SFS-Kenya: Endangered Species

Program Details

Program Location Kimana, Kenya
Sponsor School for Field Studies
Program Type Co-sponsored
Course # SA 35004
Duration Semester
Upcoming Program Dates
Spring 2025 01/26/25 to 05/09/25
Current Program Dates
Fall 2024 08/31/24 to 12/12/24
Page Links
Click here to apply for this program!
Please Note: Programs may be altered or adapted with little notice

Overview

In Kenya, the survival of several endangered, threatened, and vulnerable species hinges on the availability of all critical resources. Here, in the heart of the Great Rift Valley, climate change and land use adjustments are negatively affecting Kenya’s ecosystems and those living in them. Research the root causes of these changes and how different conservation strategies can benefit both humans and wildlife.

  • Spend your semester in the world-famous national parks and stunning landscapes of Kenya while studying the country’s diverse wildlife and engaging in hands-on conservation research.
  • Visit multiple wildlife conservancies and orphanages, learning how experts care for and use technology to steward lion, white and black rhinoceros, elephant, zebra and other wildlife populations.
  • On a multi-day camping trip, explore Amboseli National Park – widely regarded as the best place in the world to observe free-ranging elephants.
  • On another multi-day camping trip, explore Maasai Mara National Reserve which hosts the 7th wonder of the world where wildebeest migrate.
  • Spend the day with a local Maasai family and learn about their culture, history, daily life, and relationship with nature.
  • Conduct a comprehensive field research project: Develop a research question, collect and analyze data, write a paper, and present your findings.
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: 2.8 on a 4.0 scale
Language Requirement: none


Purdue Credit

Direct Credit available from the following: [College of Agriculture] [College of Liberal Arts]

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

On the Endangered Species program, you will take three 4-credit disciplinary courses, one 2-credit language and culture course, and a 4-credit capstone Directed Research course. Courses are participatory in nature and are designed to foster inquiry and active learning. Each course combines lectures, field exercises, assignments, tests, and research. All courses are taught in English.

Read more about SFS Directed Research projects.


Excursions

You will visit different ecosystems and communities which may include: the vast savannas at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro, national parks and wildlife management areas in the Amboseli-Tsavo ecosystem, ranches and farms, rural villages, acacia forests, a rhino sanctuary, Indigenous communities, the rugged wilderness and peaks of the Chyulu Hills, and wildlife migratory corridors.

Housing

The Center lies in the heart of Kenya’s Rift Valley, nestled between three world-famous national parks. The snow-capped peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro towers over miles of savanna, replete with a diversity of wildlife. Students and staff live on a sprawling, grassy campus made up of traditional thatched bandas (cabins) and a central chumba (main building), just down the road from the small town of Kimana.
  • Dorm living with 4-person bandas
  • Chumba contains classroom, computer lab, and study spaces
  • Kitchen and dining hall, on-site cooking staff
  • Campus offers amazing views of Mt. Kilimanjaro
  • One-mile running trail on campus
  • Volleyball, soccer, Frisbee, and fire pit

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.
The program fee includes: tuition, all meals, local travel, and class-related excursions/field trips.

Costs for this program are estimated and subject to change. The cost figures listed below are for: Fall 2024

Costs per semester to be billed by Purdue and Co-sponsor
Program Fee $20,200.00
Study Abroad Fee $914.10
Housing $5,300.00
Purdue International Insurance (per month) $32.00

Approximate additional costs per semester
To be paid by the student.
Round-trip Airfare $2,000.00
Visa $105.00
Miscellaneous Personal Expenses $0.00 - $2,100.00
Travel Documents (passport, photos) $175.00

Financial Aid

SFS offers many scholarships and/or 0% interest loans (no FAFSA form required). Please see the SFS website for more details.

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
Fall Semester Programs Mar 1
Spring Semester Programs Sep 15



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.