University of Wisconsin–Madison
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UW Global Gateway in Ghana

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The Summer 2026 program in Ghana is funded in partnership with the UW-Madison Office of Student Financial Aid.
The Office of Experiential Learning, through the generous donations of their donors, provides funding for additional spaces for students in SESP and HIPs programs to participate in Summer 2026. 

Ghana, Legon

Limited Capacity Program: This program can accept a limited number of students each term. In the past we have received more qualified applications than available spots. Review of applicants is based on these criteria. You may only have one application per term, however, please have an alternate program in mind in the event that you are not accepted to this program.

Join a small group cohort of Badgers on this fully-funded summer program to Ghana! Led by UW Professors Gay Seidman and Heinz Klug, Global Gateway is a unique, engaging experience designed specially for first- and second-year UW students.

Through classroom learning, guided visits in Ghana, activities and excursions, students will consider how indigenous culture, colonial legacies, natural resources, and international pressures shape 'development' strategies. There is no language pre-requisite for this program. 

Each student selected for the program will receive a Global Gateway scholarship covering the program fee, including airfare!

Select applicants will be invited for an interview before final decisions are made. Accepted students will demonstrate a strong commitment to the program and its learning objectives, be an active participant while on the program, and help promote international education upon their return to UW-Madison. Both need and merit-based criteria will be taken into consideration.

This program is offered by UW-Madison in cooperation with CIEE and is funded in partnership with the UW-Madison Office of Student Financial Aid.

Global Gateway Learning Objectives 
Participants will be able to: 
Academic

  • Learn about, with, and from the communities in which they live and study
  • Ask culturally relevant questions
  • Make connections between academic content learned on campus and ideas generated on program
  • Engage with the course content and explore connections to their major

Professional

  • Explore career interests or goals for future planning
  • Develop and strengthen adaptability and flexibility
  • Expand worldview to engage in a globalized, interconnected world
  • Articulate how the soft skills they developed on their program experience helps shapes future goals

Personal

  • Cultivate empathy and cultural humility
  • Understand and navigate cultural and geographical differences
  • Reflect on personal values and assumptions
  • Build community with others

Explore additional UW Global Gateway Initiatives

Diversity & Inclusion

We are committed to providing quality study abroad and domestic study away programs for every UW-Madison student. We work strategically to identify, address, and remove barriers that may prevent participation and to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment for students. Our staff actively engages with students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds and prioritizes the continuous development of our knowledge and cultural competence. We also recognize the importance of increasing access to study abroad for historically underrepresented student populations. We are committed to diversity and inclusion so that every student can engage with and understand their identity through a new lens and continue to develop and make progress on their personal, professional, and academic goals.

Sustainability

We recognize that the future of study abroad, domestic study away, and international internship programming requires a Commitment to Sustainability. We are devoted to examining, developing, and improving sustainability in all our endeavors, aligning with campus priorities and following through with UW-Madison's climate action and Resilience Commitment. Join our efforts and learn more about how to study abroad sustainably.

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Eligibility

  • After applications have been reviewed, selected applicants will be asked to complete a virtual interview. Both application materials and interviews will be considered in acceptance decisions. 

    Must have a Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) on file. The Office of Student Financial Aid has information on how to complete your FAFSA.

    Preference will be given to students with a Student Aid Index (SAI) of $8,000 or less or being part of Bucky’s Pell Pathway program for the past or current academic year.

    Preference given to students who have not previously participated on a UW Study Abroad program.

    Students who have previously participated on a UW Global Gateway Program or received a UW Global Gateway Fellowship are not eligible to receive a second UW Global Gateway award.

  • Academic standing eligibility requirements are based on year in school (first or second year) and not on academic credits. Transfer students’ years of study are calculated by adding the years of study at previous institutions and total years at UW-Madison
  • 2.0 cumulative GPA
  • Freshman, Sophomore
  • Open to UW-Madison degree-seeking students only
  • Good academic and disciplinary standing
  • At the time of application and the semester prior to participation, UW-Madison students must be currently enrolled. Transfer Students to UW-Madison need to be currently enrolled at their home institution

Advising Location

Program Structure

UW Signature

Subjects

Classroom Language

English

Housing

Hotels

Program Duration

Summer: Late May –  mid June 2026

Application Deadline(s)

Summer 2026 1/23/2026 Cost Details

Future durations will be posted at a later date.

APPLY NOW

 

You will take one course while on the UW Global Gateway Program in Ghana. 

Global Social Problems in Ghana (3 credits) 

This course will be taught by Professors Gay Seidman and Heinz Klug. 

Visiting Ghana's vibrant cities, and its warm and welcoming rural communities, we will discuss different meanings of 'development', and explore some of the challenges faced by developing countries today. The course will explore topics directly related to Ghana’s history, and its present. The readings and discussions focus first on Ghana’s history, including its ancient history, the coastal slave trade, and colonialism, looking at how the region was reshaped first by the slave trade, and then by the British administration after slavery was abolished. We will then shift our focus to explore Ghana’s current challenges, including what the history means for current ‘diasporic tourism’ strategies, and also how this history has complicated efforts to improve public health,  education, and environmental protection, and how it continues to affect problems like persistent commodity dependence and ‘galamsey’ (illegal artisanal mining).

Course Equivalents

Use the links below to see a list of courses that past students have taken on this program and the UW equivalents. Note: This list only includes pre-approved courses for your program and may not be an exhaustive list of courses, departments or equivalents. Courses may not be available the semester you are abroad. You will receive instructions on the course equivalent process after acceptance. View Course Equivalents

Program Leader

Gay Seidman and Heinz Klug

Professors , Department of Sociology and University of Wisconsin Law School

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UW Global Gateway Summer Programs

Description

This scholarship is available to degree-seeking UW-Madison undergraduate students who are admitted to the UW Global Gateway study abroad program. 
For more information on program locations and details, visit the UW Global Gateway Initiative page. 

Each program provides a full scholarship, including airfare, for 15 students with demonstrated financial need (preference give to students with EFC under $12,000).

This prestigious scholarship was established by International Academic Programs, in partnership with the Office of Student Financial Aid, to introduce students to the issues of globalization and prepare students for success in an increasingly interconnected world.

Award Amount
Full scholarship plus airfare

Eligibility Criteria
How to Apply

Interested students should apply for the UW Global Gateway Program of their choice by the application deadline. 

IAP Gilman Incentive

Description
IAP will provide a guaranteed $1000 scholarship to students applying to the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for the first time and meet the Gilman's scholarship eligibility requirements and application deadlines.

Students can only receive the IAP Gilman Incentive one time in their academic career. No additional application to IAP is needed and our staff will notify recipients after the Gilman scholarship deadline. Award Amount
$1000

How to Apply
For more information and to apply, visit the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship website. No additional application is needed for the IAP Gilman Incentive award. Students can only receive the IAP Gilman Incentive one time.

IAP WISc Scholarship

Description

This scholarship was established by International Academic Programs (IAP) to assist undergraduate student participants in the Wisconsin International Scholars (WISc) Program with building their global competence and citizenship skills, which is the core goal of the WISc Program.  Each WISc Scholar is eligible to receive scholarships as follows: 

1) 1 scholarship of $2500 toward participation on a short-term study abroad program duration (winter intersession, spring break, or summer), and

2) 1 scholarship of $4000 toward participation on a semester program OR 1 $6000 towards a year long program.

These scholarships can be used for students attending any approved UW-Madison study abroad program. 

Award Amount
$2500-$6000

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible for student participants of the Wisconsin International Scholars (WISc) Program at UW-Madison.

How to Apply

Students apply through the WISc Scholar Travel Grant application.