SIT Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program

The SIT Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program provides recent college graduates the opportunity to earn graduate credit while gaining international field experience focused on a critical global issue. Through SIT's extensive in-country networks, participants enjoy full cultural immersion and a rich level of access to a wide array of experts engaged in innovative projects in the student’s chosen topic area.  Students are strongly encouraged to undertake work that would benefit a local community while furthering their own professional development.

Programs by Country
The SIT Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program is currently available in the following locations:

CHILE Sustainable Development; Global Health; Education
GHANA Arts; Health Systems; Education
INDIA Social Entrepreneurship; Sustainable Development; Human Rights
SWITZERLAND International Multilateral Organizations
BOTSWANA Sustainable Development; Alternative Energy
OMAN Middle Eastern and Gulf Studies

Program Objectives
The SIT Post-Baccalaureate Certificate program is designed to enhance a recent college graduate's credentials for graduate school and provide participants valuable knowledge, field experiences, and advanced skills valued in a range of professions in the non-profit, government, public, and private sectors.

Core Features

  • Students are able to select from one of two options, a research-focused field practicum or community engagement experience.
  • Students benefit from SIT's extensive networks, gaining access to well established networks in-country. 
  • Program participants are assisted and supported by SIT staff. Each student is assigned an academic advisor who serves as mentor and tutor utilizing all local academic resources to enhance the intellectual experience of the student.
  • Students complete their certificates by participating in a week-long evaluation period which includes a two to three day on-line Global Symposium that brings together Certificate candidates from all SIT post-baccalaureate certificate programs.
  • Depending on the country selected, students live in homestays and may have the opportunity to take language courses and participate in regional educational excursions (at an additional cost to the participant).

Research-Focused Field Practicum
The practicum is designed to give students professional field experience by working for and learning about an organization.  Features of this option include:

  • Gaining practical experience by working with a local community organization doing part time work of interest to the student that is within a broad program topic.
  • Completing a substantial piece of original research that is both of benefit to the organization where the student is placed and is of particular interest to the student. This research could be the continuation or advancement of a senior thesis, an honor’s thesis, an SIT Independent Study Project, or another original research topic.
  • Working under the supervision of a local academic advisor with whom students meet on a regular basis to study advanced research methods and discuss research progress, field notes, practicum details, and obtain ongoing feedback.

Browse the Post-Baccalaureate Research Papers

Community Engagement Experience
A community engagement placement allows students to work full time on a community-based project.

  • Students are placed either in a community or community-based organization and spend their time working on a local project that is in progress or is in the planning stage and is of interest to the student.
  • The student will work under the supervision of a local academic advisor to complete a graduate paper that draws upon their community engagement work to explore a critical global issue in the local context.
  • Students are expected to keep a journal of the experience.

The SIT Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program is currently available in:
CHILE GHANA INDIA SWITZERLAND BOTSWANA OMAN