Programs and Courses

For Undergraduates, Graduates, Professionals, and High School Students

Smithsonian scientists, Mason faculty, and conservationists from around the world teach education and training programs to inspire students to make lasting changes in sustaining a more biodiverse planet.

Three young women inspect bottle with water sample from nearby creek
Undergraduate

Residential “Semester Away” Programs

Spend 16 weeks living and working at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia.

Can't spend a whole semester? Check out other SMSC course offerings
Students hold a bat in a net
Graduate & Professional

Short Courses & Training

Acquire training and knowledge on a specific conservation issue or technique through an immersive training program.

Students gather around cell phone taking pictures in field with mountains in background
High School

Summer Programs for College Credit

Earn college credits through George Mason University while spending time at our facility practicing conservation alongside Smithsonian researchers and Mason faculty.

Young man stands in creek with sampling net
Incoming College Freshmen

Smithsonian-Mason Scholars

Start your college degree at Mason’s Fairfax campus, with courses preparing you for studying conservation biology, then gain automatic admission to one of our semester programs during your junior or senior year.

Contact Us

1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630