Summer Session 1
4 Weeks
4 Credits
Summer 2026
Jun 1 - Jun 30
Open
Program Costs
- Tuition
- Room & Board
- Total
Application Deadlines
Summer 2026
May 1, 2026
Resources
Summer Session 1 Program
Elephants of Southeast Asia
Siem Reap,
Cambodia
Spend your summer exploring remote regions of Southeast Asia where elephants roam. In Cambodia, you’ll begin with a week in Siem Reap before heading to the lush Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary in Mondulkiri for two weeks, where you will study the behavior, ecology, and welfare needs of the endangered Asian elephant. The program wraps up with a week in Phnom Penh, immersing in the dynamic energy of Cambodia’s capital.
- Stay at the Elephant Valley Project in the forested Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary in Cambodia to observe semi-wild, rehabilitated, Asian elephants as they forage, bathe, and interact with each other.
- Engage with Kulen Elephant Forest to analyze elephant welfare practices and the transition from traditional tourism models to conservation-centered management.
- Visit the vibrant city of Phnom Penh to explore the history and culture of Cambodia.
Academics
This academically rigorous program follows a six-day/week schedule. Each program combines theory learned during classroom sessions with field-based applications. The interdisciplinary curriculum is designed to help students actively discover and understand the complexities of environmental, social, and economic issues in Cambodia.
Major academic themes include:
- Asian elephant behavior, ecology, health and welfare in Cambodia’s mountain range ecosystems
- The role of elephants in local culture
- Human-elephant interaction and conflicts
- Wildlife management policies
- Conservation strategies
Courses
On the Elephants of Southeast Asia 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
to view a description and download the syllabus.
SFS 3111
Ecology and Conservation of Southeast Asian Elephants
4 credits
SFS 3111
Ecology and Conservation of Southeast Asian Elephants
4 credits
This special topic course focuses on the ecology and conservation of the Asian elephant and the habitats in Cambodia where extant populations live. Elephant welfare and management practices will be examined, and the livelihoods of people affected, both positively and negatively, by elephants will be explored. Students spend several weeks observing semi-captive elephants and visit regions frequented by wild elephants. In addition to the work with elephants, students will visit the World Heritage site of Angkor and the capital city of Phnom Penh.
Core Skills
You will gain practical skills in the field such as: behavioral observations of elephant social interactions, foraging, and welfare, distance sampling, line-transect surveys, basic Khmer language, qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques, mock debating, research report writing, and oral presentation skills.
Field Sites
You will visit different ecosystems and communities, including a forested elephant sanctuary, lush evergreen and mixed deciduous forests, National parks, remote villages, historical and cultural sites such as the ancient temple complex of Angkor, and learn from local and Indigenous community members about the role of elephants in their culture.
SFS Cambodia Programs
Semester
Freshwater and Forest Ecosystems
15 Weeks
18 Credits
Spring 2027
Jan 25 - May 6
Open
More Information
Program Costs
- Tuition
- Room & Board
- Total
Summer Session 1
Elephants of Southeast Asia
4 Weeks
4 Credits
Summer 2026
Jun 1 - Jun 30
Open
More Information
Program Costs
- Tuition
- Room & Board
- Total
Cambodia