UGA Study Abroad Australia Northern Territory: Sydney, Great Barrier Reef, Darwin, Kakadu, Ayers Rock

June 19 – July 14, 2013; $2995

Health, Culture, and Sustainable Development: 6 credits (a wide variety of courses is available) and open to all majors (no pre-requisites) as well as out-of-state and non-UGA students (at in-state tuition rates). Application deadline is April 15 (email us if applying after this date for available spaces).

This unique program is also offered in collaboration with the College of Heath at Massey University, New Zealand (for 30 NZ credits). As such, it represents a new initiative in study abroad in which U.S. and Kiwi students will travel and study together on a program in Australia. New Zealand students please email Dr. Lee Stoner L.Stoner@massey.ac.nz. All other students (UGA and non-UGA) apply through this page.

Overview

Human health and environmental sustainability are inextricably interwoven with each other, and also with the cultural practices and understandings in which they are embedded. The ways in which we communicate about health — from public health campaigns about driver safety or second-hand smoke to birthing rituals conducted by indigenous healers — likewise interact with culture and environment. Australia’s Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef, and Northern Territory (including Aboriginal communities), offer ideal laboratories for comparing and contrasting cultures, environments, and health resources and strategies.

We begin the program with a few days in Sydney, considered one of the world’s best cities to live and play, taking classes and local field trips with UGA faculty and Australian experts, and visiting iconic places such as the Opera House and Harbor Bridge. From Sydney we travel north to the Great Barrier Reef, where we explore Western approaches to health from cultural, economic, and environmental perspectives. We then travel to Darwin and embark upon a field study of the Northern Territory (including Alice Springs, Kakadu and Ayers Rock/Uluru) to investigate Aboriginal perspectives to sustaining healthy communities and environments.

In addition to exploring national parks and cultural centers, we visit several Aboriginal communities and spend most of our time in the field. Activities include immersing ourselves in the marine environment of the Great Barrier Reef (to understand the effects of climate change and pollution on the coral reef system and to better understand climate change as a public health issue), experiencing the cultural and natural wonders of Kakadu and the spectacular sunrise and sunset colors of the world-renowned Ayers Rock/Uluru, as well as traversing the population centers of Cairns, Darwin, Alice Springs, and Sydney.

The program is open to all students from UGA and from other universities and colleges (non-UGA students pay in-state tuition), and no prior knowledge is assumed. Email discoverabroad@uga.edu and or/download the sample itinerary for more information. Click here to apply now.

Credits and Costs

Select any two 3-credit courses from the following (4271 must be taken for at least 3 credits); for example you can take 3 credits of ANTH 4271 and 3 credits of ANTH 4540, or 3 credits of INTL 4271 and 3 credits of ANTH 4540, or 3 credits of ANTH 4271 and 3 credits of INTL 4271:

Sustaining Human Societies and the Natural Environment (ANTH/ECOL/FANR/GEOG/INTL/RLST 4271/6271) 3 – 6 credits (meets UGA Writing Certificate requirements)

Health, Biology, and Culture (ANTH 4540/6540) 3 credits

The 4000 level courses are for undergraduate students and 6000 level courses are for graduates and honors students. Any of the following course prefixes can be selected: ANTH (Anthropology), ECOL (Ecology), FANR (Forestry and Natural Resources), GEOG (Geography), INTL (International Affairs), and RLST (Recreation and Leisure Studies).

Program cost includes all accommodations, field excursions, cultural events, insurance, in-country ground transportation, and many meals. Tuition (HOPE applies and out-of-state or non-UGA students pay in-state tuition) and airfare (optional group rate available) are additional. In-country flights from Sydney to Cairns, Cairns to Darwin, and Ayers Rock to Sydney must be purchased with the group flight or independently.

Photo Gallery

Click on the small photos below to enlarge