Madagascar: Ecology and Conservation

  Madagascar

Fort Dauphin

Term: Fall, Spring 
Dates: September to December/Februrary to May

Description: The School for International Training's Study Abroad programs offer field-based study in over 57 countries. Students earn 16 semester credits on a 15-week experience designed to encourage a global awareness that enables people to live in an interdependent world. Groups of seven to 25 students are led by one or two academic directors.

Nearly 175 million years ago, Madagascar separated from the African landmass and drifted toward its present location. Uninhabited by humans until 2,000 years ago, the island's isolated evolutionary path gave rise to unique groups of plants and animals, including more than 30 species of lemur, two-thirds of the world's chameleons, 1,000 species of orchids, an array of baobabs, and the xeric vegetation of the spiny desert. More than 80 percent of Madagascar's flora and fauna are endemic, making the island's contribution to the world's biodiversity immeasurable, and its conservation a global priority.

Ever-increasing demands on Madagascar's natural resources have led to rapid deforestation, erosion, and sedimentation of coral reef-mangrove complexes. Today, the Malagasy people face the challenging task of managing unique ecosystems that have provided them with food, fuel, and shelter while fulfilling the needs of a growing population.

Prerequisites: Previous college-level coursework and/or other significant preparation in environmental studies, ecology, biology, or related fields, as assessed by SIT. Three recent semesters of college-level French or equivalent and the ability to follow coursework in French, as assessed by SIT.

Highlights: Four-week homestay in Fort Dauphin and one-week in a rural village. Educational excursions to Spiny Desert, Ranomafana rain forest, and the Great Barrier Reef of Tulear.

Cost in US$: contact sponsor

Experience Required: yes

Previous college-level coursework and/or other significant preparation in environmental studies, ecology, biology, or related fields, as assessed by SIT. Three recent semesters of college-level French or equivalent and the ability to follow coursework in French, as assessed by SIT.

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Transcript
• Written Application

Post Services Include:

• Exit DebriefingAbroad
• Alumni Network
• Job and Internship Network

SIT Study Abroad's Mission Statement: SIT Study Abroad is the accredited higher education institution of World Learning, a private, nonprofit international organization promoting international and intercultural understanding, social justice, and economic development through education, training, and field projects around the globe. SIT prepares students to be interculturally effective leaders, professionals, and citizens through SIT Study Abroad, undergraduate, field-based academic programs operating in more than 50 countries worldwide, and thorough short-term professional training and graduate degrees in language teaching, conflict transformation, international education, social justice in intercultural relations, management, and sustainable development.

Year Founded: 1932