SFS-Peru: Amazonian Plant Biodiversity and Traditional Medicine
Program Details
| Program Location |
Tarapoto, Peru
|
| Sponsor |
School for Field Studies |
| Program Type |
Co-sponsored |
| Duration |
Summer
|
| Upcoming Program Dates |
| Summer 2026 |
06/01/26 to 06/30/26
|
Please Note: Programs may be altered or adapted with little notice
Overview
Explore the deep connections between medicinal plants biodiversity, indigenous knowledge, and health across the Peruvian Amazon. Deeply rooted in ancestral knowledge, traditional medicine is not just a package of healing practices but an expression of a holistic understanding of health that sees humans, non-human living forms, forests, and the spiritual realm as intimately interconnected. Through excursions, field visits, and conversations with local practitioners, students will learn how cultural and biological diversity intersect in approaches to healing. The program also critically examines how Indigenous knowledge is perceived within global biomedical frameworks, inviting dialogue between different ways of understanding health and the environment.
- Explore the rich biodiversity of the Amazon and its critical role in the development of traditional and modern medicines
- Identify, document, and analyze medicinal plants used in traditional medicine through guided forest walks and hands-on ethnobotanical fieldwork
- Learn directly from practitioners, healers, and herbalists about medicinal plants, recipes for remedies and holistic health concepts
- Investigate how cultural worldviews shape approaches to illness, healing, and ecosystem health
- Examine tensions and synergies between traditional Amazonian medicine and western biomedical systems through an intercultural lens
For more program information, please visit the
program website.
This program is sponsored by:
School for Field Studies.
Eligibility
The program is open to Purdue students in good standing who have completed at least two semesters of university study by the start of the program. Successful candidates will demonstrate academic success, maturity, and a desire to experience another culture.
GPA Requirement:
2.6 on a 4.0 scale
Language Requirement: none
Purdue Credit
Direct Credit
available from the following:
[
College of Agriculture]
Students interested in completing courses while abroad from Purdue colleges or departments that are not listed above should discuss this with their study abroad advisor before applying to the program.
Academic Program
This academically rigorous program follows a five-day/week schedule. Each program combines theory learned during classroom sessions with field-based applications. The interdisciplinary curriculum is designed to help students actively discover and understand the complexities of environmental, social, and economic issues in the Peruvian Amazon.
Major academic themes include:
- Botany, ethnobotany, and biodiversity
- Intertwined relationship between plant ecology and medicine, species co-evolution.
- Indigenous health paradigms and holistic models of wellbeing
- Contributions of traditional medicine to global biomedical science
- Intercultural health: bridging Indigenous and Western medical frameworks
- Biocultural conservation and human health rights
- Medicinal Plants and market-based ecosystems conservation
Excursions
You will visit different ecosystems and communities which may include mid- and low-altitude primary and secondary forest habitats, indigenous and local communities, regional conservation and health organizations and other locations where ecology and community wellness intersect. Note that this summer program does not contain a trip to the Peruvian highlands or to Cusco.
Housing
The SFS Center is located at a former retreat center in the city of Tarapoto.
Students will live in shared bunk rooms with 4-6 people per room. Rooms include shared closert, desk, and fan but do not have A/C. Rooms have en-suite bathrooms.
The SFS Center also has a student lounge, shared student kitchen, a trail system, patio with rocking chairs, classroom, library, dining room, washing machine, and staff offices and housing.
Estimated Program Costs
Students pursuing program participation accept financial responsibility. Purdue will take measures to mitigate financial risks, although will not be liable for loss. Students should carefully note what costs need to be paid to Purdue University or to a co-sponsor or agency, and what costs need to be paid at the overseas study location. This will vary by program. Included in program and housing costs are program advising and orientations, tuition and research fees, airport transfers, housing and meals during program time, field excursions and cultural activities, official transcript processing, and evacuation and 24/7 support in case of emergencies.
Costs for this program are estimated and subject to change. The cost figures listed below are
for: Summer 2026
|
Costs per term to be billed by Purdue
and Co-sponsor
|
| Program Fee |
$4,950.00
|
| Study Abroad Fee |
$609.40 |
| Housing |
$1,750.00 |
| Purdue International Insurance (per month) |
$32.00 |
|
Approximate additional costs per term
|
| To be paid by the student.
|
| Round-trip Airfare |
$1,200.00 |
| Meals |
$250.00 |
| Miscellaneous Personal Expenses |
$0.00 -
$1,650.00 |
| Travel Documents (passport, photos) |
$175.00 |
Financial Aid
All students are encouraged to apply for SFS financial aid. Financial aid applications are reviewed on a rolling basis starting in February for summer programs, April for fall programs, and September for spring programs. Early submissions are welcomed. Students who submit an SFS financial aid application by the payment deadline will be considered for the full range of aid options.
For more information, visit the SFS website.
Purdue University financial aid may be applied to the costs of studying abroad. Students interested in receiving financial aid should
NOTE: Recipients of certain tuition remission and scholarship programs should pay careful attention to the regulations for using those benefits for study abroad. Ask your financial aid advisor about any limitations.
Click here for a list of scholarships and grants available to assist with the costs of studying overseas.
Application Deadlines
For full consideration, students must submit all supporting documents (typically an essay, transcripts, 1-2 recommendations, and copy of passport) before or by the application deadline. Popular programs fill quickly, often before the deadline. To ensure a place in a program, apply early.
As soon as a student submits an online application, a My Study Abroad account is created. Applicants should consult this page often to check on the status of the application.
| Program Application Deadline
|
| Summer Programs |
Mar 1 |
Returnees Information
Click below to search for Purdue students who have participated in this program and are willing to be contacted. If you get no results, you can use the search form to find people who studied in the country you are interested in.
Resources
The websites listed below contain information about this program. The accuracy of information at external sites cannot be guaranteed.
For more information on this program, please contact the Study Abroad Office by phone (765) 494-2383
or email
studyabroad@purdue.edu.
