** There are currently no active application cycles for this program.

Field of Study

• Biology
• Botany
• Ecology
• Environmental Studies
• Latin American Studies
• Marine Science
• Political Science
• Spanish
• Zoology

Location(s)

• Galápagos, Ecuador
• Quito, Ecuador

Language of Instruction(s)

• English
• Spanish

Minimum GPA: 2.5

Minimum Classification

• Sophomore

Language Level Required Prior to Program:

0 semesters

Program Type: Affiliate Program

Internship: Yes

Website Link: http://www.sit.edu/ece

Housing Options

• Host Family
• Hotel/Hostel

Study Abroad Advisors

• Jacob Howle
• Morgan Trevino (ENGR)

Scholarship Available: Program Specific, Study Abroad Competitive Scholarship

Program Sponsor: SIT/World Learning

Ecuador: Comparative Ecology and Conservation

Explore tropical ecosystems, conduct biological fieldwork, and study conservation in one of the world’s most biodiverse countries.

Program Highlights

• Study biological and ecological sciences in one of the most biologically diverse countries on the planet.
• Visit the high sierra of the Andes, the cloud forests of the Chocó, the Amazon basin, and the Galápagos Islands.
• Live like a biologist: study plants and insects, take soil samples, conduct species counts, use mist nets, and observe birds.
• Live and study in beautiful Quito, surrounded by mountains called locally “la cara de Dios”—the face of God.
• Improve your Spanish in class, in homestays, and on excursions.

Please visit the SIT Study Abroad website for details on the program courses (including syllabi), educational excursions, and housing.

Independent Study

During the final four weeks of the program, you can choose to use your new language and cultural skills and the academic knowledge you have acquired to complete an Independent Study Project (ISP) on a topic of interest to you.

The ISP can be conducted throughout Ecuador based upon requests from local activists, NGOs, and communities. You should plan on completing an ISP that is rooted in the biological, ecological, and/or environmental sciences.    

Sample Topics:

• Biodiversity studies and population assessments
• Use of biological/ecological indicators for environmental studies
• Flora or fauna monitoring for conservation purposes
• Geology related to ecology and conservation
• Endangered species
• Protected area management

Key Topics of Study

• Ecology/biology of Ecuador’s four distinct ecological regions: the Andes, the coast, the Amazon, and the Galápagos Islands
• Major plant and animal biological indicators and ecological adaptations
• Forestry and field techniques, research analysis and bio-statistics
• Local natural resource use
• Ecuador’s current environmental challenges.

Money Matters

Be sure to discuss how study abroad costs are handled at your school with your study abroad advisor.  

SIT tuition and room and board fees include the following:

All educational costs, including educational excursions

• All accommodations and meals for the full program duration
• Transportation to and from the airport, and on all educational excursions
• Health and accident insurance

Scholarships:

• SIT awards nearly $1.6 million in scholarships and grants annually.
• All scholarships and grants are need-based.
• Awards generally range from $500 to $5,000.  
• The SIT Pell Grant Match provides matching grants to all students receiving Federal Pell Grant funding when it is applied to an SIT Study Abroad semester program. 
• Contact the financial aid and/or study abroad office(s) at your college or university to learn if your school’s scholarships and grants and federal and state aid programs can be applied to an SIT Study Abroad program.

Contact SIT Study Abroad

• Visit our website: studyabroad.sit.edu
• Request more information or email us: studyabroad@sit.edu
• Call an admission counselor: 888-272-7881
• Contact a former student.
• Apply to SIT