Education Abroad Program
Study abroad provides new academic insights, a broader understanding of other cultures, and the preparation to excel in the internationally competitive world. Many UCSB students spend a quarter or year abroad to benefit from new perspectives, approaches, and experiences in all subdisciplines of biology from biochemistry and molecular biology to ecology and environmental biology. From wildlife in South Africa to the Great Barrier Reef of Australia to rainforests in Costa Rica to biomedical and biochemical research programs in Sweden and the United Kingdom, EAP students are immersed in the study of the biological sciences around the globe. Special opportunities for field and laboratory study exist in many Education Abroad programs.
Many of these programs fulfill requirements in the various biology majors at UCSB. Programs in tropical field biology, environmental biology and marine biology are particularly popular among UCSB majors. Be sure to discuss any plans to participate in an Education Abroad Program with the Academic Advisors in Biology far in advance so that you can obtain the maximum academic credit for your courses.
Education abroad can be pursued through two different avenues, either directly through the University of California or through non-UC programs. The University of California Education Abroad Program, one of the largest and most diverse in the world, is tailored specifically to meet the needs of UC students and provides access to approved institutions and programs abroad. UC EAP advisors on each campus facilitate student participation and credit approval.
Please note: Usually there is a unit reduction regarding the units earned that apply to the major (e.g. 6.0 units earned but reduced to 4.0 units that apply to the major.) Units that are applied to the major are based on the contact hours for the class.
Costa Rica Monteverde Program
Monteverde's unique contrasting wet and dry forests present extraordinary opportunities to study plant-animal interactions, ecology, and natural history. Students on this program visitmarine habitats and lowland environments. Two of the larger reserves include the Monteverde Cloud Forest reserve and the Bosque Eterno de los Niños, which together provide a habitat and protection to more than 3,000 species of plants and a variety of Animal species including spider monkeys, quetzales, mountain lions, and tapirs. Strenuous hiking and rustic living conditions contribute to the rewarding nature of this program. See Resource Documents on right for major credit.
University of Queensland Marine Biology and Terrestrial Ecology Program
Students on this program study and live in the diverse marine ecosystems of Queensland. World-class research is conducted on such subjects as coral reefs, environmentally clean beaches, salt marshes, and more at the research stations and teaching facilities. EAP's program consists of lectures, laboratory studies, and extensive field study at the Heron Island Research Station on the Great Barrier Reef, the Moreton Bay Research Station, and other locations in costal Queensland. See Resource Documents on right for major credit.
UC Natural Reserve System Field Studies
This field course is designed to give undergraduates hands-on experience conducting environmental research. The class will visit up to six reserves over a period of seven weeks. Students will learn to perform a wide variety of field research techniques such as vegetation mapping and behavioral sampling, and apply these skills to several independent research projects. They will perform statistical analysis of their data, and present the results in the form of oral presentations and scientific papers.
