International fieldwork is an exciting and long-established tradition in the discipline of geography and gives students the chance to put academic theory into practice and develop project formulation, problem-solving and evaluation skills in an overseas location. Many trips are experiences students will remember for the rest of their lives.
In cooperation with the Office of International Education, our department offers a summer-session study abroad program to Iceland, a winter-session study abroad program to South Africa, and a semester-long study abroad opportunity at our partner institution in the UK, Liverpool John Moores University.
Iceland
Summer Study Abroad (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
Environment & Economy in Iceland
The focus of the Summer Study Abroad program to Iceland is to engage students to study firsthand—through applied field science—the interrelationships between the economy and the environment. Iceland is a unique setting for such an endeavor in that it is one of the world’s leaders in innovative energy practices and policies all while also being primarily a resource-based economy. The program incorporates the practice of geographical fieldwork in group-based and individual research projects.
South Africa
Winter Study Abroad (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019)
Environmental Justice in South Africa's Western Cape Province
The focus of the program to is to engage students firsthand in the study and analysis of environmental justice issues and sustainable development practices in South Africa’s Western Cape Province.?Students will be exposed to sustainable development initiatives in a variety of environments from the semi-arid Little Karoo Desert to the metropolis of Cape Town. The substantial variety of environments in a rather small geographic area makes the proposed program ideal for a short-term study abroad program.
Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU)
Semester Study Abroad (Spring or Fall)
As part of their undergraduate program in our department, students may be able to spend a semester at LJMU at the same cost as attending Southern. Coursework taken at LJMU (by advisement) will transfer directly into the undergraduate major in Environmental Systems and Sustainability Studies or the major in Geography.