India

Course Title and Schedule

WFS 499: Wildlife, People, and Landscapes in India

3.0 credits in Spring, 0.25 credits in Maymester

• Spring 2027 Course at University Park: Timing TBD
• Maymester Dates of Travel: Beginning in mid-May after finals for approximately 16 days 

Course Description and Itinerary Highlights

A 16-day field course on wildlife diversity, human–wildlife conflict, and community-based resource management across three of India’s great landscapes: the Brahmaputra grasslands of Assam, the Eastern Himalayan forests of Arunachal Pradesh, and the rainforests of the Western Ghats. For wildlife and ecology students, undergraduate and graduate, and anyone interested in how people and wildlife share land.

The Route

Bangalore → Northeast → Western Ghats → Bangalore: The trip forms a loop out of Bangalore, first flying northeast to the Brahmaputra floodplains and Himalayan foothills of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, then crossing the subcontinent to the Anamalai Hills of the Western Ghats before returning to Bangalore's science community.

Key Destinations

Where You'll Learn

1. Bangalore · NCBS — start and finish at India’s leading biology research institute
2. Kaziranga National Park — the world’s largest one-horned rhino population, with villages at its edge
3. Tezpur · Pabhoi Greens & Green Hub — organic farm, native seed bank, and conservation-media training
4. Eaglenest & Singchung Bugun Community Reserve — community-run forests protecting the Bugun liocichla
5. Valparai · Anamalai Hills — rainforest fragments, tea estates, and elephants and people sharing land

Approximate Expenses

• Program fee: ~$3,000 — lodging, ground transport, most meals.
• Round-trip airfare: ~$1,500–1,800.
• Tuition: ~$200 for the 0.25 Maymester credit; spring credits at regular tuition.
• Estimates for 15 participants; actual totals vary.
• Scholarships: agsci.psu.edu/international/study-abroad/funding

Eligibility

• Open to all Penn State students, undergraduate and graduate, with an interest in wildlife and a basic biology background.
• Minimum GPA 2.5 and good academic standing.
• Rural, remote itinerary with strenuous hikes at elevation; limited ability to accommodate restrictive diets.

Application

Click here to apply. Due October 31, 2026

More Information

Dr. David Miller, dxm84@psu.edu

Sustainable Development Goals:

This course is most closely aligned with SDGs 13: Climate Action and 15: Life on Land