PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO THE VARIABLE NATURE OF THE COVID-19 GLOBAL PANDEMIC, THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ACCEPTANCE TO SIT!
We are pleased to welcome you to SIT’s Graduate Institute and are excited that you will begin the Diplomacy and International Relations Global Master’s program soon. Everyone at SIT, faculty and staff alike, is looking forward to working with you. Please read through the information provided on this pre-program information page carefully. If you have any questions, please contact your admissions officer directly or [email protected].
Program Chair Welcome Letter
Program Chair Welcome Letter
Read the welcome letter from Bruce W. Dayton, PhD, Chair and Associate Professor, Goran Jovanovic, PhD, Co-Chair and Affiliated Faculty for Switzerland, and Imraan Buccus, PhD, Associate Chair for South Africa.
Program Dates
Program Dates
Preparing for Your Program
Preparing for Your Program
Student Health, Safety & Wellbeing Services
Student Health, Safety & Wellbeing Services
Health Form
SIT Graduate Institute is committed to the health and safety of all program participants. Through our years of experience, we have found that preparation, prevention, and communication are key to keeping students healthy and safe.
A health review will occur for all admitted students prior to departure. Download the full health form packet here. Both forms (outlined below) are due by June 15th for admits to global master’s programs.
Part I: Personal Health History & Authorization Form: To be completed through your confirmation materials portal upon admission. Students are strongly encouraged to fully disclose their health history so we can prepare you properly for your experience, make any necessary special arrangements, and in some cases, assess whether there may be any health reasons why you should consider another program.
Part II: Health Report & Examination: To be completed by your medical provider based on an exam conducted within 12 months prior to the program start date. Once complete, the form can be uploaded through your confirmation materials portal, emailed to [email protected], or faxed directly by your provider to 802-258-3509.
Additional supplemental medical or mental health forms may be requested by the Student Health Office. If you have any significant medical or mental health history, we recommend scheduling an appointment with your treating provider as soon as possible to have the applicable supplemental form completed. If this applies to you, we also encourage you to contact our Student Health Office as early as possible to help us understand your needs and to best support you in preparing for your program.
This information is kept confidential and provided to our in-country program directors to assist them with planning for any serious medical conditions and to facilitate emergency healthcare needs that may arise during the program. A member of SIT’s staff may contact students to discuss program realities and to clarify expectations.
Health Insurance
SIT Graduate Institute provides students with accident and illness coverage for the international components of your program. Please note that this coverage is not in effect for any medical expenses incurred in the US. It covers you from the time you arrive to your program site until your program ends at that site. Therefore, we highly recommend that you maintain your ongoing coverage in the US, if applicable.
SIT does not provide dental coverage or property loss insurance. We encourage you to purchase personal property insurance independently.
Student Support Services
SIT places the highest priority on each student’s safety, security, and health. During orientation in each country, our staff will provide the resources and knowledge needed for a safe and productive academic experience in each location. SIT provides student support through both in-country staff and staff and resources in Brattleboro, Vermont. Detailed information about health, wellness, and mental health resources in each location will be delivered during your in-country orientation.
Flight, Visa & Passport Information
Flight, Visa & Passport Information
Program Sites
Program Sites
The program takes place in multiple sites around Washington, DC, with seminar space at the headquarters of SIT’s parent organization, World Learning, which is a five-minute walk from the White House. Students visit agencies and organizations such as the United States Agency for International Development; the Department of Defense; the United Nations Foundation; the United States Institute of Peace; the Nature Conservancy; and the Alliance for Peacebuilding.
Durban, South Africa
The third most populous city in South Africa, Durban is on the east coast along the Indian Ocean and is an ideal launching site for excursions to Johannesburg and Cape Town. With a rich fusion of African, western, and Asian influences, Durban is one of South Africa’s most cosmopolitan cities. The SIT Program Centre in Durban is located in The Atrium, an office complex attached to a small shopping center. It is close to the city center, and the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN – Howard College Campus) is five minutes away. The program site has beautiful, panoramic views of the city skyline, harbor, and ocean.
Nyon, Switzerland
This program is based in Nyon in the beautiful Lake Geneva Riviera region. The classroom is situated on the third floor of an office building located five minutes from the local train station and next to a main shopping mall in downtown Nyon. The SIT center includes a large, well-lit classroom equipped with a large screen, wifi, and a library/study room. There is a spacious terrace accessible from the library, which is open to students on break and in good weather. From Nyon, it takes 15 minutes by train to get to downtown Geneva. Trains from Nyon to Geneva run every 15 minutes and the Swiss transport network is well connected to other towns such as Gland, Morges and Lausanne.
Housing
Housing
Registering for Classes
Registering for Classes
Dear Student,
Congratulations on your acceptance to the School for International Training (SIT) Graduate Institute! As Registrar, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to our community.
The registrar’s office staff are happy to support you in your academic career with all that concerns course registration, enrollment certification, veterans’ benefits, grades, academic policy, degree audits, transcripts, application to graduate, and issuance of diplomas.
Approximately two weeks prior to the beginning of your first term of enrollment, I will send more detailed information to you via your SIT email address about when and in which courses you should register, rather than overwhelm you with information now. In the meantime, I invite you to familiarize yourself with Colleague Self-Service, the online interface with Colleague, our Student Information System, which you will use to register for classes, consult your course schedule, final grades, tuition bill and financial aid, and progress toward graduation.
Should you have any questions, please never hesitate to contact us. We are happy to help!
Ginny Nellis, Registrar
Office: 802-258-3283
Cheryl Haskins, Associate Registrar
Office: 802.258.3582
Academic and Technical Support
Academic and Technical Support
The following support services will be available to you as soon as your program begins.
Support
Mango Languages is a service available to all current SIT students, faculty, and staff. Mango Languages provides access to more than 70 foreign language courses and 17 English as a Second Language (ESL) courses.
Academic Writing Support
The Online Writing Center is available to all Graduate Institute students who are working on course and degree related writing projects. Students can work one-on-one with a trained writing coach to receive objective, constructive feedback on their writing projects at any stage of development by scheduling a synchronous or asynchronous appointment with the Online Writing Center at https://sit.mywconline.net.
Library Services: The Donald B. Watt Library provides access to electronic resources including e-books, journals, online databases, and DigitalCollections@SIT, which include selected Graduate Capstone Papers, MA TESOL Independent Professional Projects (IPP), and Undergraduate Independent Study Projects (ISP). In addition to these resources, our professional librarians provide both real time and asynchronous general reference consultations, database navigation and research assistance, citation management instruction, and liaison with other libraries to obtain outside materials via Interlibrary Loan. For library hours, collection access, or to schedule an appointment please visit us at http://library.sit.edu or contact us at [email protected].
Canvas Support
SIT’s Online Courses: Canvas
URL: https://sitedu.instructure.com/login/canvas
Online courses at SIT utilize the learning management system called Canvas. In Canvas, students interact with online learning environments created by their instructors. Canvas is a secure and integrated system that can be used to review syllabi, watch embedded video, post in forum discussions, and submit assignments.
Canvas Username Recovery/Password Resets
For Canvas support issues or questions, please send an email to: [email protected]. To reset Canvas passwords, click HERE and select “Forgot Password?”.
Technical Support
For technical issues or questions, please send an email to [email protected].
Career Services
Career Services
SIT offers a variety of services to help students explore their career options, develop their professional networks, build their job seeker skills, and connect them with internship and job opportunities. Learn more here.