Academics

Academic Programs

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: ecology, evolution, animal behavior, or conservation biology. 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 such as 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 and the possibility to pursue a directed independent research project. All courses, except the Spanish language course, are taught in English.

The small, rigorous courses with a biological focus are offered to 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 intensive experience and should be willing to learn in a variety of settings, including classrooms, beaches, waterfalls, and treetops.

Classes are held with CIEE students only so they are quite small and dynamic. There is no direct enrollment with local students.

A listing of courses can be found at:   CIEE - Costa Rica

Resident Director
Dr. Alan Masters, B.A. in Biological Sciences from Illinois State University, M.S. and Ph.D. in Zoology, University of Florida, has researched in Monteverde for over 20 years and has worked with the program since 1996. His work with chemical defense in butterflies brought Alan to Monteverde in 1983 as a graduate student. Dr. Masters did a post doctorial program at Princeton University in 1991 and has taught biology at both Princeton University (1995) and the University of Florida.

Registration and Credits

Students participating in this program will be registered at the University of Oregon and will receive UO credits for courses taken in Monteverde. The student's course work will be reviewed and evaluated by appropriate academic departments at the UO. Students must keep detailed records of course outlines, reading lists, exam results, and other work completed to facilitate accurate evaluation by the academic departments at the UO.

Students are responsible for making sure that the courses they plan to take in Monteverde will meet major and minor requirements. Students are advised to consult with their academic advisor about their plans to study in the CIEE Costa Rica program.

Course Equivalencies

Only those courses that have been taken by UO students in the last seven years are listed on the equivalency sheet. Courses that do not appear on this sheet will need to be approved for UO credit.

CIEE - Costa Rica Equivalencies

Host Program Website

For general information on the CIEE - Costa Rica program:   http://www.ciee.org/

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