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This program will run in the summer of 2026.

Application Deadline: TBA

Withdrawal Deadline: TBA

Program Dates: Mid-May to early June, 2026 program dates TBA

Final Payment Deadline: The program fee will be billed to your Kent State student account. The program fee deadline aligns with the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center's summer due dates. You should refer to the first Summer 2026 due date.

Course Information

Course Name and CRN: BSCI 40195 - Down Under: Ecology and Evolution in Australia

Number of Credit Hours: 3

KSU Sponsoring College: College of Arts and Sciences

Course Description:

About 250 million years ago, the supercontinent Pangea began to break up into two supercontinents: Laurasia (which became North America, Europe, and Asia) and Gondwana (which later separated into the southern landmasses of South America, Africa, Madagascar, India, Antarctica, New Zealand – and Australia). The forces of plate tectonics fragmented Gondwana, and eventually Australia became an island continent - completely isolated from all other landmasses by about 45 million years ago. This isolation has made Australia biologically and culturally unique.

From the cities of Sydney and Cairns to the mountains, rainforests, and Great Barrier Reef, you’ll experience more biodiversity than you ever thought possible!

Program Language of Instruction: English

Faculty Contact Information

Professor's Name: Brian W. Grafton

Title: Professor

Email: bgrafton@kent.edu

Phone: 330-672-2934

Biography: I am a professor in Biological Sciences. Since joining the department in 2003, I have taught or co-taught over 20 courses. Lately, my main courses are Biogeography, Ornithology, Herpetology, Mammalogy, Vertebrate Anatomy, Human Anatomy, and Evolution. I also have a decent amount of international travel and field work experience, having traveled to Latin America (Brazil, Costa Rica, Peru, Surinam, Trinidad, Venezuela), England, South Africa, and Australia. Come join me on this study abroad trip down under for the adventure of a lifetime!

Eligibility

• Minimum GPA: 3.0
• Open to all undergraduate levels (freshman to senior)
• Interview with faculty leader

Program Requirements

The course is a biology-based course open to all KSU undergraduate students. Prospective students no matter the major should be prepared to learn a lot of biology. Bear in mind that we will also be spending much of our time outside hiking, swimming, etc.

Below is a tentative itinerary for this program. Sequence, sites, and departure city are subject to changes in availability and cost.

DAY 1-2:

• Group flight departs for Sydney, meals on flight.

DAY 3:

• Breakfast at hostel; Lunch - stipend; Dinner - stipend.
• Welcome to Sydney! The oldest and largest city of Australia is home to the Australian Securities Exchange. The multicultural mosaic makes the "Harbor City" a vibrant place of cultural and culinary delights, and the music scene offers everything from jazz to opera to indie, so you'll find plenty of opportunities for entertainment and inspiration.
• Sydney Walking Tour: In the afternoon, set off with your local guide for a four-hour walking tour of Sydney. Explore Circular Quay and Sydney’s oldest quarter, The Rocks, before walking along the eastern side of the Sydney Harbor Bridge which affords spectacular views of the Harbor, the Opera House, and the skyline.
• Welcome Dinner.

DAY 4:

• Breakfast at hostel; Lunch - stipend; Dinner - stipend.
• Royal Botanic Gardens – Guided Aboriginal Tour. Discover the history of Warrane (the Cadigal name for Sydney Cove – Circular Quay) and learn about the ways the plants in the Gardens are used by the Cadigal people. There will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions when you take a guided tour. Depending on what’s in season, you’ll also be able to taste some Australian bush foods.
• Travel to the Australian Museum which, following a $56 million renovation investment, showcases Australia’s fauna, flora, and Aboriginal culture.
• Wildlife Watching in Royal Botanic Gardens. Look for various birds and possums in the Royal Botanic Gardens.

DAY 5:

• Breakfast at hostel; Lunch - stipend; Dinner - stipend.
• Transfer to Katoomba/Blue Mountains.
• Featherdale Wildlife Park: This iconic Sydney institution houses a wide variety of Australian animals and the biggest collection of endemic birds of Australia.
• Blue Mountains and Scenic World. We continue traveling westwards to the scenic Blue Mountains World Heritage Wilderness Area. Enjoy panoramic lookouts with views over the Jamieson Valley, its beautiful canyons, cliffs and spectacular rock formations such as the famous Three Sisters. Take a ride in the world’s steepest railway to the forest floor and enjoy a bushwalk through the rainforest.
• Nighttime Bushwalk in Katoomba Falls. This spectacular 1.5 km walk gives visitors access to a unique, night-time viewing experience of outstanding natural features such as Orphan Rock, Witches Leap, Katoomba Falls and Katoomba Cascades. At certain vantage points you can also see the Three Sisters lit up. The experience connects other previously lit areas, and has lighting from the top of the Katoomba Falls Kiosk car park, around Reid’s Plateau and down to Katoomba Cascades.

DAY 6:

• Breakfast at hostel; Lunch - stipend; Dinner - stipend.
• Morning Bushwalk.
• Transfer back to Sydney.

DAY 7:

• Breakfast at hostel; Lunch - stipend; Dinner - stipend.
• Free day in Sydney.

DAY 8:

• Breakfast at hostel; Lunch - stipend; Dinner - stipend.
• Flight to Cairns.
• Welcome to Cairns! Known as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, this Queensland city (pronounced 'cans') teeters on the edge of rainforest jungle and modern resort-town. Ideally situated, Cairns offers unparalleled access to quintessential Aussie experiences, including sun-drenched beaches, tropical rainforests, and indigenous culture.

DAY 9:

• Breakfast at hostel; Lunch - stipend; Dinner - stipend.
• Transfer to Daintree National Park.
• Daintree Wildlife Bushwalk: Jindalba Circuit. Immerse yourself in some of the last remaining lowland rainforest in Australia at Jindalba (meaning ‘foot of the mountain’). You’ll need to be reasonably fit for this track, which is well-signed but stony in places, and crosses rainforest creeks. Look for birds of all kinds—large majestic cassowaries or buff-breasted paradise kingfishers streaming their long tails through the forest. Although many of the park's mammals are nocturnal, you may catch some daytime action with musky rat-kangaroos foraging on the forest floor and Bennett's tree-kangaroos rustling about the canopy. Then relax in the Jindalba day-use area before continuing your discovery tour of the Daintree.
• Night Daintree Wildlife Bushwalk: Enjoy a night bushwalk through a pristine old growth rainforest.

DAY 10:

• Breakfast at hostel; Lunch - stipend; Dinner - stipend.
• Tour of Mossman Gorge: A visit to Mossman Gorge is a must-do for anyone traveling to the beautiful Far North Queensland region. The Mossman Gorge Centre is the gateway to the world’s oldest rainforest, the Daintree Rainforest, as well as a unique link to the lives, cultures, and stories of Australia’s Indigenous people and their connection to the natural environment. Embark on your own adventure through the Gorge with a voyage through the lush green rainforest. Soak up the wonders of the national park at your own pace as you navigate walking tracks and trails, including the popular Gorge Circuit. Discover one of the many water holes, where you can find a quiet place to sit back, catch your breath, and appreciate the wonders of your surroundings. Find yourself under the towering canopy of the rainforest, beautifully framed by the striking mountains.
• Transfer back to Cairns.

DAY 11:

• Breakfast at hostel; Lunch - stipend; Dinner - stipend.
• Tour of Atherton Tablelands: Starting just southwest of Cairns and rising more than 700 meters above sea level, the Atherton Tablelands is a lush, fertile region of rainforest, wetland and savannah. An ancient coral reef has eroded over centuries to form rugged limestone caves in Chillagoe and nearby volcanic crater lakes sit amongst a series of tumbling waterfalls. You’ll find an incredible array of wildlife here, including brightly colored frogs and elusive platypus. It’s one of the few places in the country where you might spot the rare Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo. Birds are a real highlight in the Tablelands, too: 327 of the 430 bird species of the World Heritage-listed Wet Tropics region can be found here. Look up and you might see golden bowerbirds, king parrots, honeyeaters, crimson rosellas and masked owls. Basalt soil, good rainfall and plenty of sunshine make the Atherton Tablelands something of a food bowl. There are almost 2000 farms, producing delicious tropical fruit such as mangos, limes and bananas.
• Afternoon Bushwalk: We’ll take the Lake Barrine Circuit Track – Yungaburra. This is a rainforest-shaded circuit walk around a beautiful 90 hectare volcanic crater lake, giant Kauri Pine trees, tea house, wildlife viewing and good birding opportunities.

DAY 12:

• Breakfast at hostel; Lunch - stipend; Dinner - stipend.
• Tour of Moore Reef: A unique outer reef tour where the Sunlover catamaran docks alongside a floating pontoon stationed in a natural lagoon fringed with beautiful coral. Our marine biologists, dive instructors, qualified lifeguards and cruise attendants have only one goal: to share their passion for the Great Barrier Reef and ensure you make memories that will last a lifetime.

DAY 13:

• Breakfast at hostel; Lunch - stipend; Dinner - stipend.
• Wildlife Watching in City Parks: The Cairns Arrow Tracks are the most popular walking tracks near Cairns due to their easy access and close proximity to Cairns city center. Departing from the Cairns Botanical Gardens, students have a selection of several walking tracks in the Mount Whitfield Conservation Park.

DAY 14:

• Breakfast at hostel; Lunch - stipend; Dinner - stipend.
• Free day in Cairns.

DAY 15:

• Breakfast at hostel; Lunch - stipend; Dinner - stipend.
• Flight to Sydney.

DAY 16:

• Breakfast at hostel; Meals per airline.
• Group flight departs to Cleveland.

Australia

This program takes place in several locations in Australia. First, we experience the city of Sydney in New South Wales and then travel to the nearby Blue Mountains National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (considered to be of outstanding universal value across countries and generations).

We will then travel to the city of Cairns in Queensland and visit the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Transportation

Included in the course price:

• The international flights to and from Sydney.
• Two internal flights (Sydney to Cairns; Cairns to Sydney).
• Ground transport to various locations.

Transport not included in the course fee:

• Public transportation in Sydney (if necessary).
• Other transport that students may need during their free time is at the student’s expense.  

Accommodation

Australia has a great youth hostel network (the Youth Hostel Association – YHA). They offer clean bedrooms, large common rooms for group discussions, and kitchens we can use to make group meals. We will stay at these facilities in Sydney (YHA Sydney Central), The Blue Mountains (YHA Blue Mountains), and Cairns (Cairns Central YHA).

Meals

The course price includes a meal stipend for 20 AUD per lunch (for 13 lunches), and 30 AUD per dinner (for 12 dinners).

Other meals, snacks or beverages are at the student’s expense. We will, when possible, also prepare group meals.