Description
The Tropical Ecology and Conservation program is designed to give biology and related majors a clear understanding of tropical ecology and its conservation. The goals of the program are to offer students a comprehensive view of the tropical systems through theory, empirical patterns, hands-on exposure, taxonomy of major groups, and direct experimentation. These goals are achieved through science coursework in English, Spanish language courses, and travel to various ecosystems. Conservation is stressed and combined with language and culture.

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.

Subject Areas
Biology (General), Ecology, Environmental Studies, Humanities, Independent Study, Spanish and Tropical Biology

Cost Includes
The CIEE fees for 2010 include tuition, scientific equipment and lab fees, housing, all meals, transportation to/from the Biological Station in the Cloud Forest, optional on-site airport meet and greet, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, field trips (including an extensive trip to Panama to observe marine diversity in the coral reefs off the Bocas del Toro Islands), national park entry fees, outdoor camping equipment, field house lab access, a comprehensive student handbook, pre-departure advising, and a CIEE iNext travel card, which provides insurance and other travel benefits.

This Program is open to
Worldwide Participants.
.

Participants Travel to Costa Rica
Independently

Scholarships Are Available
 - We have several scholarships that students can apply for. Contact CIEE for details.

CIEE's Mission Statement
Since 1947, the Council on International Educational Exchange, known as CIEE, has been in pursuit of its mission, "to help people gain understanding, acquire knowledge, and develop skills for living in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world. Our services to young people studying, working, teaching, and traveling abroad are more important than ever.