Off-Campus Summer Term Courses 2026
St. Lawrence University offers an array of dynamic off-campus summer courses around the world. Explore this page to learn more!
Ecuador France/Senegal Kenya South Korea United Kingdom
Application links are provided below.
Summer 2026 course application deadline:
December 6, 2025
Summer 2026 Course Fees and timeline
Summer 2026 course fees are listed below:
1 SLU Unit - $4,917 + airfare
1.5 SLU Units - $6,555 + airfare
Students will be billed a $50 application fee after submission of their application.
Selected students are required to pay a $250 program deposit by January 20, 2026.
Students are required to submit the full summer course payment via the instructions provided on Studio Abroad by February 17, 2026.
All courses are contingent on sufficient enrollment and course fees are subject to change. Course fees do not include the cost of airfare.
Note: Seniors intending to graduate in May 2026 may apply/participate on summer courses with the permission of the instructor, but will be ineligible for financial aid. Priority in admission will be given to current students.
If you have questions about any of these programs, please contact the program instructor(s).
Exploring Ecuador’s Biodiversity: From the Amazon to the Andes and the Galapagos
Students should verify that they are eligible to travel to ECUADOR before applying.
Instructors: Dr. Sue Willson
Dates: Tuesday, June 9th, 2026 - Thursday, July 2rd, 2026 (tentative)
Listing: Biology; this course will count as a BIO 200-level course w/ LAB for the Biology major.
Units: 1.5 SLU Unit
Pre-requisites: BIO 101, ENVS 101, or GEO 100-level course, or by permission of instructor.
Course Length: 3.5 Weeks
Course description: Students will learn through immersion in this 3.5-week course on ecology, biodiversity, and conservation in Ecuador. Students will visit four distinct tropical ecosystems: the lowland rainforest of the Amazon, the high-elevation Andean grasslands, where volcanoes are visible on all sides, the humid montane cloud forest, and the renowned Galapagos Islands. Students will learn first-hand from Ecuadorian biologists, guides, and community members, as well as through course readings, discussions, and lectures. The course structure provides ample opportunity to learn about Ecuador’s rich cultural heritage, the indigenous highland Quechua culture, and how Ecuador can conserve its incredible biodiversity in the face of climate change and resource extraction.
Blaxit: French Colonialism and Black Political Thought
Students should verify that they are eligible to travel to SENEGAL and FRANCE before applying.
Instructors: Dr. Precious Hall and Dr. Eloise Brezault
Dates: Tuesday, May 19th 2026 – Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026 (tentative)
Listing: Political Science; African American Studies; African Studies, Francophone Studies
Units: 1 SLU Unit
Pre-requisites: None
Course Length: 2 weeks
This two week off-campus course explores the political influences that have inspired the movement known as Blaxit where Black Americans, seeking a refuge from the toxicity of racism and anti-Black policies have expatriated in a pursuit to find a safe space in which they can flourish. While Blaxit is often talked about in light of 21st century events, the concept of expatriation among Black Americans is not new. This course studies African American political thought and its relationship to France both as a source of refuge for many Black Americans during the first half of the 20th century and a source of Black Nationalism through the development and promotion of the philosophy Negritude. When learning about the impact of France as both a colonial power and safe haven for Black Americans experiencing discrimination, we will visit both France and Senegal to see first-hand the place of refuge for public figures such as James Baldwin, Josphine Baker, Langston Hughes, and Maya Angelou as we discuss some of their writings completed while in France and to see and discuss first-hand the complicated legacy of French Colonialism in Senegal and the evolution of Negritude within Senegal with its first president Léopold Sédar Senghor.
This interdisciplinary course offers students the opportunity for intellectual engagement with those still impacted by French Colonialism and the discussion of how Colonialism has impacted African American political thought and behavior. In Senegal, students will work with students at the Cheikh Anta Diop University for a joint class taught in English that will incorporate readings and discussions centered around both historical and cultural legacies of colonialism and how it has shaped political thought and activism in the United States, France, and Senegal. It will emphasize the unique ways in which a community can both be harmed and helped in finding a voice and counter narrative.
Apply to Study in France and Senegal
Kenya Biodiversity Safari
Students should verify that they are eligible to travel to KENYA before applying.
Instructor: Megan Lane and Dr. Abdelwahab Sinnary
Dates: Friday, June 5, 2026 – Monday, June 29, 2026 (tentative)
Listing: Biology (BIO195 for non-majors; BIO295 for majors)
Units: 1.5 SLU Units
Pre-requisites: None
Course Length: 3.5 weeks
Course description: In this month-long, field-based course you will study conservation biology through game drives and treks on both land and water, coming into contact with giraffe, zebra, elephant, and rhino, as well as predators like lions, hyenas, leopards, and eagles. You will spend 10 days exploring the savanna grasslands and lakes of Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, where you will study mammalian and avian ecology, consider the impacts of tourism and poaching on the national economy, and examine methods of balancing wildlife conservation with economic development in the Naivasha/Nakuru region. Next, you will spend five days conducting hands-on field research at Ol Pejeta Conservancy (OPC) in Laikipia, Central Kenya. You will test the interesting hypothesis that cattle can be used to actually improve range ecology for the wild ungulates and also benefit the area’s key predators. Finally, you will spend one week ascending 18,000 foot-tall Mt. Kenya, the second-highest mountain in Africa, and the source of most of Laikipia’s water. Here you will learn about the impact of climate change on the region, and also how you and the animals that live there adjust physiologically to this unique high altitude ecosystem.
Imagine Korea Through Media: From Tradition to Modernity
Students should verify that they are eligible to travel to SOUTH KOREA before applying.
Instructors: Dr. Sarah Knobel and Dr. In-Sil Yoo
Dates: Tuesday, May 19, 2026 - Monday, June 1, 2026 (tentative)
Listing: Digital Media & Film, Art & Art History, Music, Asian Studies
Units: 1.5 SLU Unit
Pre-requisites: None
Course Length: 2 Weeks
This course is designed to deepen students’ understanding of Korean society by exploring its music and arts—fine arts, photography, digital and video arts, and folk and traditional arts and crafts—showing how creative expression reflects and shapes cultural identity from tradition to contemporary practice. Students will engage with a wide range of Korean musical genres, from traditional to contemporary, and explore diverse artistic expressions, including photography, media, and digital art.
A hallmark of the course is its emphasis on sensory practice activities—such as music listening sessions, cooking experiences, digital learning workshops, film screenings, museum and gallery visits, live performances, collaborative projects, and reflective digital journaling. These immersive experiences highlight how creative expression is deeply embedded in the cultural fabric and daily life of Korea.
The Neuroscience of Fear
Students should verify that they are eligible to travel to THE UNITED KINGDOM before applying.
Instructors: Dr. Bill DeCoteau and Dr. Ana Estevez
Dates: Friday, July 3rd, 2026 – Saturday, July 25th, 2026 (tentative)
Listing: Biology, Neuroscience, Psychology
Units: 1 SLU Unit
Pre-requisites: BIO102 or PSYC101
Course Length: 3 Weeks
Course description: Brain structures that govern the fear response are shared across humans, mammals, birds, and reptiles. These structures have been evolutionally preserved because fear helps to protect us from danger, injury, and death. Though the dangers of modern society differ substantially from those of our ancient past, aspects of our primal fear instincts remain. Are such emotions merely intrusions from another time or do they still have a function in our consciousness today? With a focus on the fear response, this course will examine the evolutionary foundations of emotions, how they can be defined and measured, what role they play in the development and treatment of psychological disorders like anxiety and PTSD, and their role in perception, cognition, and everyday decision-making. Students in this course will examine this issue from a multidisciplinary perspective, synthesizing work from the fields of biology, psychology, and neuroscience.