University of California, Santa Barbara
AC-5: Immersive Experience

UCSB has two immersive experience programs focused on sustainability. The first is UCEAP (University of California Education Abroad Program) which offers a variety of programs for students to study abroad. The second is the Wildlands Studies program. The following are the programs offered by UCEAP which focus on sustainability: Israel: Ben Gurion University of the Negev BGU, a world leader in sustainability research, offers the Sustainable Development and Environment Track, with a required research seminar and field study, plus other related courses. Students study the ecological, economic, social, cultural, demographic, and political aspects of sustainable development in the Middle East. New Zealand: Sustainability - Sciences & Environmental Management, Lincoln University Students explore New Zealand while studying topics such as agroecology, GIS mapping, biodiversity, and resource assessment, among many others. Courses at Lincoln University are firmly anchored in the needs and issues of the real world, and professors at Lincoln focus their knowledge and research on contributions to sustainable management and conservation of land, water and air, and the country's natural resources. Australia & Solomon Islands: Pacific Island Environmental & Community Health This program allows students with a deep commitment to service and sustainability have the opportunity to engage with development issues facing fragile Pacific island environments. Students undergo six weeks of intensive training at the University of Queensland and further study at the Solomon Islands National University (SINU) to ground them in the specific environmental and health challenges facing the nation. In the final phase of the program, students undertake group research projects as they work alongside SINU students in the communities of the Western Province. The full program is 11 weeks long during Spring. Engineering for Sustainability, Munich Univ. of Applied Sciences The Munich University of Applied Sciences program is characterized by its focus on sustainability and green technology, a practice-oriented approach to learning, and close ties to local businesses and firms. Course topics may include: Smart Vehicles, Gas Turbines, Internal Combustion Engines, Embedded Systems, Smart Environments, and Sustainable Entrepreneurship. The program is only offered to students during the Summer. Socio-Ecological Sustainability in Southern Chile Set in the south of Chile on the forested shore of Lake Villarrica, this multi-disciplinary program guides students through considerations of sustainability with reference to the natural ecosystems, the perspectives of the indigenous Mapuche community, the agricultural interests, the logging industry, and the potential for a growing tourist trade. Planning for sustainable development is the challenge in which students participate alongside professors who have chosen to teach here because they are dedicated to the area and all of its inhabitants. Costa Rica: Tropical Biology & Conservation, Monteverde (Quarter or Semester) Students take advantage of the unique opportunities of this quarter-long or semester-long program in Monteverde, a rural community of Costa Ricans and North Americans who share a bicultural and bilingual lifestyle in a growing eco-tourism area. Located between seasonally dry Pacific slopes to the west and the tropical rain forest of the Atlantic slope to the east, the area's unique contrasting we​t and dry forests present extraordinary opportunities to study plant-animal interactions, ecology, and natural history The above programs are within a program guide given to students by UCSB to show what partnerships are offered and communicate opportunities to students. UCSB is regularly recruiting students to participate in these programs as well. Wildlands Studies offers field study courses focused on particular projects relating to environmental issues and the communities they affect. Courses are offered all over the world and the majority range from 6 to 7 weeks long. Groups of students are led by professors/researchers who engage a group of students in field study research and learning during the program. Many of the Wildlands Studies projects involve students backpacking and camping for the majority of the program. Wildlands Studies offers UCSB students 15 quarter units of academic credit for 6-7 week programs and assigns letter grades to students, based on field exercises, group presentations, written exams, a term paper, entries in a field journal, and participation. The Environmental Studies Program at UCSB has had a long partnership with the Wildlands Studies Program and consistently sends several students to it each quarter. UCSB guarantees the transfer of academic credit from the program and supports recruitment events on campus. UCSB sent 71 students in the 2015-2016 academic year, 45 in 2016-2017, and 51 in 2017-2018 so far with the number expected to increase.