Summer Study Trip to Australia

Natural History, Ecology, and Geology of Australia (3 credits)

CMNS and College Park Scholars–Life Sciences invites you to join us for a 2.5-week educational adventure this summer (August 1–August 18) to explore the culture, the geology, and the natural history of Australia. The focus of this travel–study experience is the ecology, geology, and environment of the Australian deserts, tropical rainforests, and coral reefs. At each stop, we will discuss the lives of the Aboriginal peoples who settled these lands and their interactions with the environment as well as how they were subsequently affected by European colonial settlement. Faculty from the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences will provide expertise on the geology and biology of Australia along with the historical interplay between aboriginal and European cultures.

After spending 2 days in Sydney, we travel to the desert outback for 5 days followed by 6 days in tropical North Queensland. We end our adventure with a day on the Great Barrier Reef.

Dates: August 1–August 18, 2015

Program Fee: $2875.00 (includes mandatory insurance and Education Abroad Fees, UMD Summer School Tuition for 3 credits, all ground transportation, all tours and admissions, a fast boat to the inner and outer reef, snorkeling equipment, all lodging, tents, and almost all meals for 18 days)

Airfare: »$2700.00 (Round-trip Washington to Sydney, including in-country flights from Sydney to Darwin from Darwin to Cairns, and from Cairns to Sydney. Amount projected based on 2014 costs)

To Apply: http://ter.ps/sumausbsci

Application Deadline: March 1, 2015

For Additional Information: Contact Dr. Reid Compton, Director, College Park Scholars–Life Sciences (compton@umd.edu; 301/405-6916) or Ms. Jess Wilke, Assistant Director, College Park Scholars–Life Sciences (wilke@umd.edu; 301/405-0528)