COMMUNITY HEALTH SYSTEMS (RWANDA)
GEI CERTIFICATES IN GLOBAL HEALTH | GLOBAL ENGINEERING | SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT | ENTREPRENEURSHIP
An 8-credit certificate program to develop skills, knowledge, and understanding that prepare you for leadership and engagement in our global society.
AT A GLANCE
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Certificate Program in Global Health | Global Engineering | Sustainable Development | Entrepreneurship & Social Innovation
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Disciplinary Tracks: Global Health | Global Engineering | Sustainable Development | Entrepreneurship & Social Innovation
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Study Abroad Destination: Rwanda
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2027 Dates: May 30-July 24 (8 weeks)
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Credit: 8 U.S. credit hours (~ 16 ECTS credits) for eligible university students
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Eligibility: Any field and level of study
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
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ACADEMICS
Over eight weeks in Rwanda, students apply the principles from their pre-departure preparation - including cultural intelligence (CQ) training - directly in the field. As members of an interdisciplinary team, they take one school through a complete WASH initiative: mapping its water and sanitation systems, testing water quality with a university laboratory partner, building practical improvements alongside the community, and preparing a costed design and funding package for the larger works ahead. Throughout, students cultivate the core competencies of global change leaders in community health, and the program culminates in a community handover and a digital portfolio of their professional work.
As capstone project, students create a digital portfolio that serves as a comprehensive record of the students’ achievements and learning throughout the program. Students gather artifacts from their coursework and field experiences to showcase their development and mastery of skills. The portfolio culminates in a reflective essay and a presentation, promoting self-assessment and continuous learning.
There are no specific prerequisites. Students may be enrolled in any major or minor, and a foundation in a health-, engineering-, or sustainability-related discipline is helpful but not required. Enrollment is generally reserved for sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduate students, or by consent of the faculty sponsor. Note that this is a professional internship in a community and public health setting - centered on assessment, design, and supervised, small-scale practical building - and is not a clinical placement or hands-on patient care. While we try to place students in cohorts with similar levels of study, this may not always be possible.
Our programs follow U.S. academic culture and standards, and the onsite pace is accelerated and the workload demanding. Students contribute a minimum of 40 hours per week to the project across the eight weeks, supervised by GEI's in-country team, and the U.S. A-F grading scale is used, calculated non-competitively. Evaluation centers on professional performance and practical output rather than coursework, across three components: professional contribution to the WASH project (45%); a final portfolio and presentation (45%), comprising a project record, three connecting-topic field outputs, and an individual presentation; and, for credit-bearing students, a weekly reflective journal, blog, or vlog (10%). Course codes: GEI3990-02 (undergraduate) | GEI7990-02 (graduate).
8 U.S. credit hours (~ 16 ETCS credits) for eligible students via our U.S. academic school of record. After successful completion of the program, you will receive a comprehensive GEI transcript as well as a GEI Certificate in Global Health, Global Engineering, Sustainable Development, or Entrepreneurship & Social Innovation. Please check with your academic advisor at your home institution to confirm how many credits can be accepted for your degree program.
The language of instruction is English.
UNIQUE EXPERIENCES
Hands-on fieldwork in a real Rwandan school community
Students work directly inside a live WASH initiative - mapping water and sanitation systems, testing water quality with a university laboratory partner, and building practical improvements such as handwashing stations, rainwater harvesting, and safe-water storage - seeing firsthand how community health is built from the ground up.
A complete, community-engaged project
Working as one interdisciplinary team with community members and local students, the cohort takes a single school through the full arc - assessment, a real built improvement, and a costed design and funding plan for the larger works beyond it - leaving a visible, lasting result rather than half-finished work.
Students work directly inside a live WASH initiative - mapping water and sanitation systems, testing water quality with a university laboratory partner, and building practical improvements such as handwashing stations, rainwater harvesting, and safe-water storage - seeing firsthand how community health is built from the ground up.
A complete, community-engaged project
Working as one interdisciplinary team with community members and local students, the cohort takes a single school through the full arc - assessment, a real built improvement, and a costed design and funding plan for the larger works beyond it - leaving a visible, lasting result rather than half-finished work.
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HOUSING & MEALS
The program includes 8 weeks in Rwanda. For this time, GEI Rwanda provides housing options depending on availability at the actual project location. These may include:
- Homestays: Typically single rooms, with shared bathroom, and access to a kitchen and living room
- Serviced apartments: Single or shared double rooms, with shared bathroom, and access to a kitchen and living room
- University residence halls at our local partner universities: Shared double rooms, with shared bathroom and no kitchen facilities
- Simple guesthouses: Shared double rooms, with shared bathroom and no kitchen facilities
Homestay host families typically provide breakfast and dinner. Students in serviced apartments, university residence halls, or guesthouses are usually responsible for all meals outside of core course meals.
You can find additional information in the following blog post: Accommodation – What to expect.
You can find additional information in the following blog post: Accommodation – What to expect.
DATES, FEES, AND SCHOLARSHIPS
Summer 2027 (8 weeks): May 30-July 24
April 1, 2027
Summer 2027: US $7,950 (8 weeks)
RWANDA
STAFF
All of our staff are highly experienced and resourceful professionals.
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