Environmental Studies Study Abroad Programs in Panama

Seamester is the educational adventure of a lifetime! For more than 40 years, we have offered unparalleled educational voyages where students spend a semester at sea sailing between islands, countries, and even continents. We design our programs to provide engaging learning experiences with real outcomes in ways that are impossible to replicate in the traditional classroom. Living as part of a close-knit team on an ocean-going vessel, our students learn fundamental lessons beyond academics: teamwork, leadership, and personal responsibility. They receive academic credit from the University of South Florida, along with PADI scuba certifications and IYT sailing certifications. Our programs are designed to inspire students to realize that it’s the journey, not the destination, that matters the most.

Explore rainforests, coral reefs, highland canopies, and mangroves while studying tropical conservation, marine ecosystems, and ecology. Conduct seven weeks of field studies in Panama and Costa Rica, gaining skills in biodiversity estimation, coral reef evaluation, mangrove carbon calculation, and species identification. In Panama City, a hub for international NGOs, study conservation topics like sustainable agriculture and ecotourism. Complete four weeks of independent research, participate in four homestays, and build Spanish skills through classroom learning, cultural immersion, and fieldwork. You may choose to do a minor in environmental science or conservation biology. MONEY MATTERS SIT has given an average of over $1.3 million in scholarships and grants to SIT Study Abroad students in recent years and is committed to ensuring you have the information necessary to apply for such funding. Our program costs include academics, excursions, accommodations, airport transfers, and health insurance. Meal arrangements vary by program. Be sure to discuss how study abroad costs are handled at your school with your study abroad advisor and read the website for more specific information.

From coral reefs and mangroves to the rainforest canopy, our field site in the heart of Panama’s Bocas del Toro Archipelago is surrounded by one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet. Against this backdrop, you will learn all about tropical rainforest and canopy ecology through a hands-on field course based at an active biological research station. Spend your days hiking forest trails, observing wildlife, learning to climb into the rainforest canopy, and experiencing up-close the many ecosystems that make this region so extraordinary. As the summer program progresses, you will build core field skills and work closely with faculty and classmates to investigate your own ecological research questions. Excursions across western Panama add additional depth to the experience, taking you to cloud forests, dry forests, and neighboring communities that reflect the incredible ecological and cultural diversity of the region.

Discover Bocas del Toro, Panama—an archipelago full of stunning biodiversity, from underwater reef ecosystems to rich green rainforests. The mix of cultures in Bocas is as eclectic as its diverse environments. Go behind the scenes in this “paradise” as you study the impacts of tourism and development on the island system’s ecosystems and human communities. Finish the semester by designing and conducting an in-depth field research project to examine sustainability issues through the lenses of policy, socioeconomics, and ecology. SFS students live and study at the Center for Tropical Island Biodiversity Studies, once a beachfront hotel that sits among the slender palms and warm sands of Isla Colón lies the Center. You’ll take your classes over the waves of the Caribbean and among the surrounding rainforests and reefs. The laid-back tourist hub of Bocas Town is a short taxi ride away, with access to shops, restaurants, and a vibrant culture as unique as the mix of people living here.