Sep 2 - Dec 13
Jan 27 - May 9
One semester of college-level ecology, biology, or environmental studies/science
Study abroad in Bhutan with SFS and venture to a mountain kingdom where change is on the horizon. Few foreigners ever set foot in Bhutan’s small villages and stunning Buddhist monasteries – not until 1974 did the country open its borders to tourism. Now, Bhutan is developing rapidly. Based in Paro, you’ll explore the challenges of protecting biodiversity and maintaining traditional rural lifestyles in this time of transition. Study conservation and environmental issues firsthand against a backdrop of vibrant culture and Buddhist philosophy. Learn more about the famed principles of Gross National Happiness, gain an in-depth knowledge of local ecosystems, and wrap up the semester with an extensive field research project.
SFS provides a comprehensive study abroad experience during a 6-day/week program schedule. SFS delivers the highest level of support and an unparalleled academic experience.
In addition to the SFS program costs listed to the left, students should plan for additional expenses such as airfare, a passport, visas, medical costs, and personal spending.
Check out the Financial Planner below for an estimated breakdown of these costs along with more information about financially planning for your program abroad with SFS.
Download the Financial PlannerAll students are welcome to apply for our need-based financial aid. Students who exhibit financial need for their program will be offered SFS financial aid. SFS aid is offered through a combination of scholarships, grants and loans.
Pell Grant Match
SFS matches Federal Pell Grant funding for students applying to an SFS semester program.
Many SFS students receive aid through their home institutions or other outside sources, so check with your financial aid office to see what aid may apply to an SFS program.
Learn More about Financial AidItinerary varies from term to term and is subject to change. Program activities take place 6 days a week with one day free.
This academically rigorous program follows a six-day/week schedule. The interdisciplinary curriculum is designed to help students actively discover and understand the complexities of environmental, social, and economic issues in Bhutan. Read more about the SFS program model.
Major academic themes include:
On the Himalayan Environment and Society in Transition program, you will take three 4-credit disciplinary courses, one 2-credit religion and culture course, and a 4-credit capstone Directed Research course. Courses are participatory in nature and are designed to foster inquiry and active learning. Each course combines lectures, field exercises, assignments, tests, and research. All courses are taught in English.
Click on each course to view a description and download the syllabus
This course allows students to develop a conceptual and practical understanding of religious principles that underlie Bhutanese attitudes and approaches to environment. Students learn the basic principles of Buddhism and other religions practiced in the region and look for religion in the landscape and in society. Students look at religion and environment, culture and environment, and Bhutanese attitudes toward environment, and get some language training in Dzongkha.
This course focuses on the dynamics among people, society, and environment. We explore this dynamic through the interdisciplinary lens of political ecology, examining the political, economic, and social factors of environmental issues and changes. The course provides a conceptual framework for understanding how nature-society interactions—such as agriculture, natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, and rural development—shape both the natural landscape and the social and economic conditions in Bhutan. Students also gain the practical skills and tools to critically examine and assess the human-environment nexus in the field.
This course considers the suite of natural resources that are tied to both local livelihoods and the national economy— including arable soils, water, timber, non-timber forest products, and grasslands. Students study the livestock and agriculture systems of Bhutan, both historical and current, and understand why and how these are changing, and what the implications are for household economies, the environment, and national issues. Students consider the important topic of food security, at both the household and national levels. By integrating field and classroom approaches, students explore the science behind current local and global issues in natural resource management, food production, biodiversity, and climate change.
This course provides a theoretical and practical understanding of the ecology of the Eastern Himalaya region. Students explore the physical features influencing mountain ecosystems, including the geology and hydrology, elevation, climate, and weather. The course highlights the unique characteristics of the flora and fauna found in these ecosystems, and the threats to these species. Students are exposed to an array of ecosystems—some in natural states, some heavily modified by people. Rivers, forests, and farmland are examined in various locations and along different altitude gradients, showcasing the ecological diversity within this small mountain state.
This course prepares students to distinguish hidden assumptions in scientific approaches and separate fact from interpretation, cause from correlation, and advocacy from objectivity. Students learn specific tools including: experimental design; field techniques; basic descriptive statistics; and parametric and non-parametric quantitative analysis. Emphasis is placed on succinct scientific writing, graphic and tabular presentation of results, and effective delivery of oral presentations.
You will gain practical skills in the field such as: GIS and mapping, species identification and distribution mapping, forest and biodiversity surveys, camera trapping and mist netting, protected areas assessment, quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, research design and implementation, and research presentation.
You will visit different ecosystems and communities which may include mountain ecosystems, subalpine conifer forests, alpine meadows, rural villages and small towns, subtropical broadleaf forests, high-altitude mountain passes, monasteries and sacred sites, and agricultural communities.
In the Directed Research course, each student completes a field research project under the mentorship of a faculty member – beginning with data collection and analysis and concluding with a research paper and presentation. Project subject areas span ecology, natural resource management, conservation science, environmental ethics, and socioeconomics.
Find Out MoreThe Center is located at one end of the stunning Paro Valley, at the base of a towering ridgeline dotted with Buddhist monasteries. Campus is a small cluster of buildings designed in the traditional Bhutanese architectural style. A pleasant walk brings you to the markets, shops, and cultural events of Paro Town.