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Center for Outdoor Studies

Semester-A-Trail

Earn college credit while hiking the Appalachian Trail.

Get to know our previous hikers:

Semester-A-Trail Alumni

Make Your Education an Adventure of a Lifetime

The Semester-A-Trail Program is a unique opportunity for students who seek a learning experience that goes well beyond the classroom. Students in the program earn college credit while attempting a long-section hike of the Appalachian Trail. The experience offers students a synthesis of academic learning and outdoor adventure in an intensive, goal-oriented journey, immersing students in real-world competencies and challenges that build skills that last a lifetime.

Spring 2024 Cohort Enrollment Timeline:

  • March 1, 2023: Application for Spring 2024 Opens
  • October 15, 2023: Notification of Acceptance to Program for Spring 2024 (and earlier)
  • Early January 2024: Program Begins, Start of Spring Semester
  • Late April, Early May 2024: Program Culmination*, End of Spring Semester

*For those interested in a comprehensive thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, there is the option to continue hiking following the end of the spring semester.

Check out the most frequently asked questions here:

Read the FAQs

Have a detailed question? Contact us here:

Contact Us

 

If you are interested in applying to participate in the Emory & Henry Semester-A-Trail Program, please complete the application linked below after reviewing the program FAQs above.

Apply for Semester-A-Trail

“The Semester-A-Trail provides an excellent opportunity for meshing academic learning with a big experiential journey, a very physical journey that connects learning and growth to life.”  — Jim Harrison.

The Semester-A-Trail Program offers students the opportunity to build independent studies and projects with broadened field-based implications. 

  • Tilghman Moyer at a lookout on the Appalachian Trail.
    Tilghman Moyer at a lookout on the Appalachian Trail.
  • All gear provided by Semester-A-Trail.
    All gear provided by Semester-A-Trail.
  • Tilghman Moyer with Outdoor Program Director Jim Harrison and Sadie Burton.
    Tilghman Moyer with Outdoor Program Director Jim Harrison and Sadie Burton.
  • Sadie Burton in the Roan Highlands.
    Sadie Burton in the Roan Highlands.
  • Buzzard Rock on the Appalachian Trail.
    Buzzard Rock on the Appalachian Trail.
  • Appalachian Trail white blaze marker.
    Appalachian Trail white blaze marker.
  • Tilghman Moyer on Mt. Washington.
    Tilghman Moyer on Mt. Washington.

Beyond Academics, What’s Included?

  • Students in the Semester-A-Trail Program complete a wilderness first aid course
  • Students engage in immersive skill-building workshops and training
  • A complete hiking kit is provided that includes top-of-the-line backpacking gear and footwear
  • An on-trail hiking budget is provided
  • Program staff provide on-trail support for hikers
  • While on campus, students enjoy the College’s outdoor program facilities and activities

Dual-Enrollment

A student may transfer in from any college just for the Semester-A-Trail Program.  This option allows students to retain their enrollment privileges at their current academic institution while enjoying the benefits of being an E&H student.

Upon completion of the Semester-A-Trail, dual-enrollment students return to their institution of origin with the college credits earned during the Semester-A-Trail as quality transferable credits and newfound skills!

Top Story

  • <div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2889-emory-henry-only-college-to-offer-academic"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3000,2318/13900_Outdoor_Program-crop-2021-6.rev.1682599843.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3000,2318/13900_Outdoor_Program-crop-2021-6.rev.1682599843.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3000,2318/13900_Outdoor_Program-crop-2021-6.rev.1682599843.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3000,2318/13900_Outdoor_Program-crop-2021-6.rev.1682599843.jpg 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3000,2318/13900_Outdoor_Program-crop-2021-6.rev.1682599843.jpg" alt="Emory & Henry is now taking applications for the spring 2024 cohort of explorers in the Semester-A-Trail Program, the only program in..." width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3000,2318/13900_Outdoor_Program-crop-2021-6.rev.1682599843.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3000,2318/13900_Outdoor_Program-crop-2021-6.rev.1682599843.jpg 3x" data-max-w="3000" data-max-h="2318" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2889-emory-henry-only-college-to-offer-academic">Emory & Henry Only College to Offer Academic Credit for Thru-Hiking in the U.S. Two Options now Available for Students</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">From along the Appalachian Trail (A.T.), 25 Emory & Henry students earned college credit while studying in the great outdoors. They participated in the Emory & Henry Semester-A-Trail Program – the only program in the United States that offers college credit for attempting a thru-hike or section of the A.T. with an academic component and training. The College is now taking applications for the spring 2024 cohort of explorers.</span></p><a href="/live/news/2889-emory-henry-only-college-to-offer-academic" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
  • <div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2108-emory-henry-semester-a-trail-students-reflect"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/62/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2400/10521_Amara_photo_taken_in_Maine.rev.1637943318.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/62/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2400/10521_Amara_photo_taken_in_Maine.rev.1637943318.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/62/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2400/10521_Amara_photo_taken_in_Maine.rev.1637943318.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/62/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2400/10521_Amara_photo_taken_in_Maine.rev.1637943318.jpg 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/62/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2400/10521_Amara_photo_taken_in_Maine.rev.1637943318.jpg" alt="Amara Gardner in Maine on the Appalachian Trail with Emory & Henry College's Semester-A-Trail Program" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/62/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2400/10521_Amara_photo_taken_in_Maine.rev.1637943318.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/62/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2400/10521_Amara_photo_taken_in_Maine.rev.1637943318.jpg 3x" data-max-w="3200" data-max-h="2400" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2108-emory-henry-semester-a-trail-students-reflect">Emory & Henry Semester-A-Trail Students Reflect on Their Journeys</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail is a once-in-a-lifetime experience sought after by about 3,000 people a year. 3,000 people, and a few adventurous students from Emory & Henry College, a small liberal arts school located in Emory, Virginia, these students are participants in a Program called Semester-A-Trail.</span></p><a href="/live/news/2108-emory-henry-semester-a-trail-students-reflect" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>