Location:

Sydney, Australia; Brisbane, Australia; Sunshine Coast, Australia

Program Type:

Study Abroad

Degree Level:

Undergraduate

Term:

Winter Semester

Program Overview

Program Description:

Avoid mid-Winter in the U.S. and enjoy a few weeks of summer in Australia on this study abroad program that explores human/cultural and environment relations from a sustainable development perspective. Sustainability is a defining global issue and, over the past several decades, Australia has made critical advances in green politics, economics and lifestyle behaviors, as well as in indigenous relations and in recognising the nation as a multi-cultural society, to become one of the most progressive countries in the world. We focus on four distinctly different communities: Marine life of the Great Barrier Reef, Aboriginal culture in the Outback, eco-tourism development of the Sunshine Coast, and the urban metropolises of Sydney and Brisbane.

Select any two 3-credit courses from the following (register for Spring Semester courses); for example, you can take 3 credits of ANTH 4271 and 3 credits of INTL 4271, or 6 credits of ECOL 4271. * Sustaining Human Societies and the Natural Environment (ANTH/ECOL/FANR/GEOG/INTL 4271/6271) 3 – 6 credits (FANR 4271 meets UGA Writing Certificate requirements)

One of the unique features of the program is the activities and hands-on opportunities we have along the way: Snorkel (and/or dive) the Great Barrier Reef, experience Aboriginal bush life where we discover Australia’s unique marsupial fauna (including koalas and kangaroos), hike tropical rain forests, experience some of the world’s best surfing beaches, and explore city environments of Brisbane and Sydney. An integrated perspective allows us to draw upon multiple disciplines to address how we manage and sustain the diverse environments (on which we are all dependent) in a rapidly changing and global world.

Setting Description:

We travel first to Sydney and examine urban issues in a city often touted as the number one place to live in the world. By staying in the Rocks (an historic area of early European colonisation and immediately adjacent to the Opera House, Circular Quay, and the Harbor Bridge), we experience first-hand the politics of sustainable planning in Sydney. We then head to Lady Elliot Island (a small eco-resort in the Great Barrier Reef) for several days to study biodiversity of the marine environment. From the reef, we take a short flight back to the mainland and travel to Noosa on the Sunshine Coast to explore sustainable tourism from a coastal community perspective. By coach, we then travel to the Outback and a region of the country with cultural and natural evidence of the world’s longest living continual human habitation, the Aborigines. We complete the program with a few days in Brisbane before returning to the States in time for the start of the Spring Semester.

Cost:

$2,995 Program cost includes all accommodations, field excursions, cultural events, insurance, in-country ground transportation, and many meals.