The Summer 2027 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.
Talk to a representative for this program at the Study Abroad Fair.
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 Program Leader Soeren Henn, 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 trace five centuries of African development across Ghana, from precolonial kingdoms to one of Africa's most vibrant democracies, combining history, politics, and economics along the way. 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 shape 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 2027: Late May – mid JuneApplication Deadline(s)
| Summer 2027 | 1/22/2027 | 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.
Ghana and the Making of Modern Africa: Institutions, Power, and Development (3 credits)
This course will be taught by Soeren Henn.
How does Africa's past shape its present — and why do the familiar stories about poverty and dysfunction explain so little? This course examines African political and economic development over the long run, with Ghana as a living case study. We begin with the organizing principles of precolonial African societies, studying the Ashanti kingdom as a case of homegrown state formation, then trace the collision of those social orders with the Atlantic slave trade and European colonial rule. From there we turn to the postcolonial era: Nkrumah's developmental state, the cycle of coups and democratic transitions that followed, and Ghana's emergence as one of West Africa's most stable democracies. Throughout, scholarly debates are tested against what you see on the ground — in a traditional chief's court, in Ghana's parliament, in a Kumasi market. Readings pair social science with two novels of Ghanaian history, Ayi Kwei Armah's The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born and Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing.
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
Soeren Henn
Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science