Course Description:
No matter what one believes about New Orleans, one truth is that there’s no city quite like it. The Northernmost city of the Caribbean has been a melting pot since long before the United States of America was even an idea, and despite the centuries of bad laws and climate catastrophes, it’s still here. Though Hurricane Katrina made landfall over twenty years ago [August 2005 will be over 20 years hence by the application deadline; adjust this wording however you like], its attendant human-made disaster is still happening and taking many forms: neighborhoods flipped, histories being rewritten, and unique subcultures fading.
This 2-credit course, which can be taken as an extension to Dr. Sonnichsen’s GEOG 1770: Geography of Race & Ethnicity in the United States, focuses on key concepts in urban, musical, historical, and environmental geography. Through a variety of site visits, collaboration with local archives, and experiential learning, this course will provide students with a lived experience of a city in constant flux.
Dates: March 8 – 14, 2026
Course Number: GEOG xxxx (TBD), 2 credits
Program Fee: TBA
Included in the Program Fee:
- 6 hotel nights
- Ground transportation in New Orleans
- Museum & activity admission fees
- 24/7 emergency support
- Some meals
Application Deadline: November 18, 2025
Itinerary Highlights
Preservation Hall
Situated in the heart of the French Quarter on St. Peter Street, the Preservation Hall venue presents intimate, acoustic New Orleans Jazz concerts over 360 nights a year featuring ensembles from a current collective of 50+ local master practitioners.
Swamp Tour
Explore the untouched beauty of Honey Island Swamp. See wildlife with local, expert guides.
The Free People of Color Museum
A historic house museum and one of the country’s few attractions dedicated exclusively to preserving the material culture and telling the story of free people of color.
Uptown/Carrollton
Uptown/Carrollton is a laid-back residential area known for its oak trees and landmark restaurants like the late-night Camellia Grill and the iconic Jacque-Imo’s, serving Creole cuisine.
Frenchmen Street
Frenchmen Street is in the 7th Ward of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is best known for the three-block section in the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood.
The Garden District
In the charming Garden District, oak-shaded streets are lined with a diverse mix of homes, from single-story cottages to the grand historic mansions and lavish gardens of St. Charles Avenue, on the Mardi Gras parade route. Leafy Lafayette Cemetery is filled with ornate, 19th-century tombs.
Cost Breakdown:
| UVM Tuition UVM Winter and Spring Break courses are part of your spring tuition bill. Undergraduates pay same full-time tuition if within 12-19 credit hours total. Graduate students pay by credit hour. | Enrolled in 12-19 credits: $0 Vermont Resident enrolled in more than 19 credits: $692 per credit hour above 19 Out-of-State Resident enrolled in more than 19 credits: $1,860 per credit hour above 19 |
| Program Fee Includes accommodations, group ground transportation, activities, entrance fees, and some meals. The amount billed to you by SFS on your Spring bill reflects the program fee minus $450 (non-refundable deposit) which you will pay upon acceptance. | TBA |
| Total Billable Amounts (paid to UVM): | Tuition + TBA |
| Estimated Out of Pocket Expenses Meals not included in the program fee, supplies, ground transportation not included in the program fee. | TBA |
| Airfare Estimated from BTV to New Orleans. If you will be departing from a different airport, your costs may be lower. Estimated with 1 carry-on bag. | TBA |
| Total paid Out of Pocket: | TBA |
Tyler Sonnichsen
Senior Lecturer, Department of Geography & Geosciences
Dr. Tyler Sonnichsen is a cultural geographer, historian, and musicologist whose research focuses on dynamics of intersections of place, culture, media, and memory.
His teaching experience has included a variety of introductory and upper-division courses on American Popular Culture, Environmental Justice, Geographic Research Methods, Gender, Urban Geography, Population Geography, Race & Ethnicity, and regional geographies of North America and Europe.