Skip to content

Programs : Brochure

This page is the brochure for your selected program. You can view the provided information for this program on this page and click on the available buttons for additional options.
  • Locations: Siem Reap, Cambodia
  • Program Terms: Fall, Spring
  • Homepage: Click to visit
  • Program Sponsor: The School for Field Studies (SFS) 
  • Restrictions: W&M applicants only
  • Dates / Deadlines
Program Description:

SFS CAMBODIA: CLIMATE CHANGE, ETHICS, AND CONSERVATION (SEMESTER)

sfs cambodia


PROGRAM DETAILS

  • Terms: Fall, Spring
  • Credits: 18 semester-hour credits
  • Prerequisites: One semester of college-level ecology, biology, or environmental studies/science; 2.7 GPA, 18 years of age
  • Application Deadline: Fall: May 1st. Spring: November 1st. . Early applications encouraged
  • Financial Aid: All accepted students can apply for need-based scholarships, grants, and loans


OVERVIEW

In Cambodia, conservation has found its roots in community. From the ancient temples of Angkor to the floating villages of the great Tonle Sap Lake, efforts to preserve biodiversity are deeply intertwined with community livelihoods. Spend your semester in this fascinating country, learning about threats to ecosystems and natural resources, environmental governance, and the ethics of conservation and development. Traveling extensively, you will spend time in the elephant-inhabited forests of Mondulkiri, the mountain and coastal ecosystems of Kampot, the Vietnamese Mekong Delta, and at key sites along the Mekong River. In the final weeks of the semester, you’ll spend your time out in the field conducting an extensive research project.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS:
  • Spend the night in a floating village on the Tonle Sap Lake and speak with villagers about climate-related livelihood challenges and adaptation strategies.
  • Visit the Mondulkiri highlands to study elephant conservation and learn about the changes and challenges to the indigenous Bunong peoples’ traditional lifestyles.
  • Conduct a comprehensive field research project: Develop a research question, collect and analyze data, write a paper, and present your findings.

SFS students live and study at the Center for Conservation and Development Studies – our most urban Center – which 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, shops, and markets with unique Cambodian flair.

RESEARCH THEMES

  • Elephant ecology and conservation
  • Climate change impacts
  • Traditional medicine and ecological knowledge
  • Community conservation strategies
  • Protected areas and threatened ecosystems
  • Environmental ethics and justice
  • Natural resource governance
 

CORE SKILLS

  • Biodiversity and water assessments
  • Species identification and population monitoring
  • Animal behavior observation
  • Tourism impact assessments
  • Forest survey methods
  • Tag/recapture techniques
  • Camera trapping
  • Interview methods
  • Citizen science protocols
  • Conservation grant writing
  • Ethics and reasoning
  • Basic Khmer language
  • Research design and implementation
  • Data collection and analysis
  • Research presentation
 

LEARN MORE

REQUEST INFORMATION

APPLY NOW


CONNECT WITH SFS

Visit the SFS website
Call the Admissions Hotline at 800.989.4418
Email admissions@fieldstudies.org
Read updates from the field on the SFS Blog
Follow SFS on Instagram and Facebook
Watch student videos on YouTube and Vimeo



Dates / Deadlines:
Dates / Deadlines:
Term Year App Deadline Approximate Decision Date (Subject To Change) Start Date End Date
Spring 2025 11/01/2024 ** Approximately 2 weeks after the deadline TBA TBA
NOTE: The deadline listed is for REGISTRATION with the Reves Center! The APPLICATION itself will be due to the third-party provider or host university DIRECTLY, based on THEIR deadlines (which may be before or after the W&M registration deadline listed above).

** Students will be notified of their status for this program and be able to complete post-decision materials following the term's application deadline.