Curriculum
The fall and spring semesters at IOI are run in affiliation with the University of Miami and its Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS) – one of the best and most renowned marine science schools in the country/world.
Tuition costs are standard UM tuition and financial aid applies if applicable. The program fee for the semester is comparable to UM room, board and semester living costs and covers housing in Galapagos, all meals, national flights within Ecuador (round-trip airfare between Quito and Galapagos), hotels, airport/ferry transfers and excursion costs.
Non-UM undergraduate students are welcome to join the program and are encouraged to apply.
The spring semester curriculum is geared for marine science and other basic science majors who wish to get a hands-on introduction to the geology, biology, ecology, oceanography and evolutionary history of the Galapagos Islands. All spring semester courses are taught by faculty of UM’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.
Upon arrival in the Galapagos, an initial Orientation period will provide an overview of local life, culture, economy, general behavioral briefings, adaptation and awareness training. This will be followed by classes taught in two week modules, with faculty rotating in and out for their individual courses. The total semester experience is twelve weeks with a one week break built into the schedule.
Preliminary Spring calendar 2011: January 17th – April 11th (15 credits total)
| 1/17 – 1/21 | General Intro to Galapagos |
| 1/24 – 2/4 | MSC 420 Galapagos Political Ecology |
| 2/7 – 2/18 | MSC 421 Terrestrial Biology and Adaptation: the plants, reptiles and birds of Galápagos |
| 2/21 – 3/4 | MSC 422 Marine Ecology of the Galapagos |
| 3/5 – 3/13 | Spring Break |
| 3/14 – 3/25 | MSC 423 Climatology, Oceanography and Conservation Biology of the Galapagos |
| 3/27 – 4/8 | MSC 424 Volcanoes and the Diversity of Life |
Course Descriptions
General Intro to Galapagos
An overview of local life, culture, economy, general behavioral briefings, adaptation and awareness training
Marine Science (MSC) 420: Political Ecology of the Galapagos
This field course in the Galapagos National Park offers a rare chance to examine the human interactions in this highly politicized landscape of conservation. Students practice the political ecology approach for doing ethnographic fieldwork and explore how it can lead to wiser resource management.
Marine Science (MSC) 421: Terrestrial Biology and Adaptation: The Plants, Reptiles and Birds of Galapagos
This course will examine the terrestrial plant and animal life of Isabela Island, discuss the biology and how it adapted to life on Isabela. Through field and laboratory exercises we will explore the power of organisms' DNA in shaping life into unique forms like those famously present in today's Galapagos.
Marine Science (MSC) 422: Marine Ecology of the Galapagos
This course focuses on marine ecosystems of the Galapagos, emphasizing near-shore environments. Topics will include how the unique location and oceanography of the Galapagos have shaped the species composition of resident and migrant marine animals. The role of genetic drift, local habitat characteristics and natural selection on marine ecosystems will be examined. This is a field intensive course with time spent in intertidal, near-shore and off-shore island environments.
Marine Science (MSC) 423: Climatology, Oceanography and Conservation Biology of the Galapagos
The Galapagos are located in a uniquely productive area of the sea, which has allowed the development of a rich and unique marine biota. The first week of the course will carry the students through the dynamic, climatic, and oceanographic circumstances that determine the unique character of the Galapagos. The second week will cover scientific evaluation of the threats to the marine biodiversity of the Galapagos, focusing on sharks, penguins, sea turtles and other at-risk species and habitats.
Marine Science (MSC) 424: Origin and Geology of the Galapagos Islands
This course will explore the origin and geology of volcanic oceanic islands, using the Galapagos Islands as a natural laboratory. Though all share a common origin in plate tectonic theory, each island presents a host of environments that originate in the processes of volcanic action, erosion and hydrology. Individual islands therefore develop distinctive ecosystems within which organisms interact and evolve. The emphasis of this course will be to lay out the underlying geological processes that have led to the formation of the islands and to their present state, and then to explore the ways the physical environment has influenced adaptation and biodiversity.
NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS
The Isabela Oceanographic Institute admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school administered programs.