Jul 11 - Aug 10
Jul 7 - Aug 6
None
This summer, Cambodia’s freshwater ecosystems become your classroom, from Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lake to the mighty Mekong River. Travel across Cambodia, starting with the ancient Angkor Temples of Siem Reap and Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lake – the Tonle Sap Great Lake. There, you’ll learn about the link between hydrological dynamics, biodiversity conservation, food security, and livelihood outcomes. Visit important ecological sites along the Mekong River and study endangered species, hydropower development, water governance, and discuss key conservation issues that impact freshwater ecosystems. End the program in the vibrant capital city of Phnom Penh.
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 generally take place 6 days a week.
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 Cambodia. Read more about the SFS program model.
Major academic themes include:
On the ‘Freshwater Cambodia: Fisheries to Floating Villages’ program, you will take one 4-credit course. This course is participatory in nature and is designed to foster inquiry and active learning combining lectures, field exercises, assignments, and tests. This course is taught in English.
Click on the course to view a description and download the syllabus
SFS 3211 | Freshwater Ecosystem Conservation | 4 credits |
In this course, students use case studies from the Tonle Sap Lake and the Mekong River to examine the nexus of ecology, hydrology, resource management, conservation policy, and governance to address complex environmental issues of this important tropical freshwater ecosystem. The Cambodian Tonle Sap-Lower Mekong River system is home to an incredibly high level of freshwater ecosystem biodiversity and constitutes a critical source of food security to Cambodians: over 70% of the population’s protein intake derives from fisheries from this system. However, intensive agriculture and infrastructure development threaten the region’s forest cover and water quality, negatively impacting food security and biodiversity. Throughout the course, students travel to different parts of Cambodia to visit conservation sites to examine freshwater ecosystem ecology and hydrology, identify ecosystem services, explain major sources of pressure and challenges, critically evaluate cross-cutting environmental issues, and discuss solutions to conserve tropical freshwater ecosystems.
You will gain practical skills in the field such as: biodiversity assessments, species ID and population monitoring, water quality assessments, biodiversity survey techniques, natural resource management planning, environmental impacts assessments, conservation strategy assessments, interview methods, conservation project proposals, grant writing, quantitative/qualitative data collection and analysis, scientific writing and communication, basic Khmer language skills
You will visit different ecosystems and communities which may include the Tonle Sap Lake and Mekong River, fishing villages, a Ramsar wetlands site, bird sanctuaries, a rice farm, a floating village, an Irrawaddy river dolphin pool, a hydropower dam near the Cambodia-Laos border, the bustling markets of Siem Reap, and historical and cultural sites in Phnom Penh.
Take back-to-back summer sessions and get the hands-on learning and skill-building experiences of an internship, while also going off the beaten path and exploring the world. Each summer session focuses on a different topic, and you’ll have time to travel independently between sessions. Receive a $1,000 discount on your second session.
RECOMMENDED PROGRAM COMBO
Elephants of the Cambodian Highlands (Summer I)
Our most urban center, the SFS Cambodia Center lies on the outskirts of Siem Reap, near the famed temples of Angkor. The Center is a breezy, modern campus nestled in a quiet neighborhood minutes away from the bustling downtown area where you will find restaurants, artisan shops, markets, and many Cambodian cultural activities.