Business | Updated May 15, 2025

From California to Accra: How UCEAP is Transforming Global Education Through Immersive Study Abroad in Ghana

When students at the University of California sign up for a study abroad experience, they’re often expecting culture, language, and adventure. What they may not anticipate is the deep, lasting transformation that comes from full immersion in a city like Accra, Ghana. Through the University of California Education Abroad Program (UCEAP), Accra becomes far more than a destination—it becomes a turning point.

UCEAP, the official study abroad arm of the University of California system, has built its reputation on providing students with transformative academic experiences that go beyond the classroom. Its programs emphasize not only international education, but intercultural fluency, community engagement, and critical global thinking. Among its standout offerings are two distinctive programs based in Accra, each centered at the University of Ghana in Legon.

Accra itself is a study in contrasts: a bustling, sun-soaked capital steeped in history and fueled by innovation. Students who choose to live and study here quickly learn that the city is not only one of the safest and most welcoming in West Africa—it’s also one of the most intellectually and creatively vibrant. Between lectures, students explore marketplaces that pulse with energy, discover the legacy of pan-Africanism, attend film screenings and festivals, and engage with Ghana’s fast-growing tech and arts scenes.

The UCEAP Public Health and Society in Ghana program is a summer-term experience designed for students interested in global health, anthropology, or development studies. Taught in English and open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors, the program uses a thematic curriculum that blends academic coursework with site visits and field research. Participants examine public health delivery in Ghana, explore traditional healing practices, and interact directly with healthcare workers and patients. With a minimum GPA requirement of 2.5 and no language prerequisite, the program is accessible to students across disciplines.

For those looking for a deeper and longer commitment, the University of Ghana Immersion Program offers a full semester or academic year of study alongside local students. This program invites UC students to fully integrate into Ghanaian academic life, taking regular university courses in disciplines ranging from literature and history to political science and African studies. The immersion format is ideal for students seeking to stretch themselves intellectually and culturally. With a slightly higher GPA requirement of 2.75 and courses taught in English, this program is both rigorous and inclusive.

What sets Accra apart, however, isn’t just the curriculum or the setting. It’s the way the city itself teaches. From informal conversations with taxi drivers to volunteer placements and local art installations, every experience is a form of education. Students report returning to California with not only a richer sense of their own academic interests, but a fundamentally changed view of the world—and their place within it.

Accra challenges assumptions. It asks questions. It encourages a kind of learning that no textbook can replicate. For many students, it also opens doors to careers in international development, global health, diplomacy, and social entrepreneurship. More importantly, it cultivates the kind of cross-cultural sensitivity and resilience that will define the next generation of global leaders.

In an era where higher education must do more than prepare students for the workforce, UCEAP’s Accra programs represent the best of what global education can be: experiential, ethical, and expansive. It’s not just about studying abroad—it’s about living abroad with intention, respect, and curiosity.

For students ready to step into the unknown—and come home transformed—Accra is waiting.