July 18, 2024
by Jere W. Morehead, President

This summer, University of Georgia students are traveling across our state, nation, and world to engage in unique, hands-on learning experiences that augment their classroom studies.

The Interdisciplinary Field Program is a long-standing example of one of these experiential learning opportunities. The program begins each summer at the UGA Marine Institute on Sapelo Island, Georgia, and takes students across the country — spanning the Desert Southwest, Pacific coast, Rocky Mountains, and Great Plains — to teach critical concepts of geology, ecology, and anthropology. Students can earn up to a semester of academic credit as they learn from faculty and engage in field work ranging from exploring the Shell Ring on Sapelo Island and exploring the tallest organisms on earth in Muir Woods to studying predators and keystone species in Point Reyes. UGA has offered this program for more than 30 years, helping students to gain a deeper understanding of some of our nation’s most significant sites.

Because UGA is helping students apply the knowledge they gain in the classroom to real-world learning experiences, we are seeing our students enter and succeed in the workforce at record levels. In fact, 96% of the Class of 2023 was employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of their graduation. By helping students apply the knowledge they gain in the classroom to real-world learning experiences, the University is preparing our graduates to make a difference when they enter the workforce. The University of Georgia remains deeply committed to exposing our students to hands-on learning opportunities both during the summer and throughout the academic year.