Study Away Programs

PNW’s Study Away programs open the door to transformative experiences, cultural understanding and a global perspective that will help you grow personally and professionally!

PNW students are allowed to participate in any program. However, admittance to a program is subject to faculty leader approval. If you are interested in joining a program, please contact the faculty leader or fill out the Study Away Interest Form.

PNW’s Study Away programs also provide course credit! Upon acceptance to a program, students can register for one of the associated programs, listed in each program’s “Additional Information” section.

Spring and Summer 2024 Programs

• PNW in Peru (June 2024)
• Natural History of the Smoky Mountains (August 2024)

---

PNW in Peru

Peru

June 24 to July 20, 2024

Come explore Lima’s colonial past and cosmopolitan present, heading north to join archaeologists in uncovering history, while also engaging in hands-on community projects.

Students will explore dry forests and visit the habitats of spectacled bears and other exotic species, before returning to Lima, where they will venture by boat along several Pacific islands noting the unique ecosystems and industries of this coastal region.

A trip to the Atacama Desert would not be complete without a birds-eye view of the Nazca lines, the famous geoglyphs that can only be thoroughly appreciated by air, or a visit to the natural oasis at Huacachina.

Upon leaving the coastal deserts, students will transition to Peru’s Andes, with the first stop being Puno. Located at 3800 meters above sea level, it is the port city to Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the Americas and home to the “floating” Uros Island communities.

After spending a day on the lake and observing the different ecologies and social organizations present, students will travel to Cusco where they will visit Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and other Incan sites.

This final leg of the trip will give students another opportunity for service learning by working with a local NGO that is making a positive impact in the lives of Andean communities.

Apply to this program today!

---

Natural History of the Smoky Mountains

Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Tennessee

August 5 to August 13, 2024

Live and study for a week inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park!

The course consists of an 8-day experiential field program the week immediately before the Fall Semester begins and follow-up meetings held during the early part of the Fall Semester at a time that meets your schedule. You will register for this course as part of your Fall Semester course. It is appropriate for students of all disciplines and for anyone with an interest in being in the outdoors.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is our outdoor classroom. We will take guided hikes to old-growth forests, waterfalls, and Cades Cove to understand the natural and cultural history of the park. Learn about wildlife in the Park and how they are managed, engage in innovative environmental education and interpretative programs, participate in self-reflection, and understand why the small things matter in biodiversity.

This course uses a hands-on approach to explore the scope of human–environment relationships in the most visited national park in the country. For more information about our accommodations and where we stay in the Park, check out the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont.

Apply to this program today!