Dates: July 15-31, 2026

Application Deadline: May 1, 2026

Program Fee: $4,500

Course Description:

Students will gain an in-depth understanding of Uganda culture, geography and wildlife. They will attend lectures on Ugandan conservation and wildlife by a guest lecturer from the Uganda Wildlife Authority (the national parks oversight organization); they will learn about the Ugandan independence and Kampala city history; they will visit Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary; they will live in tents in Semliki surrounded by wildlife including warthogs, kob, bushbuck, baboons, chimpanzees, redtail monkeys and forest elephants; at dusk they will be serenaded by black and white colobus (among the loudest animals on the planet) and during the night they will hear bushbabies and owls; they may see a nocturnal potto in the tamarind tree near the toilets; they will visit the famed Queen Elizabeth National Park where they will see wildlife such as millions of Uganda kob as well as elephants, hippos, crocodiles, banded mongoose, vervets, baboons and possibly lions; they will visit local markets in Ntoroko, Karagutu and Fort Portal; at Lake Albert they will see the famous and rare shoebill stork; they will look out over the famed Rift Valley, a mile below them, from the top of the rift escarpment; they will visit a tea plantation and see the harvesting and drying of the famous Ugandan tea (and receive a free sample); they will visit a smallholder family farm to see how self-sustaining families manage to produce their own vegetables, protein and natural products on a family-owned plot of land; they will trek gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. They will be immersed in Ugandan culture, nature and animals and guided by Ugandans and instructors with decades of experience in Uganda and all of Africa.

The course is open to both credit and non-credit seeking students. University credit can be arranged through your home institution.

The application process requires a completed application form, statement of interest and letter of reference. For more information, please contact us at kdingess@semlikichimpanzee.org.