A completed application must contain the following as a single PDF file:
- Application form (2 pages) – Moorea_2020_application form (download below).
- Statement of purpose (1 page), see application form
- CV or resume (limit, 3 pages)
- Transcripts (may be unofficial)
These documents should be combined into a single PDF file with the title, 'Moorea_2020_Yourlastname', and uploaded using the form at the bottom of this page.
COVID-19 Impact
Please note. Future foreign travel is uncertain. As of now, we are suspending plans to offer the Moorea Course Fall 2020. Please enroll in other campus courses for Fall 2020. If UC approves international travel by the end of the Spring Semester, we will at that point re-advertise and it will still be possible to change your enrollment to either ESPM C017 or IB 158LF. If you are interested in the course in Fall 2020 (should it be offered), please contact one of the professors, so that we can keep you updated: Stephanie Carlson, Cindy Looy, George Roderick, or Jonathon Stillman.
Additionally
Students are also required to obtain a letter of recommendation from a faculty member who is familiar with their work and can describe their ability to interact well with others in group settings. The recommending faculty member should email this directly to the course instructor (TBA), with the same subject header, Moorea_2020_Yourlastname.
Activity advisory
This is a field course that involves vigorous activities including hiking in forests and on steep trails and swimming and snorkeling in marine and fresh waters. Each participating student will also be required to have UC approved health insurance, complete a UC health clearance form 60 days in advance of travel, and take a swim test on Campus in the Fall, as well as a valid passport. The Gump Station User Guide includes more complete information.
Course Costs
Total course costs are estimated to be approximately $4,800 for housing, food, travel within French Polynesia, and course supplies and expenses. We may update this figure before the course interviews. This year we will not ask for a non-refundable deposit of $500 is typically due at the required class meeting near the end of the 2019 Spring Semester, if you are admitted to the course. The balance of these costs will be charged during the 2019 Fall Semester. In the past, students on financial aid have received financial aid for this course. Please check with the Financial Aid office.
Tuition and airfare from the Bay Area to Tahiti are separate costs, as are passport fees or any visa you may need (currently, a visa is not required for US residents). Check the web for current round-trip prices from San Francisco or Oakland to Papeete, Tahiti. You must have a US (or other) passport — valid until at least 6 months after you plan to return (May or later of the following year). If you are not a US citizen, please check the French Consulate website to see the specific visa requirements for your home country. We will discuss travel, passport, and visas (if needed), at our class meeting in May.
Enrollment
Students enroll in either ESPM C107 or IB 158LF, which are the same course. This course is the only course you can take during this Fall semester as it is taught mostly off-campus at the Gump South Pacific Research Station. You must enroll for the full 13 units and participate in both the lectures and field trips at UC Berkeley and the full field component at the Gump Station on Moorea. We are looking for the best students with relevant and broad academic interests. While we sometimes consider extraordinary freshmen and sophomores, this course is designed for students who have taken upper division science courses that will allow them both to get the most from the course and to contribute to the learning environment. Previous field experience is also desirable.
Risk & Responsibilities
Participation in a field course carries with it some increased risk of personal injury. Each participating student will also be required to have UC approved health insurance, complete a UC health clearance form 60 days in advance of travel, and take a swim test on Campus in the Fall. A valid passport is required, and if you are not from US or EU, possibly a visa.
Please read the Gump Station User Guide before your interview. It contains extensive info on Moorea, including health facilities, emergency contacts, and other services.