The Office of International Education

URI in Bermuda Program - Marine Biology

Program Overview

The URI in Bermuda Program is a semester-long immersion into the study of marine science with a program of classwork and research in the setting of an active tropical oceanographic research laboratory at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) in St. George’s, Bermuda. In addition to academic pursuits, a semester at BIOS will expose students to a unique research environment as the institute is a residential community of researchers.  Students not only study and work with active scientists, but eat meals and socialize with faculty, graduate students and technicians who are part of the community at the facility.

The program in Bermuda is offered during the fall semester only. The term is split into two sections, with the first 10 weeks devoted to in-depth study of a set curriculum of courses. The last four weeks are entirely committed to an independent research project developed by each participant.

Academics

Partcipants earn URI credit and grades while participating on the program and enroll in the following:

BIO 469 - Tropical Marine Invertebrates (5) - Prerequisite: BIO 360

BIO 475 - Coral Reef Ecology (5) - Prerequisite: BIO 262

BIO 495 - Tropical Marine Biology Research (6)

AFS 433 - Research Diving Methods (3)

Eligibility Requirements

Limited number of spaces available, admission to the program is a competitive process.

• 2.7 GPA on a 4.0 scale
• Junior or Senior standing
• Working towards a Bachelor of Science or a degree in Marine Biology
• C+ or higher in prerequisite science courses (BIO 262 & 360)
• AFS 270 - Basic Scuba Diving in Science and Technology or Basic Scuba - Open Water Certification
• Successful interview with URI in Bermuda Program Faculty Coordinator, Dr. Jacqueline Webb ( Dr. Lane for the fall 2013 application cycle)
• After conditional admission, successful completion of URI Introduction to Scientific Diving Workshop

Important Program Dates and Deadlines - this program only runs during the fall semester.

Program Costs ( All fees subject to change)

**May be waived with proof of insurance and completion of waiver.

NOTE: Additional costs include airfare (est. $500), Divers Alert Network membership/insurance (est. $50) ground transportation, passports and visas, personal expenses.  In addition, students are required to participate in the URI Introduction to Scientific Diving Workshop offered each May prior to the the start of their program (est. $105).

URI In Bermuda Scholarships

URI/BIOS Participant Grant

Qualified URI participants will automatically receive a $3,000 scholarship if they meet the following criteria:

• Junior or senior class standing at URI
• Life Science Majors at URI (e.g, Marine Biology, Biology, etc.)
• A cumulative GPA of a 2.7 or higher

BIOS Incentive Scholarships

If 10 or more students from URI enroll in the Fall Semester Program, each student will receive a $500 University Enhancement scholarship, which will result in a reduction in the cost of the semester in Bermuda. If 14 or more URI students enroll in the Fall Semester Program, each student will receive an additional $200 ($700 total) Special Enhancement scholarship, which will result in further reduction of the cost of the semester in Bermuda.

The Grant and Incentive Scholarships are not cash awards. The scholarships come in the form of program fee reductions. Based on the total amount of scholarships awarded by BIOS, each URI student’s Program Fee will be reduced accordingly. The URI Office of International Education will notify students of their final program fee once the total number of fall participants has been confirmed.

Housing and Meals

• Shared rooms - double and triple occupancy w. access to shared bathrooms
• Meals are included and are served three times daily. 

Information for Fall 2013 Applicants

URI in Bermuda Infosession

All fall 2013 applicants should attend the information session to obtain an overview and updates on the upcoming program.

Date:  Tuesday, January, 22, 2013

Time: 3:00pm - 4:00pm

Location:  Room 252, CBLS

Interview with URI in Bermuda Faculty Coordinator

Potential participants must successfully complete an interview with the Faculty Coordinator,

Dr. Lane, before meeting with the URI Office of International Education staff to start an application.  Faculty Post-Interview Form

Application Process

After completing an interview students should complete the online General Information Session and then contact the Office of International Education to schedule an advising appointment at: 401-874-5546

Program Timeline and Diving Forms

Due to the fact that SCUBA diving is an essential component, it is important that program participants meet program specific deadlines that are necessary to  comply with institutional regulations and safety standards. Fall candidates should review the "Additional Requirements to Comply with Diving Standards and Safety" document.

Mandatory URI and BIOS Diving Forms

Before permission is granted to dive under the auspices of URI and the URI in Bermuda Program, the URI Diving Safety Officer (URI/DSO)/Diving Control Board and the BIOS Diving Safety Officer (BIOS/DSO) must ensure that participants meet the mandatory diving requirements established by each institution.  Participants must complete and submit the "URI in Bermuda Student Diving Information Packet," and supporting documents to the URI Office of International Education by April 15th.

URI Introduction to Scientific Diving Workshop

All URI in Bermuda participants must successfully complete the URI Introducation to Scientific Diving Workshop organized by the URI Diving Safety Officer. The dates for fall 2013 participants:

Date: May 10 & May 13-15, 2013 ( May 16, 2013 Inclement weather back-up)

Time & Location: See details here.

Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences

After programs admission, addtional materials are provided to program participants by the URI Office of International Education and the BIOS Education Department staff.  The information provided will assist students in preparing for their semester in Bermuda.  Prior to that time, potential applicants can learn more about BIOS by visting their Fall Courses or Visiting Information webpages.

More Information

General Program Questions:

Tom Hospod,

URI Office of International Education

tomh@uri.edu, 401- 874-5546

Academic Program Questions:

Chris Lane,

Assistant Professor, CELS-BIO

clane@mail.uri.edu , 401-874-2683

Diving Questions:

Anya Watson,

URI DSO

anya@uri.edu, 401-874-6205