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SFS/Bhutan: Himalayan Environment and Society in Transition (Outgoing Program)

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  • Locations: Bumthang, Bhutan
  • Program Terms: Fall, Spring
  • Homepage: Click to visit
  • Program Sponsor: The School for Field Studies (SFS) 
  • Restrictions: WFU applicants only
Dates / Deadlines:
Dates / Deadlines:
Term Year App Deadline Decision Date Start Date End Date
Spring 2025 10/15/2024 10/15/2024 TBA TBA
Fall 2025 03/15/2025 03/15/2025 TBA TBA
Spring 2026 10/15/2025 10/15/2025 TBA TBA
Fact Sheet:
Fact Sheet:
Click here for a definition of this term GPA Requirement: 2.75 Click here for a definition of this term Class Status: 2 semesters completed
Click here for a definition of this term Language of Instruction: English Click here for a definition of this term Prior Language Study Required: None
Click here for a definition of this term Housing: Residence Hall Click here for a definition of this term Open to non-WFU Students: No
Click here for a definition of this term Academic Areas Offered: Anthropology, Biology, Contemporary Global Studies, East Asian Studies, Economics, Environmental Science/Studies, Religious Studies, Sociology Program Term: Fall, Spring
Program Sponsor: SFS
Program Description:
HIMALAYAN ENVIRONMENT

& SOCIETY IN TRANSITION,

BHUTAN

PROGRAM DETAILS
 

Terms: Fall, Spring

Credits: 18 semester-hour credits

Prerequisites: One semester of college-level ecology, biology, or environmental studies/science; 18 years of age

Application Deadline: Rolling admissions

Financial Aid: All accepted students can apply for need-based scholarships, grants, and loans


OVERVIEW
The program curriculum and research agenda address issues related to modernization in Bhutan: the support of rural livelihoods and the conservation of biodiversity in the face of a changing society and landscape. By getting to know the local and national institutions that contribute to the management and governance of environmental resources, students gain an appreciation of the complexity of identifying and addressing conservation issues in a developing region.

The semester curriculum comprises three thematic components, all centered on the environment:

People’s relationship with nature

Democratization, governance, and rural development

Ecology, conservation, and resource management


PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Explore Thimphu—the only capital city in the world without traffic lights—and experience the friendly people of Bhutan while engaging the senses visiting shops, temples, and market stands

Visit some of the most influential and inspiring places of Buddhist worship in the Kingdom including Taktsang Dzong (Tiger’s Nest Monastery), as well as Trongsa Dzong and Punakha Dzong

Participate in a multi-day trek through villages, old-growth forests, and riverine ecosystems up to 14,000 feet above sea level

 
DIRECTED RESEARCH
Through Directed Research (DR)—as opposed to basic, applied, or independent research—students conduct research on a specific topic that is part of the SFS Center’s long-term strategic research plan, which has been developed in partnership with local community stakeholders and clients.

The course, taught by resident SFS faculty, provides students with the opportunity to apply the scientific process in a mentored field research project that addresses a local environmental issue. Through the DR project, students contribute to a growing body of scientific research that informs local conservation and resource management decisions.