Required courses
There are three required courses for a total of 9 credits that provide formal training: BIOL 553 and two other courses which are offered in alternate years.Ìý Field trips and transdisciplinary approaches are structuring elements of these courses.
Hands-on experience in an internship setting is gained through the Research in Panama course ENVR 451 (6 credits).Ìý It consists of an independent studies project organized around multidisciplinary environmental issues. The nature of the project centers on practical environmental problems and questions important for Panama; students form teams that work with Panamanian institutions (NGO, governmental or research).
Please note that the courses differ slightly from year to year.
Students from all Faculties are welcomed.ÌýThe only prerequisite is a working fluency in Spanish ( or or equivalent) and a statistics class (Ìý´Ç°ùÌý or equivalent).
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Courses offered each year (9 credits)
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BIOL 553
Neotropical Environments
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Biology (Sci): Ecology revisited in view of tropical conditions. Exploring species richness. Sampling and measuring biodiversity. Conservation status of ecosystems, communities and species. Indigenous knowledge.
Offered by: Biology
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024 academic year
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ENVR 451
Research in Panama
6 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Environment: Research projects will be developed by instructors in consultation with Panamanian universities, government agencies and non-governmental organizations. Project groups will consist of four to six students working with a Panamanian institution. Topics will be relevant to Panama: e.g., protection of the Canal watershed, economical alternatives to deforestation, etc.
Offered by: Bieler School of Environment
- Winter
- Restriction: students in the Panama Field Semester program. Offered in Panama only
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024 academic year
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Courses offered in alternate years (6 credits)
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Winter 2024
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HIST 510
Enviro. Hist. of L. Am (Field)
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: Human-nature interactions over different scales of time in Latin America (with an emphasis on neo-tropical environments) and the application of the historical perspective to contemporary environmental issues, including historiography and
methodology; cultures of environmental knowledge.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- This course will be offered in Panama as part of the Panama Field Studies Semester. Language of instruction is in English but fluency in Spanish is required for the fieldwork component of the class.
- Prerequisites: HISP 218 or HISP 210 or equivalent proficiency
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2024 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024 academic year
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AGRI 550
Sustained Tropical Agriculture
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Agriculture: Contrast theory and practice in defining agricultural environmental "challenges" in the Neotropics. Indigenous and appropriate technological means of mitigation. Soil management and erosion, water scarcity, water over-abundance, and water quality. Explore agro-ecosystem protection via field trips and project designs. Institutional context of conservation strategies, NGO links, and public participation.
Offered by: Plant Science
- Prerequisites: HISP 218 or equivalent; MATH 203 or AEMA 310 or equivalent
- Restriction: Restricted Enrolment. Location in Panama. Student must be registered for a full semester of studies in Panama
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2024 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024 academic year
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Winter 2025
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NUTR 341
Global Food Security
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Nutrition and Dietetics: Food insecurity is one of the most critical issues humanity has faced in history. The magnitude of this phenomenon, reflected in its worldwide presence and in the number of individuals affected, makes it an imperative component of all nations' and of all internaltional agencies' agendas. Its complexity of determinants and its numerous consequences require the involvement of multipe disciplines and sectors. McGill undergraduate students as future professionals tackling global issues require an integrated and multidisciplinary training on food security.
Offered by: Human Nutrition
- Corequisite(s): NUTR 207 or permission of Instructor
- Terms
- Instructors
- Hugo R Melgar-Quiñonez
- Hugo R Melgar-Quiñonez
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GEOG 498
Humans in Tropical Envirnmnts
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Geography: Focus on understanding of inter-relations between humans and neotropical environments represented in Panama. Study of contemporary rural landscapes, their origins, development and change. Impacts of economic growth and inequality, social organization, and politics on natural resource use and environmental degradation. Site visits and field exercises in peasant/colonist, Amerindian, and plantation communities.
Offered by: Geography
- Winter
- 6 hours lecture for 4 weeks, 3 hours seminar, 2 hours laboratory, 8 hours conference
- Restriction: Location in Panama. Student must register for a full semester of studies in Panama
- Prerequisites: HISP 218, MATH 203 or equivalents
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***Note that B.Sc. students - only - may qualify for the B.Sc. Global designation. Verify the eligibility and application process.
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