Spring 2020 Coronavirus FAQs

As students transition home from across the globe, SIT Study Abroad and the CDC are recommending that every student self-quarantine upon arrival home for 14 days and practice social distancing. Should you become symptomatic, please contact your local medical practitioner for medical advice. SIT Study Abroad asks that all students refer to and follow CDC guidance upon return after travel at this time. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/after-travel-precautions.html

• The CDC provides these tips for how to protect your home.
• Please see this link from SITs consulting physician: Your Guide To Self-Isolation And Quarantine.

Yes, if a student is not feeling well, they should inform their academic or program director, who may refer them to a known local provider. A student can also contact iSOS for referrals to providers and hospitals.

This decision is up to local medical practitioners. If they require or provide a test, then we suggest you take their advice. If you have questions, please contact SIT student affairs or iSOS.

In the midst of a global pandemic, we at SIT are disturbed by ongoing reports of anti-Asian racism related to COVID-19 in the United States and beyond since this crisis began. SIT is committed to building an inclusive educational experience for all of our students as our programs shift in response to the pandemic. We know that times of crisis often exacerbate societal inequities. To our students of Asian descent, we stand with you and are here to support you. We encourage you to reach out for support about your experiences, fears, or concerns to your program staff or to SIT Student Affairs. Together, we will get through this.

Also, please see Stop AAPI Hate (a national organization collecting reports of Anti-Asian racism)

As we continue to observe the unfolding global health crisis, for student who opt to withdraw or defer prior to their program’s departure, during this time all $400 deposits can be refunded prior to program start dates for SIT summer and fall. Programs that carry a $2,500 deposit (Argentina: People, Environment, and Climate Change in Patagonia and Antarctica and all International Honors Program offerings) will follow our regular deposit refund policy for withdrawals. For programs with $2,500 deposits, enrolled students who withdraw prior to 90 days before the start of the program forfeit one-half of the acceptance deposit ($1,250). After that time, no refunds of the $2,500 acceptance deposit will be given.

Students who withdraw or defer prior to the start of their program for any reason will receive a refund on their tuition, room and board payments, less non-refundable $50 application fee.

Foreign consulates may require students to have a ticket /reservation/ proof of flight itinerary as part of their visa application process. SIT encourages students to consider travel insurance and carrier refund policies when booking flights.

Alternatively, if you chose to defer your enrollment to a 2021 term, your $50 application fee and non-refundable enrollment deposit will be credited to your new application, however deferrals from program with a $2500 deposit will follow the deposit refund schedule outlined above. If you decide to defer your application to a 2021 term, you will be required to submit updated transcripts and home college/university approval forms.

If we do make the difficult decision to modify or suspend any SIT program prior to departure, with the support of your home college/university, we will work with you to find another program that fits your interests. If we suspend a program prior to departure and you don’t enroll in another program for that term, we will refund all direct payment to SIT, less your non-refundable $50 application fee.

As you book your flights, we encourage you to purchase Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) insurance plans. You should compare plans and ask questions to be sure the trip insurance policy you purchase covers your needs. Here is an FAQ about CFAR policies and a place where you can search for them. Please note that SIT does not have a direct relationship with these sites and providers.

Some countries may also restrict flights entering from countries with level 3 or 4 travel warnings. Students should review their itineraries to ensure their destination is currently accepting arrivals from the countries on your purchased flight itinerary. If you have questions, please consult your SIT Admissions Counselor at 1-800-272-7881 inside the U.S. or 1-802-258-3212 outside the U.S. to review any questions related to your travel plans as you prepare to book travel.

If we decide that a program cannot continue in its current location, an alternative would be sought that allows students to maintain their enrollment for the semester and avoid disruption to their academic trajectory, either by moving the program, offering students the opportunity to continue their studies on another SIT program or complete coursework online. When considering moving the program location or transferring students, SIT often covers all related transitional expenses. If a student decides to discontinue enrollment on their own accord, the voluntary withdrawal refund procedures would apply. Regarding federal and state financial aid, private loans, foundation sponsored or institutional grants and scholarships, students should check with their home school financial aid office for specific information.

If a student who resides outside of the U.S. is unable to participate in one of our programs, either in the U.S. or abroad, because their government prohibits them from leaving their home country or because the program host country government prohibits them from entering, SIT will refund all monies paid directly to SIT. If there is still a perceived concern 30 days prior to departure, please call our Admissions Office at 1-800-272-7881 inside the U.S. or 1-802-258-3212 outside the U.S. and we can work together to decide how best to proceed.

Given this dynamic situation, we will be in close communication with enrolling students as we plan for the coming semesters. Contact our Admissions Office at 1-800-272-7881 inside the U.S. or 1-802-258-3212 outside the U.S. or [email protected] We would be glad to answer your questions.

To access current advisories through the CDC, please reference this page.

CDC’s education and outreach materials available in English and Spanish can be found here.

To access advisories through the U.S. Department of State, please reference this page.

Because of the COVID-19 global pandemic, SIT has suspended independent travel for all Spring 2021 programs. SIT defines “independent travel” as travel that is independently organized by a student or students, is unrelated to program activities, and involves an overnight stay.

We aim to have online instruction available seven to 10 days from the time students arrive home. The type of online instruction students receive will be program-specific and considers a variety of factors, including at what point in the program’s coursework the student left the program and returned home. It will allow students to complete all remaining course requirements to earn their credits and not interfere with enrollment status, financial aid, or satisfactory academic progress.

Read our SIT Online welcome letter to learn more.

SIT is following recent federal guidance that defines distance learning as substantive, regular communication from instructors to students (individually or collectively) using an array of technology tools. You can expect to receive specific information of how your program will continue online from your Academic or Program Director.

In adapting the program to an online learning environment, your Academic or Program Director has wide latitude to modify the course schedule, curriculum, and assignments as appropriate for course completion and achievement of student learning outcomes. As no two SIT Study Abroad and IHP programs are identical under ordinary circumstances, we expect no two programs to be identical under extraordinary circumstances.

Students enrolled in language courses through a third-party provider, such as an in-country university, may continue their language learning online through self-guided instruction on the Mango platform, which is available through the SIT Library. Your academic or program director has more information about how to do this.

SIT is tracking online continuation and communicating with institutional representatives in accordance to FERPA guidelines.

Yes. SIT’s senior academic leadership has reviewed our policies in response to the present situation and decided to make a temporary modification to our grading policy. Considering the importance of GPA calculations for students and their home institutions, SIT will continue to issue letter grades for courses in accordance with our published policies. To allow necessary flexibility, students may opt to convert letter grades to a non-graded scheme, Satisfactory/Not Satisfactory, on a course-by-course basis. Students will have seven business days after the date final grades are posted to make this request in writing to their Academic or Program Director. We strongly advise students to consult with their home institution for guidance on transfer of credit, GPA calculation, and other implications of changing grading schemes.

Students can request a change in grading scheme from letter grades to Satisfactory (S) / Not Satisfactory (NS). A Satisfactory grade is an A to a D- (d-minus) and a Not Satisfactory grade is an F (failing). Students can choose to change the grading option for any one or all courses by following these steps:

Step One:
Because letter grades are linked to transfer of credit, GPA calculation, and/or student standing, consult with the appropriate representative from your home institution. This person will be your study abroad advisor, academic advisor, or member of the registrar’s office. As institutional policies vary, you need to be knowledgeable of the potential consequences of changing grading schemes at your home institution.

For example, some colleges and universities will not accept non-letter grades for credit; however, some may allow students to convert an SIT letter grade to their alternate grading scheme for spring 2020. As the change from letter grades to Satisfactory / Not Satisfactory cannot be reversed, it is important that you seek guidance to make an informed decision.

Step Two:
Inform your academic or program eirector of your intent to change your grading scheme. They will provide you the Satisfactory / Not Satisfactory Grade Declaration Form and inform you of the deadline to submit the form to SIT. Your academic or program director can also answer questions you may have about the grade change policy and process.

Step Three:
Complete the Satisfactory / Not Satisfactory Grade Declaration Form and submit it to [email protected]. This form must be submitted within seven (7) business days after the date final grades are posted on WebAdvisor. If you do not recall your WebAdvisor log-in credentials, click on the “What’s my password?” and “What’s my user ID?” links. If you need a password reset, contact [email protected].

Note: SIT transcripts will be sent to your home universities six to eight weeks after the program end date, but you will be able to see them on WebAdvisor once they have been posted.

Yes. Typically, SIT Study Abroad does not permit students to voluntarily withdraw from an individual course. Because SIT Study Abroad programs are designed such that credit is granted for the completion of the entire semester, individual courses cannot be dropped. However, in response to the disruption to programming caused by COVID-19, we are permitting students to withdraw from ISP / Internship and receive credit for all other completed courses. Please note that withdrawing from ISP / Internship may have serious consequences on academic standing, financial aid, scholarships, and insurance. For these reasons, we strongly recommend students seek academic advisement prior to withdrawing from ISP / Internship.

Withdrawing from an essential program component is an important decision that should not be made without proper academic advising. Students are strongly encouraged to discuss their concerns with completing ISP / Internship remotely with their Academic Director and their academic advisor from their home institution. Students also have the opportunity to consult with Meghan Devine at SIT, who is available to discuss the implications of reducing course load.

When deciding to withdraw from ISP / Internship, students must also communicate their intentions with the education abroad office at their home institution to receive approval. Upon receiving this approval, students need to convey their request in writing to their Academic Director, attaching the supporting written documentation from their home institution.

Yes. In accordance with SIT policy, if a student is considering withdrawing from a program, or from ISP / Internship as the present situation permits, the student must contact their home institution to discuss possible implications for credit transfer or the student’s standing at that institution. We require students to provide written confirmation from their home institution that the voluntary withdrawal has been approved.

Students should neither rush nor delay this decision but consider it carefully and with guidance from their home institution and SIT. The last day to withdraw from ISP / Internship is the start date of the course. Students should be familiar with the revised course schedule and communicate with their Academic Director to confirm start dates.

No. If, upon careful consideration and in consultation with their academic advisor from their home institution, a student petitions to withdraw from an essential course, they typically receive a “W” on their transcript in accordance with standard procedures. Although a “W” carries no negative connotations regarding academic performance and is not calculated in GPA, we understand that many students are distressed by having a “W” on their transcript. With respect to these highly unusual circumstances, SIT will be handling withdrawal from ISP / Internship for spring 2020 programs as though the course was dropped during a traditional Add / Drop period. The course will not appear on the official transcript and no notation will be recorded on the student’s academic record.

No. Because SIT Study Abroad programs are designed such that credit is granted for the completion of the entire semester, individual courses cannot be dropped. The exception to withdraw from ISP / Internship is not extended to other courses. Each course has intrinsic value in its own right and as part of the larger program. Our goal is to maintain program integrity and achieve course learning outcomes as instruction transitions to the online learning environment.

In addition to the loss of learning opportunities, discontinuing instruction has pragmatic drawbacks as well. For many students, the reduced credit load would change their status from full-time to part-time students. This change of status has immediate implications, including potential negative impacts on academic standing, financial aid, scholarships, and insurance.

For these reasons and more, we are restricting course withdrawals to ISP / Internship. If a student has extenuating circumstances that inhibit their ability to participate in the online learning environment beyond the COVID-19 disruption experienced by all students, they may petition to withdraw from additional courses by writing to their Academic or Program Director. Such requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Academic Dean.

This crisis management structure is designed to ensure that information is reported in a timely manner and that any incident classified as a crisis is escalated promptly to our team of experts, who are tasked with risk assessment and response.

Our Risk Assessment Committee and COVID-19 Task Force conduct daily assessments of the spread of the virus and related travel restrictions. Around the clock, we monitor the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. State Department, International SOS, and local health advisories and government communiques.

We rely on a variety of sources for actual or potential risk to students and staff, including the U.S. State Department travel advisories, daily Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) news summaries, International SOS and AIG risk alerts, Centers for Disease Control information, TRAVEX, local health ministries and other government sources, as well as global and local news sources. We also rely heavily on our staff teams on the ground to provide proactive updates about issues of concern and potential impact to our students and site. Our staff, in turn, rely on local program networks, including local authorities, U.S. embassy services, and informal sources.

Our first priority is the safety of our students, faculty, staff, and partners. As we have been since January, when news of this new virus first emerged, we are monitoring this situation around the clock and from multiple perspectives and platforms. We have modified programs most closely impacted by this situation and we are standing by to make additional changes and modifications as necessary.

World Learning’s F. Gordon Boyce Student Emergency Fund, established three decades ago in honor of the former president of SIT to assist our students in these situations, will be used to help us cover some of the unanticipated costs.

All programs have developed location-specific COVID-19 plans that include an assessment of precautions taken, mechanisms in place, and planning for a range of scenarios. Our experts at World Learning headquarters in Washington, DC, and Vermont, in consultation with sources from the Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization, the U.S. State Department, and International SOS, will coordinate overall management of the situation and work with local response teams as necessary. Local response teams have been trained to serve in a contingency capacity at any field location. They are responsible for initial response, assistance, and containment of the situation in coordinating with experts at World Learning headquarters

Our decision to modify a program depends on many rapidly changing factors including program location, laws in place in each country, and applicable travel restrictions. Because we have numerous programs around the world, our teams have thus far been able to respond quickly and nimbly to this rapidly changing situation. It’s important to note that this type of response is not new to our organizations. We have addressed multiple challenges over the course of our more than 80-year history as providers of international education, global exchange, and development.

SIT adheres closely to the Forum on Education Abroad Standards of Good Practice, specifically, Standard 8, which states:

• The organization prioritizes health, safety, and security in program development, implementation, and management, conducting appropriate risk assessments for program sites and activities, maintaining written emergency plans and protocols, and identifying and leveraging relevant authorities, networks and resources.
• Staff are trained to anticipate and respond responsibly to student health, safety, or security issues; students are trained to responsibly manage their own health, safety, and security while abroad; and measures are in place for ongoing monitoring of and advising on health, safety, and security issues through a range of U.S. Department of State and other appropriate resources.
• The organization maintains appropriate kinds of insurance at recommended levels, operates in compliance with local laws, and follows best practices in reporting on critical incidents.

As you book your flights, we encourage you to purchase Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) insurance plans. You should compare plans and ask questions to be sure the trip insurance policy you purchase covers your needs.

Unless SIT decides to close a program location, the cost to return home is the student’s responsibility. Some schools are offering stipends to help with that cost; the student should check with their home institution. Also, many airlines have eliminated change fees or are providing more flexibility due to the current circumstances.

The safety and security of students is our number one priority. On programs where students made their own travel arrangements, we recommend starting the process by contacting the travel agency or airline that issued the ticket. If your return ticket can’t be modified and a new ticket needs to be issued, SIT representatives will provide support in getting a new ticket. Please contact them at [email protected]

SIT cannot permit independent travel to or in any CDC level 3 country. Any violation of this policy will result in disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from the program. Upon return, students who violate the policy will also be required to pay for alternative lodging accommodations due to COVID-19 social distancing requirements. This accommodation must be approved by SIT. 

While outside of the United States and within the original program dates, students are covered by our travel insurance program through International SOS. Their iSOS coverage ends upon arrival back to the U.S. or on the last day of the program location closing (which will occur on a date after programming ends and students have been given a reasonable period of time to leave; you will be provided with this date), whichever is earlier. Once in the U.S., students no longer have coverage through iSOS. All students have been asked to maintain health insurance in the U.S. for this and other reasons.

Coverage ends on arrival in their home country or end of the program, whichever comes first.  

The novel coronavirus has created an unprecedented global crisis that has seriously impacted every single one of us over the past few months. SIT is a nonprofit organization with infrastructure and a network of staff, faculty and families across more than 50 countries. All are part of the SIT community throughout the year and all are there to support you on your study abroad experience. Our campus in Brattleboro, Vermont, houses the admissions team who worked with you, our marketing group, IT specialists, librarians and all the other integral support for our academic programs. The strength of this group in Vermont and across the world means that we are now able to transition to the online experience. Those who would have taught you and cared for you are still with us and looking forward to working with you in this very different format.    

SIT is offering online completion of all programs, enabling students to earn full credit for the semester. We expect this to begin seven to 10 days after you arrive home. Students who choose to withdraw from a program are eligible for a refund according to our published refund schedule. If a student opts for "Early Departure" and leaves the program having completed some but not all the components, taking a grade of Withdrawal (W) in one or more courses, the student is not eligible for a refund. We know that choosing whether to withdraw or go online is a big decision for your academic and financial future, and each case can differ given that we have varying types of agreements with your schools. For that reason, we have set-up a support service to talk through your individual situation. Please contact SIT University Relations Manager, Meghan Devine ([email protected]).

SIT aims to reimburse change fees for students’ flight from the program location to their final destination if your program closed, and you left due to that closure. If you have needed to buy a new flight in these same circumstances, SIT also aims to compensate you up to $1,000. In case of ticket change or new ticket purchase, we will only reimburse for the same cabin level or lower than your original flight.

Please send all ticket change fee receipts or new ticket receipts and original and new travel itineraries to Lynn Meyer, SIT Budget Assistant: [email protected], within 14 days from completing travel (or 14 days from the date of this letter). In the subject line of the email please write: “[SIT country and program name]: airfare reimbursement.” Please note: We may ask for further information before a final decision on your reimbursement.

Unfortunately, if you choose to leave the program country after the end of all SIT Study Abroad program services on March 24, 2020, we are not able to offer reimbursement for any fees associated with leaving the country. If a student cannot leave the program country, then program services in that country will remain open and the student will ‘shelter in place’ until we can find appropriate travel home.

SIT regrets that we are unable to provide refunds for room and board or ISP stipends. This is an unprecedented situation. We have diverted funding to make sure you all get home because that was and remains our top priority. Our costs for the education of the class of spring 2020 will be ongoing; and many other costs have already been incurred and cannot be recovered. To develop and build out our immersive programs, SIT invests in salaries, program centers and other infrastructure, and non-refundable payments to stakeholders in our host communities. Your support services, for instance at Student Affairs or the Library, will continue. In addition, we are investing right now to ensure we have an online designer team working full-time for our undergraduates and providing trainings and additional support for your faculty across the world so that they can continue to teach. We understand that this is a frustrating time for you and we appreciate your consideration of the full picture.

If an individual student is experiencing serious hardship due to current circumstances, please talk with your academic or program director, who will connect you with SIT University Relations Manager Shun Yanagishita ([email protected]) to help problem-solve. For instance, SIT can collaborate with your home institution and/or look for other resources that might be available. We will do our best to make sure that no student suffers undue hardship during an already stressful time.

We also appreciate that you have needed to leave your amazing country and program before the completion of your semester. Some needed to leave very early in the program. We know that for many of you this was your only projected opportunity to spend time studying overseas. Please know that everybody at SIT very much wanted you to have this time away and were so excited to have you with them. We still want you to have that experience, if it is at all possible for you.

Consequently, for all students who complete the online continuation of their program at this time, we have prepared the following scholarships. You may choose between the following options:

Option 1

Each of you has a unique situation depending on your current class standing and your home institution’s policies on study abroad. But if pursuing another study abroad experience is possible for you, we hope you will consider taking advantage of a scholarship for a summer or semester program with SIT. There is no hurry! This scholarship is available to you during your undergraduate degree up until the summer after your graduation (from this summer until summer 2022).

Option 2

SIT is an accredited college and offers full-time and part-time graduate degrees. Given the complications you may have taking another study abroad experience at this time, we wanted to offer you something for your future. We are extending this scholarship opportunity to all SIT masters programs. Please see below for the discount rate we are applying specifically for our spring 2020 undergraduate students. You may choose either one of our Global Masters programs which allows students to complete a master’s degree in up to three countries over 12 months full-time, or a part-time low-residency program over 24 months. In some cases, it may be possible for you to return to the country of your study abroad program through one of our master’s degrees. This scholarship will be available to you for the next three years (for all MA degrees starting from fall 2020 until degrees starting in fall 2022 inclusive).*

SIT Scholarships for Spring 2020 Study Abroad Students

SIT will offer scholarships to students (up to one scholarship per student) who have had their spring 2020 SIT semester abroad experiences cut short by COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions and who have continued their program to completion (defined as 12 to 16 credits). Scholarships will be available for the next two years for select SIT summer and semester programs. You may also choose to use your scholarship for the next three years for one of SIT Graduate Institute MA programs. Please contact [email protected] to utilize your scholarship. Scholarship percentages and estimated average amounts are as follows:**

SIT Study Abroad semester programs open for scholarship

• Senegal: Hip-hop, African Diaspora and Decolonial Futures
• Malaysia and China: International Relations and New Economies
• Portugal: Sustainability and Environmental Justice
• Spain: Policy, Law, and Regional Autonomy in Europe
• Jordan: Refugees, Health, and Humanitarian Action
• Jordan: Geopolitics, International Relations, and the Future of the Middle East
• Morocco: Multiculturalism and Human Rights
• Nepal: Tibetan and Himalayan Peoples
• Indonesia: Arts, Religion, and Social Change
• Argentina: Transnationalism and Comparative Dev in South America
• Bolivia: Multiculturalism, Globalization and Social Change
• China: Health, Environment, and Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Chile: Comparative Education and Social Change
• Cameroon: Development and Social Change
• Czech Republic: Arts and Social Change
• Ecuador: Development, Politics, and Languages
• Serbia, Bosnia, and Kosovo: Peace and Conflict Studies in the Balkans
• India: Sustainable Development and Social Change
• India: Public Health, Gender, and Community Action
• Kenya: Global Health and Human Rights
• Mongolia and Siberia: Nomadism, Geopolitics, and the Environment
• Madagascar: Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management
• Morocco: Field Studies in Journalism and New Media
• Mexico: Migration, Borders, and Transnational Communities
• Nepal: Development, Gender, and Social Change in the Himalaya
• Panama: Tropical Ecology, Marine Ecosystems, Biodiversity Conservation
• Rwanda: Post-Genocide Restoration and Peacebuilding
• South Africa: Social and Political Transformation
• Senegal: Global Security and Religious Pluralism
• Switzerland: Banking, Finance, and Social Responsibility
• Tunisia and Italy: Politics and Religious Integration in the Mediterranean
• Tanzania: Zanzibar: Ecology and Natural Resource Management
• Uganda: Global Development Studies
• Vietnam: Culture, Social Change, and Development
• Samoa: Social and Environmental Change in Oceania

SIT Study Abroad summer programs open for scholarship

• Indonesia: Biodiversity and Conservation in Bali and Borneo
• Argentina: Art, Memory, and Social Transformation
• China: Community Health and Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Colombia: Building a Culture of Peace
• Jordan: Counseling and Humanitarian Action Internship
• Kenya: Public Health in the Tropics Internship
• India: Agroecology and Food Security in the Himalaya
• India: Traditional Medicine and Healthcare Practices
• Panama: Community and Nongovernmental Organizations Internship
• South Africa: Social Justice and Activism Internship
• Jordan: Engineering and Design for Sustainable Environments
• Jordan: Intensive Arabic Language Studies
• Madagascar: Traditional Medicine and Healthcare Systems
• Morocco: Arabic Language and Community Service
• Nepal: Geoscience in the Himalaya
• Panama: Marine Ecology and Blue Carbon Conservation in the Pacific and Caribbean
• South Africa: Education and Social Change
• Switzerland: International Studies and Multilateral Diplomacy (Summer 2)
• Tanzania: Climate Change and Sustainability, Mount Kilimanjaro to Zanzibar
• Uganda and Rwanda: Peace and Conflict Studies in the Lake Victoria Basin
• Vietnam: Nongovernmental Organization Internship

Please note that your institution may have policies about how scholarships are applied so we are happy to speak with you further about this. Please contact [email protected] for questions about this scholarship.

SIT Graduate Institute programs open for scholarship

• Master of Arts in Climate Change and Global Sustainability (Iceland, Tanzania and global practicum)
• Master of Arts in Development Practice (Ecuador, Malawi, Uganda and global practicum)
• Master of Arts in International Education (Chile, Vietnam and global practicum)
• Master of Arts in Global Health Policy, Administration and Management (Kenya, India and global practicum)
• Master of Arts in Humanitarian Assistance and Crisis Management (Jordan, Uganda and global practicum)
• Master of Arts in Diplomacy and International Relations (Washington DC, Switzerland, South Africa and global practicum)
• Master of Arts in Intercultural Service, Leadership and Management (part-time, online with brief residencies in Vermont)
• Master of Arts in International Education (part-time, online with brief residencies in Vermont)
• Master of Arts in Peace and Justice Leadership (part-time, online with brief residencies in Vermont and South Africa
• Master of Arts in Sustainable Development (part-time, online with brief residencies in Vermont and Mexico)
• Master of Arts in TESOL (part-time, online with brief residencies in Vermont)

*Subject to successful admittance to the program as per the individual program requirements

**All programs are subject to availability

This scholarship has no cash redemption value.

This information has changed. Please visit our Coronavirus Updates page for more recent information.

Summer residencies may be pushed back, rescheduled, or completely unaffected, depending on the program. SIT will continue to assess the situation as it evolves and keep you updated. At this time, start dates for SIT Global Master's degree programs beginning this summer and fall, respectively, remain unchanged. For students in the TESOL (low-residency) master's program start dates also remain unchanged.

There will be no impact to the start dates of SIT's low-residency master's degree programs, which will begin online, but the summer residencies for these programs will be moved to July. Please read the following carefully:

Residencies for the SIT master's degrees in Peace and Justice Leadership; Sustainable Development; Intercultural Service Leadership and Management; and International Education (read: all low-residency programs) have been rescheduled to start on Sunday, July 26 (please plan to arrive in time for the welcome dinner, which begins at 6:30 p.m. ET), and now conclude Friday, August 7 (please plan to depart Saturday morning, August 8, by 10 a.m. ET).

New students admitted to these low-residency programs should plan to participate in a full-day, online program launch and orientation as planned on Sunday, May 31, from 9:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. Online classes for your program will begin promptly on Monday, June 1.  Pre-readings will be made available to admitted students on their arrival pages, and your program chair will be in close communication with you to alert you about any changes to your program.  

International students who were already issued an I-20, you will be receiving a replacement I-20 no later than March 27, 2020.

This information has changed. Please visit our Coronavirus Updates page for more recent information.

The new arrival date for the 2020 CONTACT Workshop has been rescheduled from May 30, to Sunday, July 26, ending Saturday, August 8. We will keep students apprised of any further changes.

Yes, for more information on the emergency relief funding SIT Graduate Institute received, please view our reporting document.