Global Opportunities
Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Students explore the ecology of Tiputini Station in the Amazonas Oriente region of eastern Ecuador — one of the most biodiverse places on Earth.
Students in the Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES) department expand their horizons through study and research abroad. These valuable opportunities offer our students personal growth, academic enrichment and the chance to explore the world while gaining hands-on experience across the discipline.
BEES students can choose from long-term and short-term study abroad opportunities. Long-term options, such as International Co-op, may offer up to six months of experience abroad. Short-term options, such as Intensive Courses Abroad, offer international academic experiences that generally span from 7-10 days during break weeks.
Read: Dragons Abroad Blog
Tropical Field Studies — September 3-18, 2022 | $3,060
The Tropical Field Studies course gives students hands-on experience in the ecology of tropical rain forests as they explore three sites at different elevations: the Amazon basin, a lowland global biodiversity hot spot in eastern Ecuador; a middle-elevation forest with many locally endemic species; and a beautiful cloud forest in the Andes mountains.
Students examine the physical and biological factors that result in the formation of these forests, and their impressively high biodiversity. They will also explore some of the key animal and plant players in these ecosystems and their complex interactions. We will consider the effect of human impacts on these forests, and how development processes affect local communities. Teaching methods include faculty and guest lectures by local experts, immersive hands-on field teaching modules, and developing a digital field notebook.
Deadline to Apply: May 2, 2022
Student outcomes:
- Gain a first-hand experiential understanding of the environmental factors that contribute to the formation of tropical forests and the ecological principles that govern their function.
- Obtain knowledge of tropical ecology through field studies in tropical forests.
- Develop an understanding of the challenges faced by tropical forest managers in light of modern development pressures.
Eligibility: Drexel sophomore, pre-junior, junior and senior students.
Experience Ecuador
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