Students are encouraged to take advantage of the two study abroad programs described below. Students must apply for these programs through the Office of International Education and URI financial aid may be applied to their cost. For information about how to start the application process, contact Dr. Webb (URI in Bermuda Faculty Coordinator, SEA Semester Faculty Advisor) or watch for announcements from the Marine Biology Program.
URI in Bermuda (at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences [BIOS] formerly Bermuda Biological Station for Research). Spend a fall semester studying tropical marine biology in the lab and in the field (16-19 URI credits). Open Water SCUBA certification is required; Advanced Diving certification can be completed as part of the program. Requires Junior standing with at least a 2.5 GPA. Application DEADLINE is April 1 for the following Fall. This program is currently restricted to URI students majoring in the life sicences. Students at other universities should contact BIOS directly if they are interested in this program.
URI courses for which students will get credit:
- BIO 469 Tropical Marine Invertebrates (5 cr.; MB elective)
- BIO 475 Coral Reef Ecology (5 cr.; MB elective)
- BIO 495 Tropical Marine Biology Research (6 cr.; only 3 cr. may count as MB elective)
- AFS 270 Basic Scuba Diving in Science and Technology (3 cr.; free elective)
Woods Hole SEA Semester (Sea Education Association, Woods Hole, MA) - Spend a semester (fall or spring, 12 weeks) or a summer (8 weeks) studying oceanography, maritime studies and boat operations in Woods Hole (Cape Cod) and learning to sail and carry out oceanographic research on a working cruise aboard a tall ship in the Atlantic (SSV Corwith Cramer) or Pacific Ocean (SSV Robert C. Seamans). Academic credit (17 cr. in fall or spring; 12 cr. in summer) will be directly applied to a student's URI transcript. SEA representatives are on campus periodically to speak to prospective students. Students MUST apply for this program through URI's Office of International Education.
URI courses for which students will get credit:
- AFS 290 Small Boats (3 cr.; free elective)
- MAF 312 Politics of the Ocean (3 cr.; free elective)
- OCG 401 General Oceanography (3 cr.; required for MB major)
- OCG 493 & 494 Special Problems and Independent Study in Oceanography (4 cr. each, in Fall/Sp.) or OCG 493 Special Problems and Independent Study in Oceanography (3 cr., in summer), [in either case, a max. of 3 cr. may be applied to the MB major as MB elective).
In addition to the traditional SEA Semester program, "special" SEA Semester programs are now available. They are: "Documenting Change in the Caribbean" (a social science and humanities-intensive semester), and "Oceans and Climate" (for advanced science students). Consult the SEA website or contact Dr. Webb if you are interested in either of these special programs.
NOTE: Enrollment in SEA Semester is open to students over 18 years of age who are judged capable by SEA of benefiting from the SEA Semester experience regardless of major. Course work assumes sophomore level competence and academic credit (as described above). may be applied towards any program of study (including majors in Arts and Sciences and in Engineering).
Other Study Abroad Opportunities
The Office of International Education can direct students to dozens of other study abroad programs. In additional to traditional study abroad programs in Europe and elsewhere, Marine Biology majors have studied at James Cook University (Australia) and the University of Hawaii, and have participated in the National Student Exchange. |
