Australia: Biology

The four courses in this program adopt an interdisciplinary approach with focus on practical learning through excursions and field studies. The courses are not independent units, but rather each is interdependent on material covered in other courses, particularly for the Global Perspectives credits. All attempts will be made to help you integrate material across courses.

Your Australian study experience will be guided throughout by your Lewis & Clark faculty leader, Global Education Designs’ program managers and more than thirty specialists - drawn from universities, community organizations and public service bodies in Australia — who contribute to the program by sharing their expertise with you. They will be contributing to your formal learning experiences in Australia, but you will also have many opportunities to learn outside of the classroom. By visiting some of Australia’s most beautiful places and interacting with a range of people with different customs and perhaps unfamiliar lifestyles, you will have the chance to further develop your cross-cultural skills and expand your view of the world in general.

This program is designed specifically for majors in Biology. In addition to two courses that fulfill Global Perspectives general education credits, the program includes two upper division biology courses. The two courses are Biogeography and Special Topics in Biology in Australia. Both courses will count as electives for Biology.

About the Program Leader: Tamily Weissman-Unni joined the faculty of Lewis & Clark College in 2011 and is an Associate Professor of Biology and Co-Chair of the Neuroscience Program. She received her PhD in Neurobiology at Columbia University, and completed a post-doctoral research fellowship at Harvard University. She teaches courses in genetics, molecular and cellular biology, and neuroscience, and her research program focuses on brain development and disease. She runs a research lab on campus that uses microscopy approaches to visualize the living brain and nervous system in the zebrafish model organism. She has co-authored numerous peer-reviewed scientific articles with undergraduate students, who make significant contributions to the ongoing research in the lab. She has also written a recent online Scientific American article that explains how zebrafish research contributes to our understanding of human medicine. In her free time, she enjoys running, biking, music, and other outdoor and indoor adventures.

Requirements Fulfilled:

General Education - This program fulfills the Global Perspectives general education requirement for students who successfully complete 8 or more semester credits. IS 292 fulfills the Culture, Power, and Identity general education requirement.

Major Requirements: BIO 391 and BIO 393 may be applied to the Biology major.

Credits: 17 credits (4 courses)

Curriculum:

IS 290: Area Study: Australia (4 credits)

The Australian Area Studies course introduces students to the history of European settlement in Australia and the development of Australian public institutions by looking at some of the major events in Australian history since 1788. Additionally, this course examines ideas relating to nation-building and cultural identity: how the identity of the country and its people is linked to the unique physical environment of the Australian continent and how that identity is conveyed in Australian art, literature and film. Area Studies also provides an historical framework for understanding the ways in which contemporary Australian society has developed.

IS 292: Indigenous Studies (4 credits)

This course introduces students to the world’s oldest living culture, emphasizing the diversity and dynamic nature of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander cultures. With a high proportion of the teaching provided by First Australians, this course focuses on Indigenous perspectives and highlights the continuity that exists between millennia-old traditions and ‘modern’ lifestyles, while not ignoring the serious challenges faced by many Indigenous Australian people as a result of European invasion and colonization. A vital component of this course is a five-day camp, where students will have the unique opportunity to learn directly from Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander teachers in an immersive context.

BIO 393: Biogeography (5 credits)

Field centered study of patterns of species diversity in the context of their geological and evolutionary history. The focus will include terrestrial and marine organisms spanning many regions on the Australian continent and Tasmania. Experts on geological history, ecological regions, and particularly interesting lineages will guest lecture.

BIO 391: Special Topics in Biology in Australia (4 credits)

Taught by the faculty leader of the Australia: Biology overseas program, this course will focus on a topic within the leader’s discipline and expertise. The course will make use of Australian resources and will incorporate field work and site visits. Topics will vary by year and leader.

For the Spring 2024 program, the topic is “Sensory Biology” taught by Tamily Weissman-Unni, and the course will focus on vision, particularly color perception in multiple animal species across Australia, with a comparison to species on other continents. We will consider how the eye (or equivalent) is structured and functions at the cellular level to provide light information to the brain (or equivalent nucleus or structure). We will also consider the neural mechanisms that underlie communication, seasonal changes in circuitry/behavior, and the auditory system. The course will also have a strong focus on science communication and the interactions between science and society.

“Learn to go with the flow. Things don’t always work out as planned! It can be fun to let go of a normal ‘schedule’.”

“It can be scary to go on a trip across the world without your close friends and with lots of people you don’t know, but you will grow so much and learn so much from the experience. Take the chance and go on the trip, meet new people even if you’re shy, and try to engage with your surrounding environment as much as possible. I’m more introverted but still met some of my now best friends on this trip and really grew as a biology student too.”

“Just be as open minded as possible! Things will change and you have to be ok with that. Also, say yes to as many things as possible. You won’t regret it.”

2026-2027 Fee Breakdown*

Total Fee (includes Tuition, Program Fee, and Health & Wellness Fee): $44,791

Tuition: $35,329

Program Fee: $9,425

Health & Wellness Fee: $37**

Included in the program fee are room/housing, board/meals, and administrative fees. Not included are airfare, passport and visa expenses, primary insurance coverage, photographs, books, immunizations, and incidentals.

*Fees are updated every February for the following academic year.

**The Health & Wellness Fee supports the operations of Wellness Services staff in delivering pre-program orientation services, as well as in providing health-related consultation regarding participant health needs. All students in the College of Arts and Sciences pay a mandatory fee of $37 per semester.

Stipend: Students will receive a stipend to cover the cost of meals and transportation costs not covered by the program fee.

Estimated Airfare (Round Trip PDX to SYD, BNE to PDX): $1,500 - $2,200

Estimated Visa Fee: $130*

Estimated Health Insurance Fee: $1,906

*This cost is for the visa alone. Depending on your travel or residency history, the Australian Government may ask for health screenings that add an additional cost to this (sometimes several hundred dollars). Please be aware of this and understand that it is out of our control and entirely up to the Australian Government.

All students participating in overseas programs are automatically enrolled in iNext, a supplemental travel insurance program. The fee for iNext is covered in the program cost. However, students are also required to have comprehensive health insurance during their time abroad. All students participating in overseas programs, both abroad and domestic, are automatically enrolled in the College’s student health insurance program. Similar to a regular semester on-campus, students participating in overseas programs may waive enrollment in the student health insurance program if they have other comprehensive health insurance (e.g., through a parent, guardian or employer) that 1) provides coverage for them in the geographic region in which they will be studying and 2) includes mental health benefits. Find more information regarding health insurance & overseas programs.

Physical Requirements:

A significant portion of this program will take place in the field, so program activities will often be held outdoors. Before applying to this program, you should assess and determine if you are physically and/or emotionally able to participate in program activities, including: in a desert, a tropical rainforest, and an island, where participants will spend significant time walking and/or hiking on uneven ground (including hilly slopes). In addition, participants should consider the following activities/conditions:

• Hikes and walks up to 15 miles in a day, possibly in tough conditions
• Climbing and descending stairs
• Using public transportation, including sometimes crowded buses or trains
• Standing for long periods during tours and site visits
• Hikes at night with flashlights
• Exposure to mosquitoes and other biting insects
• Swimming, which is highly recommended if you want to participate fully in some of the program’s aquatic surveys, but is not required
• At least 20 nights of camping in a tent
• The possibility of warm/hot temperatures while residing in locations without air conditioning, and/or cold temperatures while residing in locations with a comfort for lower indoor temperatures
• Long, busy days with little downtime and infrequent days off from program activities
• Frequent location changes

If you have questions or are concerned about these or any other program activities, please contact the Lewis & Clark College Overseas & Off-Campus Programs office (overseas@lclark.edu).

Application Process: Applications are due one year before the start of the program. Learn more about our application process.

Visa: Students will be required to apply for a visa in order to participate in this program. The visa process will begin during the month of October. Visa related costs are the responsibility of the student. Some students may be asked to provide medical lab test results/health screenings as a part of the visa process and may incur additional costs because of this. More information will be provided upon admission to the program.

Country-Specific Health Information: View specific health information for people traveling to Australia.

State Department Country Information: Visit the State Department’s Australia page.