The U.S. National Park Study Away program is a 3-week program in which students study the politics of U.S. public land, while traveling around Western U.S. national parks and monuments. The program is sponsored by the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) however, it is open to all majors.The program will focus on US public land regulatory policy and politics via the lens of an outdoor classroom. All students are required to take 6 hours of coursework—one course on the law and politics of U.S. public land, and one research-based course that explores related topics.
Trip activities include camping, hiking, interaction with stakeholders (policymakers, interest groups, park managers, and the general public), and group cooperation in travel and living experiences. Students will travel by sprinter van to visit approximately 15 national park areas along a generally southwestern route that starts in Bozeman, Montana and ends in San Francisco, California.
About the U.S. National Parks
The U.S. national parks are congressionally designated protected areas operated by the National Park Service, an agency of the Department of the Interior. National parks are designated for their natural beauty, geology and ecosystems, history and public recreation opportunity. The creation of Yellowstone by President Ulysses S. Grant in 1872 marked the world’s first national park, while Sequoia and Yosemite followed in 1890. The Organic Act of 1916 created the National Park Service “to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”
Preliminary Itinerary
Please see the link below for a sample of the program’s itinerary:
U.S. National Parks Program Itinerary
Contact Us
Program Director:
Teena Wilhelm
twilhelm@uga.edu
More Information
Visit link to get dates, costs, and to apply: studyaway.uga.edu
Study Abroad Scholarships
