Global Field Studies

Develop your perspective of the world by exploring different cultures and extraordinary landscapes, while focusing on issues of human ecology and environmental sustainability. By working with faculty and foreign experts, Global Field Studies allow you to earn credit toward your degree for cultural travel and wilderness expeditions. Global Field Studies are offered during intensive blocks and the summer semester—a convenient way to incorporate international travel into your college experience without delaying your goal of earning a college degree. These travel courses are optional, generally involve moderate lab fees, and may not be offered every year. 

Students from other institutions are welcome to apply for Global Field Studies courses. Please contact the appropriate faculty advisor for details. Contact information is available in the faculty directory.

Sierra Nevada: Wilderness Field Study

Offered in the second half of summer semester 2013.

Explore John Muir's famed Range of Light, a land of glacially sculpted and fluted granite, gushing waterfalls, sapphire lakes, gleaming snowfields and alpine meadows strewn with profusions of wildflowers. The program consists of five weeks of wilderness backpacking in the heart of the Sierra Nevada backcountry, integrating in-depth study of natural history with the planning and practice of mountain expedition skills. We will travel in the spirit of the great explorers and naturalists, studying wild nature through sustained immersion into it. Two co-requisite courses: Natural History of the Sierra Nevada and Alpine and Arctic Expedition Skills.

North Atlantic: Marine Natural History

Faculty Advisor: David Gilligan

Explore the rugged cold coastline and offshore environment of the Gulf of Maine and the Bay of Fundy. The curriculum includes investigations into the life histories and ecology of seabirds and marine mammals, intertidal invertebrates, and oceanographic concepts through lectures, discussions and intensive field activities such as sea kayaking, tidepooling, and offshore excursions.

Belize: Research in Tropical Ecosystems

Faculty Advisors - Farley Brown and Charlotte Rosendahl.

Travel to the small tropical country of Belize in Central America to study marine and rainforest ecosystems, explore their natural communities and related management issues, and learn how the country is using ecotourism to both preserve and protect its natural resources and beauty.

Iceland: Natural and Cultural Heritage

Faculty Advisor: Pavel Cenkl

A few miles south of the Arctic Circle, Europe's western-most country presents opportunities to explore uniquely interwoven natural and cultural landscapes during this integrative field study. Attention to Iceland's rich literary and cultural heritage as manifested in the sagas, Poetic Edda, and Norse mythology is complemented by forays into the backcountry and exploration of the country's unique glacial and volcanic lands.

Japan: Tradition and Modernity

Explore environmentally sustainable practices on the northern island of Hokkaido through visits to managed forests, organic farms, native Ainu communities, and Zen gardens. Conversations with students and professors at Hokkaido and Obihiro Universities lead to in-depth investigations into land use practices.

James Bay: Resource Management

Faculty Advisor: Jeff Parsons

Travel to the James Bay region of Quebec, Canada, to study hydroelectric development and its impact on the local ecosystems and native peoples. Visits to hydroelectric facilities are balanced with conversations with community residents for a comprehensive understanding of this complex issue.

Alaska: Wilderness Field Study

Faculty Advisor: David Gilligan

Explore the last great wilderness of North America from the temperate, glaciated southern coast all the way to the sweeping vastness of the Arctic tundra. The program consists of five weeks of wilderness backpacking in the three primary eco-regions of Alaska: the temperate coast, the boreal interior, and the Arctic. The curriculum integrates in-depth study of natural history and ecology, cultural studies, and the planning and practice of Arctic expedition skills. We will travel in the spirit of the great explorers and naturalists, studying wild nature through sustained immersion into it. Courses include Tundra and Taiga Ecology and Alpine and Arctic Expedition Skills.

Bahamas: Research in Tropical Ecosystems

Offered in the winter intensive of 2014.

Faculty Advisors - Farley Brown and Charlotte Rosendahl

Scandinavia: Sustainable Systems

Faculty Advisor: Charlotte Rosendahl

Research environmental and cultural sustainability by comparing current ecological practices in Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Local scholars and experts serve as guides as we explore alternative energy sites, investigate eco-villages and industries featuring green technology, and study the literary and cultural traditions of the Scandinavian North. Optional home stays or projects with organizations dedicated to improving the environment provide individual discussion and research opportunities.