC Registrar’s Office. This scale is non-negotiable.| Stellenbosch Grade | UWEC Grade |
|---|---|
| 75-100 | A |
| 70-74 | A- |
| 60-69 | B |
| 56-59 | B- |
| 50-55 | C |
| 0-49 | F |