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Study in Poland - Plant Physiological Ecology
Program Information | Location Information | Courses Available | Eligibility | Costs | Deadlines & Dates | Orientation | Housing | What's Next? | Photos | Helpful Links
| PROGRAM TERMS | August 2009 Tentative program dates: July 21-August 23, 2009 |
| PROGRAM DATES | July 21-August 23, 2009 |
| CLASS STANDING | Sophomore, Junior, Senior |
| DEADLINE TO APPLY |
Friday, March 6, 2009 |
| FEES | Approximately $3,900 |
| FINANCIAL AID | Yes |
| GPA | 2.5 and one year college level Chemistry and Biology plus a course in Cell Biology or Ecology. Coursework in plant diversity, ecology laboratory, genetics, biochemistry, and/or evolution desirable, but not required. |
| LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION |
English |
Program Information
The University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) Swenson College of Science and Engineering in association with the UMD International Education Office (IEO) will offer a unique summer study abroad program at the University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland. The program is geared for biology majors, cell and molecular biology majors and environmental science/studies majors.
The course offered is BIOL 4807 Plant Physiological Ecology (4 credits) a lecture/laboratory/field study course presented at the University of Wrocław’s Institute of Plant Biology in Wrocław and the Storczk Ecological Field Station near the village of Karpacz in the Karkonosz Mountains. All instruction will be in English by Polish faculty. Students will also receive 4-6 hours of introduction to the language, geography, culture, and history of Poland (no credit). Two field trips and a weekend visit to Krakow and the surroundings (Wieliczka salt mine and Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum) are included. Weekends are free for independent travel.
Location Information
The city of Wrocław is the capital of Lower Silesia in southwest Poland. It is the fourth largest city in Poland with a population of 650,000. The city is at the foot of the Sudety Mountains along the banks of the Odra River. Odra’s many tributaries and canals help to form one of the country’s most beautiful cities, complete with 12 islands and 112 bridges. Wroclaw is interspersed with many green parks and open spaces, including Szczytnicki Park, which contains 370 species of trees and shrubs and a Japanese garden.
Wrocław, founded in the 10th century, is a major eastern European educational center with 13 academic institutions and over 125,000 students during the academic year (October to June). The University of Wroclaw is over three hundred years old. Nine graduates and professors of the university have received Nobel prizes and Charles Darwin and Johannes Brahms are among a long list of outstanding individuals receiving honorary doctorates.
The Storczk Ecological Field Station is located near the village of Karpacz, a mountain spa resort and winter sports center, located in southwestern Poland along the Polish-Czech Republic border.
Courses Available
Students will complete BIOL 4807 Plant Physiological Ecology offered in Wrocław, Poland, a 4-credit lecture/laboratory/field study course. All instruction is provided in English by the Polish faculty of the Wroclaw Institute of Plant Biology. The UMD catalog describes the course as follows: BIOL 4807 Plant Physiological Ecology offered in Wroclaw, Poland. Physiological mechanisms, which individual plants, plant populations, and plant communities have evolved in response to their abiotic and biotic environment. Integrated lecture/laboratory/field study course offered at the University of Wrocław Institute of Plant Biology in Wrocław and Storczk Ecological Field Station in the Karkonosz Mountains of southwestern Poland.
Students will also receive 4-6 hours of introduction to the language, geography, culture and history of Poland and Eastern Europe (no credit).
Eligibility
Admission to the program is competitive and limited to twelve students. Students must be in good academic standing with a minimum GPA of 2.5 and one year college level Chemistry and Biology plus a course in Cell Biology or Ecology. Coursework in plant diversity, ecology, genetics, biochemistry, and evolution is desirable, but not required. The program is geared for biology majors, cell and molecular biology majors and environmental science/studies majors.
Participants MUST have a passport, valid for at least 6 months after their return to the United States.
Costs
The program package is approximately $3,900. A non-refundable deposit will be due upon acceptance to the program. The remainder of the program fee will be billed through Student Accounts Receivable. The program cost includes: air transportation from Minneapolis/St. Paul to/from Poland; land transfers; tuition; international student insurance; university dorm housing (meals not included); 30 day Wroclaw bus/tram pass; several field trips (including Karkonoski Mountains National Park); pre-course orientation lectures on the geography, language, history and customs of Poland and eastern Europe; and a three day excursion (including lodging, transportation, admissions) to the historic city of Krakow and surroundings (Wieliczka salt mine and Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum.
Items NOT included in the overall cost include textbook and laboratory/field manual, meals ($8-10 per day), independent weekend travel expenses, Internet fee, daily living expenses, the cost of obtaining a passport .
Living expenses are estimated to be $400-$600. Individual weekend travel expenses are extra. Round trip bus/train fares will usually be $25-$150 for independent weekend travel to places Prague, Warsaw, Gdansk and the Baltic Sea Coast, Berlin, Vienna and the Carpathian and Sudety mountains.
Fluctuating currency exchange rates may increase or decrease the cost of your international experience. Financial aid may be applied toward the cost of the program if you are enrolled as a full-time student (6 credits is full-time for May/Summer). Study abroad scholarships are available for University of Minnesota students.
Deadlines & Dates
The registration deadline is Friday, March 6, 2009. Early application is strongly encouraged, as admission is competitive and limited to twelve students.
Tentative program dates are July 21-August 23, 2009.
Orientation
At least two pre-departure orientations will be held. The orientations will include information about financial aid opportunities, international travel insurance, class work and academic expectations, passport and travel documentation requirements, travel tips and the distribution of a study abroad handbook and other materials.
Housing and Meals
Participants will be housed in "suite-like" mini apartments in the University of Wrocław Student Residence Hall, Ołówek. Each apartment suite accommodates four students and contains a bathroom, mini-kitchen, and two bedrooms (two students per bedroom). Sheets and blankets are provided. Bath towels are not provided. The kitchen includes a mini refrigerator, sink, hotplate, and small dining table and several chairs. Dishes and cooking utensils are not provided. Food shops are located directly across from the dormitory and several inexpensive student "milk bars" are available in the area.
The Ołówek Residence Hall is a five-minute bus ride from the Institute of Plant Biology and a seven-minute bus or tram ride from the historic Wrocław city center and beautiful Market Square.
Participants will stay in hostel type communal accommodations located at the Ecological Field Station in Karpacz during their seven days of field investigations in the Karkonosz Mountains.
What's Next?
Before applying, it is a good idea to follow the steps under steps to studying abroad. The IEO website also provides extensive information on financing, scholarships, health & safety and other important information to consider when choosing to study abroad. When ready to apply, the UMD study abroad application form may be downloaded from the IEO website. Please complete the application with required accompanying materials and return it directly to IEO.
Contact Dr. Conrad Firling, Professor Emeritus of Biology, at cfirling@d.umn.edu or (218) 724-3611 for program, itinerary or academic questions. For application and registration questions, contact Leigh Neys in the UMD International Education Office (138 Kirby Plaza) at (218) 726-7053 or email: lneys@d.umn.edu.
