Salama!
Welcome to the Get ready to go! page for the 2026 涩里番 East Africa Field Study Semester (EAFSS).听The content on this page is necessary to prepare you for your departure in January, so read it carefully.
You should also review the 2026 EAFSS Student Handbook .
Course offerings for 2026
Registration to the courses offered in the EAFSS will open in late December. These are the courses that will be offered:听
Kenya (choose one)
听- Jon Galaty
-听Thenya Thuita
Uganda (choose one)
听-听Patrick Omeja & Dennis Twinomugisha
听-听Sarah Bortolamiol
Tanzania (choose one)
听-听Jon Unruh
听-听Geoffrey Soka
Context courses (taken by everyone, research completed through the entire semester)
听
Mandatory Pre-departure Sessions
Attendance is mandatory for all pre-departure sessions. Unless otherwise noted, all sessions will take place in听Room 650 - 2001 涩里番 College Ave. In case of a serious scheduling conflict or emergency, notify Prof. Jon Unruh and the FSIO office (ifso.science [at] mcgill.ca). Failure to do so may constitute grounds for dismissal from the program.
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PRE-DEPARTURE SESSION |
DATE & TIME |
|---|---|
| General information session with Carol Muriuki |
Thursday, October 02 6:00 PM听- 8:00 PM |
| Group Dynamics and Wellbeing session with Kiki Yelle |
Wednesday, October听08听 6:00 PM- 8:00 PM |
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Health Session NOTE: This is an online (via Teams) session taking place in the morning. |
Wednesday, October 22 8:00 AM -听9:30 AM
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| Positionality training with听Antoine-Samuel Mauffette Alavo |
Thursday, October 30 6:00 PM -听8:00 PM |
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Wrap-up session |
Thursday, November 27 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM 听 |
听
Payment Schedule
The听听provides information on how to make payment. Use your 涩里番 ID as the account number.
Once you have paid your fees online,听send an email听student.accounts [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Africa%20Field%20Study%20Semester%20-%20payment) (Student Accounts)听with our office in Cc (ifso.science [at] mcgill.ca)听with the following information:听student ID, full name, the amount you sent,听and听a statement that the amount is for the 涩里番 East Africa Field Study Semester听Winter 20XX program. Follow these same steps each time you make a payment.
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PAYMENT REQUIRED |
DEADLINE |
|---|---|
| $1,500 deposit |
As soon as you are admitted into the program |
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October 15 |
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November 15 |
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Pay your 涩里番 tuition |
Ideally before departure so that it is done by the 涩里番 due date |
听
Mandatory Tasks
Complete all the mandatory tasks below by their respective deadlines.
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TASKS AND STEPS TO COMPLETE THEM |
DEADLINE |
|---|---|
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PASSPORT VERIFICATION Verify that your passport is valid for at least 6 months after the end of the program and order a new one if that is not the case. VISA VERIFICATION If you are not a Canadian or US citizen, confirm whether Kenya, Tanzania, or Uganda requires residents of your country to apply for a specific type of visa. If so, let the FSIO office know ASAP (ifso.science [at] mcgill.ca). BOOKING PHYSICIAN APPOINTMENT Do this ASAP if you have not already done so (see the forms required below in the MEDICAL TASKS section). You can also contact the Wellness Hub here to schedule an appointment with a physician there. FUNDING APPLICATIONS Identify and submit applications for funding (Various deadlines. Find more听information on our Funding page). |
As soon as possible |
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听 You must agree to all the statements to participate in the program. |
Oct 11, 2025 |
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听 Be sure to save your passport information page with the naming convention: YourLastName, YourFirstName - Passport. |
Oct 11, 2025 |
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MEDICAL TASKS (1) Complete the听and 听online. (2) Either print or email these forms to present them to your physician. (4) Upload the Physician Form to the with the naming convention: YourLastName, YourFirstName - Physician Form. |
Nov 2, 2025 |
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INSURANCE INFORMATION (1) Read the Insurance Requirements subsection under the Helpful information to complete the above tasks -> Insurance Requirements subheading. (2) Complete the . This information will be used by our team only in case of an accident. |
Nov 2, 2025 |
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FLIGHT BOOKING AND TRAVEL REGISTRIES (1) Book your flight. (2) Register your travel dates in the 涩里番 Student Travel Registry (see the 涩里番 Travel Registry subsection below) and with (or with your own Consulate or Embassy) as soon as we have confirmed the start and end date of the program. (3) Complete . |
Nov 2, 2025 |
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MCGILL ABROAD'S PRE-DEPARTURE ORIENTATION (1) Register to and complete this via myCourses. REGISTRATION IS ONLY OPEN AT THE START OF EACH MONTH, SO REGISTER EARLY. (2) Download your certificate as soon as you complete the course as it will not be available after the end of the month. (3) Upload the certificate to the with the naming convention: YourLastName, YourFirstName - Pre-Departure Certificate. |
Nov 10, 2025 |
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VISAS听 We will provide you with more information when the time comes to apply for your visas. In your bags, please remember to bring a printed copy of each visa with your passport to be stamped for your听arrival in each country. The Visa websites can be glitchy, and payment can be tricky. It is important to start this process early enough to have time to react if there are any issues, but visa are only good for 3 months, and you therefore cannot apply too early. |
Around Dec听1, when you receive an email from us.听 |
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COURSE REGISTRATION Register for Montreal-based 涩里番 courses in Winter 2026 in addition to the courses you register for within the field study program. This task is a precaution in case the program must be cancelled due to safety concerns (e.g., public health crises such as COVID-19). We will instruct you when to drop the Montreal courses. |
Before departure |
听
Helpful information to complete the above tasks听听
The information below will provide further context and guidance to complete the mandatory tasks listed above.听听
Insurance Requirements
Confirm that your insurance covers you appropriately for the semester, that it can be extended if you decide to stay abroad after the end of the semester, and that it includes:
Personal travel medical insurance with a minimum $1,000,000.00 CAD coverage is required to participate in the program. This can be difficult to get in Europe. It might therefore be a good idea to exceptionally get the 涩里番 insurance this year.
Medevac coverage refers to emergency air ambulance services that transport clients from the site of a medical emergency to the nearest hospital equipped to provide the necessary treatment.
Emergency health coverage.
Read the exclusions of your insurance attentively. Pre-existing medical conditions might not be covered as well as specific activities including some sports. For example, the 涩里番 insurance is very specific about the conditions in which scuba diving听would be covered. Insurances are not all the same, so you may need to call different insurers to ensure that you are covered according to your own specific needs.
涩里番 Student Insurance - Canadian students
Canadian students are covered under their respective student society鈥檚 Health and Dental Plan: Students' Society of 涩里番 (SSMU) or Macdonald Campus Students' Society (MCSS). These plans include travel insurance for academic study abroad programs. Be sure to review the travel section of your plan carefully. You can find links to听each plan here.
Check听听Scroll down and select the听Exchanges & internships听option.
Check听听Scroll down and select the听Exchanges & internships听option.
涩里番 Student Insurance - International students
International students are covered under the听涩里番 International Health Insurance Plan听through International Student Services. However, note that the dental insurance plan is paid to their respective student society: SSMU or MCSS. Since the field study programs are university-sanctioned activities, students are covered听if they complete a听request for extended International Health Insurance.
Flight Information
Booking your flight early will help keep the cost lower. Note that the program starts in Nairobi, Kenya and ends in Zanzibar, Tanzania.听
Immigration officials upon entry in the country and you could be refused entry if you do not have it. If you are unsure of your return date, you may want to book a ticket that is changeable. Many students choose to stay in Zanzibar, or to travel a bit in East Africa, after the program.
涩里番 Travel Registry听
It is mandatory to fill the 涩里番 Travel Registry before the program starts. To access and complete the form, you听must download the app on your personal听听or听听device. You can complete the form in more than one sitting, saving your changes and coming back to it later. To finalize and submit it, you must accept the terms of the Travel Guidelines. Until you accept the terms and submit the form, it will remain incomplete and you will receive monthly email reminders.
Travel Start Date: 24 January 2026
Travel End Date: 12 April 2026
Destination: Make an entry for each country. The itinerary will be provided to you during the fall.
Host Institution Name: IFSO Office, 涩里番
Phone number: 514-398-1063
Email address: ifso.science [at] mcgill.ca
Term: Winter 2026
涩里番 professor name & email address: Jon Unruh - jon.unruh [at] mcgill.ca
涩里番 application reviewer name & email address: Myriam Theriault - ifso.science [at] mcgill.ca
涩里番 Health Services
涩里番 is committed to ensuring an environment free from abuse, exploitation, harassment, and all forms of misconduct. Do not hesitate to reach out to the Director of your program if you have any issues.
