While You're Here

This information will help you while you are studying at UCC.

Academic Matters

We are looking forward to engaging you in a strong academic program. UCC prides itself on having a solid academic reputation. In order to help you along, we strongly recommend that you keep your syllabi and course descriptions for each class you enroll in. Take these materials home with you so that your courses can be reviewed and approved by your home institution when you return.

Students are asked to follow the rules and regulations for registering for a class at UCC. The Centre for International Education (CIE) will assist you in this process. If you find it necessary to make changes to your schedule after you have finalized your registration, seek guidance from CIE as soon as possible. Do not delay or you may find the options to be limited.

Please be prepared to be flexible regarding the courses that are available for you to enroll in. It is common to find upon arrival that a course may not be offered during the semester you are attending. Be prepared with alternative course selections to ease you through the registration process.
UCC strives to implement the highest quality educational program. A variety of courses have been pre-selected for UCC’s visiting study abroad students. These courses focus on various aspects of African studies.

Please refer to UCC’s Study Abroad Programme materials for information on the courses that will be available during your stay.

The Ghanaian education system is based on the British model for education. A much greater emphasis is placed on students pursuing independent research on the course subject. While you may be inclined to believe that the coursework is much less demanding, please remember that the emphasis is placed on the individual to pursue academic excellence

Getting the Most Out of Your Experience

UCC wants all study abroad students to have successful and rewarding experience in Ghana. We can not stress enough that your experience will be what you make of it. When traveling to a developing country, it is important to understand, not just acknowledge, that things are often handled very differently. It is important to avoid making quick judgments.

Consider the following tips to help make your experience more rewarding:

  • Use good judgment and put your safety first.
  • Remember that, in most cases, only 10% of your experience will be what happens to you, 90% is how you react.
  • If you keep a good attitude and maintain openness and flexibility, you are well positioned for an experience that will change and enhance your life.
  • It is important to maintain a sense of curiosity, tolerance and patience.
  • Perhaps the most important tip is to keep things in perspective. At times, certain issues can seem very overwhelming. Learn to relax and step away from the situation in order to gain a new perspective.

You are encouraged to develop at least a basic understanding of the local language prior to your departure. In Ghana, you will find over 46 different local languages with over 100 different dialects. Fante is the local language spoken in Cape Coast. Outside of the Central Region however, Fante may not be widely recognized. The most common Ghanaian language is said to be the Ashanti Twi.