Description

The Tropical Ecology and Conservation study abroad program in Monteverde, Costa Rica is designed for students with biology-related majors who have completed at least one year of introductory biology and one elective in ecology and seek intensive, sophisticated tropical field and course work in Costa Rica from both theoretical and taxonomic perspectives. All biology courses are taught in English.

Academic Program
The CIEE Study Center in Monteverde began as a summer program in 1989, then in 1996, a semester program was added to the offering. The Tropical Ecology and Conservation program is geared to biology and related majors who have completed an introductory biology sequence and one of the following electives: animal behavior, conservation biology, ecology, or evolution. The academic content of the program is designed to challenge participants to immerse themselves in the study of tropical ecology and conservation through rigorous classroom work, including exposure to taxonomy, reading of scientific journal articles, and academic lectures. The program also offers students unique field opportunities, including two extensive field trips in different Costa Rican ecosystems, the Panamanian coast, and the possibility of pursuing a directed independent research project. All courses, except the Spanish language course, are taught in English.

Academic Culture
The small, rigorous courses with a biological focus are offered for CIEE students only and incorporate extensive travel, research, and field study. U.S. and Costa Rican biology professors teach and evaluate students in both the classroom and on field trips. Students should expect an academically intense experience and should be willing to learn in a variety of settings, including classrooms, beaches, waterfalls, and treetops. The biological station that houses the program abuts a large, stunning forest contiguous with the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, the major tropical mountain forest research center in the Western Hemisphere. Together, the various Monteverde forest preserves make up over 25,000 hectares (57,000-plus acres). Students have a unique opportunity to study in a comfortable facility close to this spectacular biodiversity. Unlike other programs, the Tropical Ecology and Conservation program in Monteverde is housed alongside the biodiversity that participants will study every day. One wakes to the sounds of Howler Monkeys, not to city traffic noise. Courses run from 8AM to 6PM daily but no two days are exactly the same.