Term
Summer 2023 - Session 1
Term begins
May 29, 2023
Term ends
June 23, 2023
Program costs
$4,575
Application deadline
March 15
Program Overview
See how India’s complex tapestry of religions, languages, cuisines, and ethnicities influences every part of modern life in a country where technology leaps ahead while poverty remains a challenge.
This flexible program includes options for one or two four-week sessions, with the opportunity to layer in an eight-week internship with IFSA Summer Internships in India.
Details at a Glance
Application deadline
Summer: March 15
Minimum GPA
2.00
Credit load
3 - 6
Housing
Home Stay
Instruction language
English
Prerequisites
None
Academics
Excursions
Activities and excursions are designed to pull you into the communities you visit and encourage cultural connections of every kind. There’s no extra fee to participate in these optional outings—everything is included in your program fee.
Below are examples from previous terms; outings may be different for your program. We’ll make every effort to run them all, but sometimes things we can’t our control, such as local regulations and health protocols, get in the way. As result, we cannot guarantee activities and excursions.
Activities
- Saras Baug: Visit this garden which features a Lord Ganesh temple in its lake. It is cultural practice to pray to Lord Ganesh as he is the god that removes obstacles.
- Food and Markets: Explore the octagonal shaped Mandai market with more than 500 fruit and vegetable stalls, Dorabjee’s self-serve supermarket dating back over 100 years, or the uniquely Indian very first fast-food restaurant in Pune.
- Copper Workshop: Visit Tambat Ali, a famous community of copper artisans, and learn how they are continuing traditional techniques while embracing modern design aesthetics and sustainable business models.
- Palkhi Pilgrimage: Each year, from every corner of Maharashtra, thousands of devotees to Lord Vishnu make the long walk to Pandharpur on the Deccan Plateau. The pilgrimage passes through Pune and the city streets come alive with exuberant devotional songs. Watching this procession is in itself a tremendous experience.
Excursions
- Velhe Day Trip: Travel to the nearby village of Velhe to experience life in India. You will visit the Primary Health Care Center, interact with women and girls’ empowerment projects, lend a hand with agricultural initiatives at the local technical school, and learn about the traditional craft of making musical drums.
- Sinhagad Day Trip: Enjoy a morning trek to the ruins of an ancient fortress in the Sahyadri Mountains overlooking Pune. Literally “lion fort,” this historic hilltop features a memorial to 17th-century Maratha emperors and a temple to the goddess Kali.
Housing and Meals
Housing
Home Stay
Meals
All Included
Details
During the program, you will live with an Indian host family. All homestay families undergo an extensive vetting process with special attention to health, safety, and opportunities for cultural exchange. While every student has a different relationship with their host family, students are frequently brought along to religious, cultural and community activities, and introduced widely among their friends and family. Host families may be a large extended family, an older couple with children living abroad, or a nuclear family. They will likely speak Marathi, English, and some Hindi.
Dates and Fees
Term
Term begins
Term ends
Program costs
Application deadline
Summer 2023 - Session 1
May 29, 2023
June 23, 2023
$4,575
March 15
Summer 2023 - Session 2
June 26, 2023
July 21, 2023
$4,575
March 15
Summer 2023 - Sessions 1 & 2
May 29, 2023
July 21, 2023
$7,775
March 15
Term
Summer 2023 - Session 2
Term begins
June 26, 2023
Term ends
July 21, 2023
Program costs
$4,575
Application deadline
March 15
Term
Summer 2023 - Sessions 1 & 2
Term begins
May 29, 2023
Term ends
July 21, 2023
Program costs
$7,775
Application deadline
March 15
Get started
Vineeta Chauhan
Admissions Counselor
Zipporah Gaines
Prearrival Counselor
