Environment and Development in the Brazilian Amazon

Summer 2009 closed

(This program will not be offered during the summer of 2008)

3 weeks (mid May to early June)

Sponsored by the College of Social Science

Arranged through the Office of Study Abroad (OSA)

What's this program about?

In the last few decades the Amazon region has attracted a lot of attention as it contains one of the last large rainforests in the world while at the same time being transformed by regional economic change. This geography-based social science study abroad program is about understanding how people live in the Brazilian Amazon region and will focus on reconciling regional economic development with environmental sustainability. Through service-learning, various field excursions, readings, lectures, and discussions we consider how the need to provide livelihoods for local people can be met while at the same time protecting a global resource, the Amazon rainforest.

Where does it take place?

The program will take place in the Brazilian portion of the Amazon Basin, specifically the cities of Manaus, Amazonas State and Santarém, Pará State.

We will start in Manaus, a large city located in the middle of the rainforest, with several days of initial lectures and excursions. Then we will head downriver for four days on an Amazonian boat, which will also serve as our hotel. During this time we will visit communities and a large bauxite mine.

We will then spend the rest of the program in Santarém, a friendly city of 300,000. There we will interact with local college students, spend time visiting the rainforest, old rubber plantations, and various other locations that demonstrate the tension of reconciling environmental protection with economic development. In Santarém we will stay in a small family-run hotel, as well as several days with a local family.

What can I study?

Students will be required to enroll in four (4) credits from the following course offerings:

GEO 454	The Geography of Environment and Development	3 credits
GEO 490	Independent Study in Geography	1-3 credits
SSC 496	Field Study in the Social Sciences	1-3 credits
Pending approval:
ISS 310	People and the Environment	4 credits
ISS 330C	Latin America: Social Science Perspectives	4 credits

Students should note that the level of activity for this program is strenuous. The Amazon is a tropical rainforest region with constant high temperatures and levels of humidity. Although hotels and some buildings are air-conditioned, we will be working and walking outside for portions of every day, and you need to be able to tolerate the heat and humidity.

Course prerequisites may apply; see Course Descriptions (on the MSU Website) or program leader for details.

Eligible participants in this program must be highly motivated and have a genuine interest in issues of environment and development.

Students must be of at least junior status and in good academic standing, with a grade point average of at least 3.0 at the time of application. Meeting this minimum grade point average does not, however, guarantee admission.

Additionally, students must submit an essay with their application stating why they wish to participate in this program and will be asked to participate in a selection interview.

The rigorous field study activities during the program will require students to be at a reasonable level of physical fitness. The Amazon is a tropical rainforest region. Students will need to be able to tolerate constant high temperatures and high levels of humidity.

Applicants’ participation may be denied or their participation approval may be revoked if their conduct before departure raises doubts as to their suitability for program participation.

Where will I live?

Students will reside in family-style hotels, Amazonian boat, and a homestay.

Who can tell me more about this program?

Organizer and main instructor:
Antoinette WinklerPrins, Associate Professor
Department of Geography
207 Geography Building
Phone: (517) 432-7163

Do I need a passport or visa?

U.S. and non-U.S. citizens need a valid passport both to enter other countries and to return to the United States. If you already have a passport, make sure it is valid until at least six months after your return date. If you must apply for or renew a passport, APPLY EARLY, since a minimum of twelve weeks are usually required for processing. During peak travel seasons, more processing time is required. Passport forms are available at many federal and state courts, probate courts, some county/municipal offices and some post offices. They can also be downloaded from the Web.

For more information about passports visit the web page.

A visa is official permission granted by the authorities of a country where you will study or travel that allows you to enter and remain in that country for a specific purpose. The visa itself is frequently a stamp in your passport, not a separate document. You will need a passport before applying for a visa and the passport plus visa process may take several months, so start early. It is your responsibility to inquire about visa requirements for all countries you plan to visit while abroad; this includes countries that you plan to visit before or after your study abroad program.

A valid passport and visa are required for students participating in this program. Faculty leaders will assist students in obtaining their visa once they have been admitted into the program.

Are there special health issues?

As part of your acceptance you will complete a Student Health/Emergency Treatment Authorization. It is your responsibility to ensure that your routine immunizations are up-to-date; inquire whether there are recommended and/or required immunizations for the country/countries you will visit (including any countries you will visit that are not part of the study abroad program’s itinerary); and review educational issues relevant to your personal health and safety.

Students participating in this program are strongly encouraged to receive a series of immunizations specific for travel within the Brazilian Amazon region. Students should schedule an appointment to be seen at a travel clinic at least 4-8 weeks before the program to inquire about the recommended and/or required vaccines you may want to consider before departure.

For further health information and recommendations visit the "Health Issues" section of the Student Handbook.

How much does it cost?

The program fee in 2007 was $2,674 and included the following:

Amounts not included in the program fee for which participants will need to budget include:

NOTE: This program will not run in 2008, but is expected to be offered during the summer of 2009.

Students may request a cost sheet which estimates these additional expenses not included in the program fee by contacting the Office of Study Abroad at (517) 353-8920.

Approximately two months before the program’s departure date, students will receive an e-bill from the MSU Student Accounts Office for the study abroad program fee. Students will also be e-billed for tuition and fees, based on the number of credits taken, once they have enrolled in courses. (Both amounts may be billed at the same time.)

*Check Student Accounts for current tuition, fees and taxes. MSU students pay the same amount they would pay to study at MSU; non-MSU students pay the Lifelong Education rate.

Program fees, dates, and arrangements may be subject to change due to unexpected circumstances.

How can I get help to pay for it?

Financial assistance is available to students who make appropriate arrangements with the Office of Study Abroad (OSA) and MSU’s Office of Financial Aid.

If you are an MSU student and indicate on your application that you plan to use financial aid to pay for your study abroad experience, OSA will forward an estimated cost sheet to the MSU Office of Financial Aid for processing. This form will include all anticipated costs associated with the program, including airfare.

If you are a non-MSU student, please request financial aid from your home university. If your university is unable to award you financial aid, contact the MSU Office of Study Abroad to apply for loans only and you will be provided with instructions on how to proceed.

For further information about financial aid, visit the Web page.

Additionally, MSU students applying to any credit-bearing study abroad program are eligible for OSA Scholarships. Some scholarships are based exclusively on academic performance; others are based on a combination of academic performance and financial need. Requirements are listed in the scholarship application. The deadline to apply for these scholarships is March 1st for summer programs.

A generous endowment from the MSU Federal Credit Union, as well as additional resources provided through the MSU Alumni Association, the Australia-Pacific Council, Eleanor and Charles Greenleaf Sr., Brigitte and Thomas Huff, the Georges Jules Joyaux Memorial Fund, the Kellogg Foundation, Charles and Marjorie Gliozzo, and contributors to the Overseas Study Endowment provide funding for these OSA scholarships.

For even more MSU scholarship opportunities through individual colleges or external scholarship possibilities (including funding for Multicultural students) visit the web page.

How do I apply?

You can apply online or download an application form.

Applications must be received in the Office of Study Abroad by March 1st for summer programs. We strongly recommend that you apply early as this program may fill to capacity prior to this deadline.

Selection of applicants is done on a rolling admission basis - that is, applications are accepted and students are evaluated and considered for admission throughout the academic year. Please remember that applying early and meeting the minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee admission.

A $100 application fee is required. Students will receive an e-bill for the application fee that is applied to the cost of the program and is non-refundable once a student has accepted admission into the program. Students who have accepted admission may also be billed for a non-refundable and non-transferable $200 deposit, also applied to the cost of the program.

Students who wish to withdraw their application are required to notify the Office of Study Abroad, in writing, that they no longer intend to participate.

Acceptance to all programs is based, minimally, on a faculty review of your transcript and a review of the Judicial Affairs Office records (MSU students) or Dean of Students Reference (non-MSU students).

Details about the admissions process, pre-departure information, what to know while you’re abroad, and information about returning home can be found in the Study Abroad Student Handbook that will be sent to you with your acceptance letter.

Program fees, dates, and arrangements may be subject to change due to unexpected circumstances.

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