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Tropical Ecology Maymester
The Costa Rica Ecology Program is an interdisciplinary tropical field course involving study of tropical environments, their natural history and their people. The approach is hands-on, with an emphasis on developing skills of observation, analysis and critical thinking, and learning to apply those skills in carrying out original research in the field.
While many participants will be from Ecology, students from other disciplines are strongly encouraged to apply. In previous years, participants have represented biology, genetics, geography, Spanish, Latin American studies, education, landscape architecture, anthropology, journalism, horticulture, art, and international agriculture, among other fields.
Host Country
The program will take place in Costa Rica. Located between Nicaragua and Panama in Central America, Costa Rica is a small country known for its pioneering role in tropical conservation, its peaceful, democratic traditions, and its commitment to education, health, and diplomacy. Costa Rica is the only country in the Western Hemisphere without an army. Only 1/3 the size of the state of Georgia, Costa Rica is home to some half a million species—about 4% of the species on the planet.
Faculty
Dr. Diana Lieberman
liebermv@racsa.co.cr See Diana's bio here.
Tel/Fax in Costa Rica: 011-506-645-5890
Courses
Participants will normally earn 8 semester hours. Students will enroll under the following course numbers:
ECOL 3510 Ecology Laboratory (3 credits)
ECOL 4960 Ecology Research (2 credits)
MARS 4510 Field Methods in Marine Science (3 credits).
Prerequisite
GPA: Good standing; BIOL 1107/1108; selection based on application, letters of reference, and interview. No previous background in Spanish is required.
Optional Post-course Credit
Students may remain in Costa Rica after the end of the program, in consultation with faculty, for advanced credit. Post-course activities could include continuing research projects (including thesis research), internships, homestays, community service, conservation work, and travel. Note that participants who undertake post-course programs remain subject to the guidelines of the University of Georgia, the Office of International Education, and course faculty.
Cost
The program cost is approximately $2800. Airfare and UGA in-state tuition are additional.
Included in this estimate are: All lodging, meals, ground transportation, guest lectures, excursions and group activities, entrance fees, cultural events and fiestas, most optional activities, laundry, welcome dinner and farewell banquet, medical insurance, and airport departure tax. Not included are: airfare, personal supplies, telephone, and incidentals.
***Note: Out-of-state students pay in-state tuition. The HOPE scholarship applies.
Payment Methods & Schedule
The program fees will be charged to your student account. You may pay online with a credit card or mail a check to the Office of the Bursar. Access your student account here.
| March 5th |
$300 |
Deposit due with application. |
| March 31st |
$1250 |
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| April 30th |
$1250 |
Final balance due. |
Through the UGA Costa Rica Office flexible payment options for program fees are available. The balance MUST BE PAID IN FULL before your program's departure. Please contact Matt Stevens for more information at 706-425-3316.
Tuition is not included in the program fee and will be posted to your student account as well. If you receive a scholarship or financial aid please notify the UGA Costa Rica Office if any payments will need to be submitted after the deadlines. Tuition payments must be paid in full a week before your program's departure.
Non-UGA Student Costs & Transient Application
An additional application and $50 processing fee is required for non-UGA students to enroll. Click here for instructions and to download the Transient Student applicaiton. Contact the UGA Costa Rica Office to confirm when you have started the application process.
Non-UGA students will be charged $250, in addition to their tuition, for their non-UGA student accounts through the UGA Bursar’s office.
Application Process
To apply, students must submit a complete application, transient application (if applicable) and a $300 deposit. No application is complete without the deposit, which will be deducted from the total cost of the program. Deposit will be made payable via the UGA student accounts system the week following submission of this application. The deposit will be refunded if the applicant is not accepted, or if the applicant withdraws by the program's withdrawal deadline. Transient students need to include a check for the deposit amount along with their application, click here for complete instructions for transient students.
Enrollment is limted to 24 qualified students.
Target Dates / Deadlines
Application & $300 deposit deadline: March 5th, 2010
Withdrawal deadline: March 19th
After this date students who withdraw from the program will be responsible to cover program setup costs that have been spent on the student's behalf, i.e. hotel reservation, transportation and other payments to local vendors.
Final Balance Due: April 30th, 2010
Contact Us
Drs. Diana & Milton Lieberman, Ecology Program Directors, at liebermv@racsa.co.cr or
Email Matt Stevens at ugacr@uga.edu or call 706-425-3316. |
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