SIT Study Abroad: Madagascar - Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management
- Location(s): Field Programs in Madagascar, Madagascar: Traveling in Madagascar, Madagascar
- Program Type(s): Study Abroad
SIT Study Abroad
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(For American Students)
Explore environmental challenges, conservation, and development strategies in Madagascar, a biodiversity "hot spot" island isolated from neighboring landmasses for more than one hundred million years.This program offers classroom and field-based i... read more
All Reviews
There were definitely some grittier/harder moments, but I honestly learned so much and grew a ton during my time abroad. Madagascar is so very different from the US and I had so many opportunities to develop my language skills while meeting people who come from such different walks of life. I feel so much more mature in my desir... Camille M - Wake Forest University View Entire Review
I loved gaining perspective on how people live in a completely different part of the world. Speaking French and Malagasy was a blast. A student - Middlebury College View Entire Review
This program was extremely worthwhile. I learned about the landscapes, biodiversity, and culture of Madagascar. I learned about the ways in which conservation can have dramatic impacts on local peoples and about the ways that America and other western powers can have major impacts on the lives of people all over the world. Ione H - Brandeis University View Entire Review
Absolutely worthwile. You will learn so much about your self and the world through going here and you can’t get really anywhere else in the world. It was the challenge that made it so incredible. Eli Susman - Middlebury College View Entire Review
I learned so much about myself and about Madagascar's people and culture. I became more independent and learned what living in a third world country is like. I also learned about the biodiversity in Madagascar and was able to study lemurs in the wild. Kate C - University of Tulsa View Entire Review
I would rank my experience in Madagascar as the number one most important decision I have ever made. I am not exaggerating when I think I thought about it every day for the first 2 years after leaving. I would literally trade anything to go back for one day. I gained so much knowledge not only about Madagascar, but about the wor... Sean D - Colby College View Entire Review
I gained relationships with Malagasy people who care very much about, and I made a few very tight friendships with other students. Additionally, I learned a ton during my ISP and cherish this new knowledge and appreciation of the subject I studied. A student - Duke University View Entire Review
I learned to deal with being the center of attention, and to deal with embarrassment, failing at silly little things. I also became so much more comfortable with talking to other people about myself. I found that my interest lies more with human lives than with the environment. I also saw how difficult and complex the problems f... A student - Middlebury College View Entire Review
I learned to look at other cultures from another perspective, and to not so easily judge. I also learned first-hand the hard balance between people and the environment, especially in third-world countries. It was definitely worthwhile. A student - Austin College View Entire Review
It was overall an amazing experience that's really hard to encapsulate in these questions. Everyone should do a program that puts them out of their comfort zone like this one does. Stuart F - Middlebury College View Entire Review
Absolutely worthwhile - a crazy roller coaster, but worth every minute. Natural resource management basically studies how to balance environmental and social welfare. You can't make decisions about protecting the environment without also helping the people that depend strongly on their ancestral lands - and "helping" is not gi... Carly G - Wellesley College View Entire Review
It was definitely an experience. It was great getting to see a completely different culture and language, as well as being able to use my French language skills. I got to incorporate biology and environmental studies into my work which was what I was looking for. It also made me really expand my horizons - we spent a week in a v... Sarah - Tufts University View Entire Review
I loved how to put myself into uncomfortable situations, or situations that I could be nervous about, and make the most out of it. I learned to not take myself so seriously. Lucy D - Middlebury College View Entire Review
Go with the flow, realize there are ways of living that are extremely different than the one in the States, learn some biological monitoring techniques, and practice your French. If you are looking for a challenge and something new, this program is definitely worthwhile. Gabrielle Jerz - Wellesley College View Entire Review
This program exposed me to a part of the world I had never experienced. I learned so much about the culture and about myself, and I loved it. Matia Whiting - Middlebury College View Entire Review
I gained a new perspective on social justice, environmentalism and on life in general beyond what I knew at home or even at school. I had travelled abroad before, but immersing myself in a culture that was so completely different from anything I had ever experienced before was both challenging and extremely valuable. Life is har... A student - Middlebury College View Entire Review
It was the best experience of my life. I learned about myself and about the world. It was absolutely worthwhile--it opened my eyes. Jack H - Brandeis University View Entire Review
I gained a new family, new friends, new opportunities, and new dreams and aspirations. I learned who I am and what I want to do with my life. I figured out my positives and flaws. I definitely feel like this programs was worthwhile and would encourage everyone to go. Though it is a hard program and not like any other study abroa... A student - Trinity University View Entire Review
Much deeper understanding of the interactions between Africa and the US/europe on many levels (mainly environmental). Very worthwhile. A student - Middlebury College View Entire Review
You can't really sum up what you "gain/learn" on this program in a little text box on an internet survey, but at the most basic level, how to be flexible and go with the flow, and to chose what is right. So incredibly worthwhile. Annika S - Middlebury College View Entire Review
I continue even now, three months later, to reflect on how Madagascar changed me as a person and how I view my life here in America. I can't say that this program made me understand where I am headed, but it definitely helped to define how I will move forward. I think on an academic level, however, the program could have been be... Langstaff T - Middlebury College View Entire Review
YES! One of the best, most intense experiences of my life. Lindsay W - Trinity University View Entire Review
As I mentioned, it was the best decision I made so far in my life. I gained a lot from this experience. I not only learned so much more about myself and my limits (which applies to every study abroad program), but it is huge factor in shaping my career and academic goals. I met some very amazing people on the program too. Lisa T - Tufts University View Entire Review
About
Explore environmental challenges, conservation, and development strategies in Madagascar, a biodiversity "hot spot" island isolated from neighboring landmasses for more than one hundred million years.
This program offers classroom and field-based instruction in natural and social scientific methods to encourage students to analyze environmental issues in an array of ecosystems — including rainforest, dry spiny thicket, alpine and transitional forest, savannah, gallery and littoral forest, mangrove, and coral reef — and within multiple economic, socio-political, and cultural contexts.
Major topics of study include:
- Lemur ecology
- Ethnobotany
- Marine studies
- Conservation and protected areas management in Madagascar
- Root causes of biodiversity loss, including mining and economic development, deforestation, slash and burn agriculture, and cash crop production
- Balancing environmental protection with livelihood needs from local to global scales
Program Type(s):
Study AbroadProgram Length(s):
- Fall
- Spring
Instruction Language(s):
- French
- English
Language Requirement(s):
- French
Relevant Study Subject(s):
- Natural Resources and Conservation
- Environmental Studies
- Environmental Science
- Biology and Biomedical Sciences
- Zoology, Animal Biology
- Ecology, Evolution Biology
- Marine Sciences
Website
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SIT Study Abroad Scholarships
SIT Study Abroad awards need-based scholarships and grants. We do not offer merit-based awards at this time. Average awards range between $500 and $5,000 for our semester programs, and between $500 and $3,000 for our summer programs. Our scholarships and grants are available to all students accepted into an SIT Study Abroad program irrespective of citizenship, national origin, or home school. We do not require a separate scholarship application for each scholarship fund; eligible students will be evaluated for all funds for which they are eligible. Please note: SIT Study Abroad scholarships and grants are only applicable to tuition and room/board fees billed by SIT Study Abroad. We do not award scholarships or grants to cover any other expenses, including, but not limited to, immunizations, visa fees, books, or study abroad fees charged by your home school. If your home school has an established billing agreement with us, it is your responsibility to communicate with your home school as to how your SIT scholarship or grant will be passed on to you by your home school. For a list of available scholarships and grants, click here.
$500 - $5000
