Location:

Antarctica, Antarctica

Program Type:

Study Abroad

Degree Level:

Undergraduate

Term:

Winter Semester

Program Overview

Program Description:

Imagine visiting the coldest, windiest, driest, highest, quietest, most remote, and least understood continent on Earth and one that is undoubtedly the most fascinating to the human imagination. During the field study we will spend 10 days aboard an Antarctica cruise liner to explore the Antarctic Peninsula and another 3-4 days exploring the natural and cultural systems of Tierra del Fuego and the tip of South America. December is summer in the southern hemisphere, though temperatures will vary considerably. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Students in Brockport’s Antarctica program will earn 6 upper-division credits (3 credits for an online portion during fall semester and 3 credits for the faculty-led, 2-week, Antarctica “field trip”).

Students on the Brockport Antarctica program will be traveling with students from Oregon State University and Virginia Tech through the American Universities International Programs consortium. Students must attend mandatory weekly lectures during the Fall (available anywhere via webcast), prepare a research essay in the area of their primary interest, and then participate in a 2 week field study in Antarctica and Ushuaia, Argentina.

Top reasons to choose this program:

• Where else would you have the chance to see huge glaciers rolling into the sea, vast penguin colonies, whales, seals, orcas, icebergs, and more?
• Few people ever have the chance to visit the remote and beautiful White Continent. For those of you seeking an adventure - this is your ultimate chance.
• Our expedition ship has a fleet of Zodiac landing crafts, which allow us to take daily excursions ashore onto the continent for spectacular scenery and close encounters with wildlife.
• Experience 24 hours of daylight - take stunning photos at midnight and spot wildlife at all hours of day and night!
• Antarctica has the world's greatest concentration of wildlife in the world. It is perhaps the last true wilderness left on our planet.

Course description:

Students will receive 6 upper-division credits in the subject of Sustaining Human Societies and the Natural Environment upon completion of this course. We encourage students from all majors to apply, as we take an interdisciplinary perspective to examine contemporary issues in Antarctica. Antarctica has been described as the "coldest, windiest, driest, highest, quietest, most remote, and least understood continent on earth". It is also one of the most fascinating to the human imagination. This study abroad course explores the Antarctica and adjacent sub-Antarctic region (such as Tierra del Fuego and the Southern Ocean), including its history, geology, climate, and marine and terrestrial biology. Special attention is given to contemporary legal, psychological, and anthropological aspects of human activity in the region, conservation of ecosystems, and sustainable use of natural resources.

Housing:

During your visit to South America and Antarctica, you will stay in comfortable condo-style accommodations (on land) and cabins (at sea) with the rest of the students in the group. You will get the chance to make life-long friends with others in the group, and our accommodations adds to this experience. If you are traveling with someone, you may request to room with that person for the duration of the trip. Most meals are provided during the program. Although dietary restrictions are met to a degree, it may not be possible to find provisions for every dietary need on the ship or in Argentina.

Student Testimonial: "I was able to get up close and personal with penguins, whales, seals and a vast array of birds. I spent a night sleeping in a hole on a glacier. I did a polar plunge in an active caldera. I got to experience ten days at sea abroad a Russian research vessel. I hiked in one of the most beautiful national parks in South America. In addition to visiting Antarctica, I was able to spend time in Ushaia and Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. I got to experience "last chance" tourism in Ushuaia, which is a port city at the southernmost part of South America where many expedition cruises to Antarctica set out from. I also learned a lot about myself from being on a ship for ten days without any other outside human contact." -Kari Stoelting

Additional Program Information

Requirements:

Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior or Graduate 2.5 GPA