The OTS Admissions team was thrilled to welcome 15 students from across the United States and Guam, Costa Rica, and South Africa for our Tropical Biology on a Changing Planet and African Ecology and Conservation Fall 2025 undergraduate semester programs, and our next cohort of students arrived in January.
We are very excited to announce a big update to our South Africa summer practicum offerings. In partnership with South African National Parks, Vet Impact Africa, and the Urban Wildlife Information Network, OTS will be run a field-focused veterinary research practicum that focuses on veterinary practices and disease ecology in and around Kruger National Park. Meant for students interested in veterinary sciences and disease ecology, this 4-week practicum will blend in-depth theoretical lectures, hands-on practical training, and participatory veterinary work experience, with impactful, solution-driven project work. This practicum is open to undergraduate and graduate students. Applications are open now.
In more exciting news, the Admissions team is excited to share that we have updated our application process. Students applying for any undergraduate course will now be able to submit all their supporting documents through a new application portal. Additionally, we are now able to open applications earlier for our semester programs, which will now allow students to apply up to a year in advance. These changes have been made to simplify the application process and allow students to better map out their university experience. Further, it allows us to align ourselves with the internal processes at many of our partners and sending universities.
Applications are now open for all Summer 2026, Fall 2026, and Spring 2027 undergraduate programs! Semester programs include African Ecology and Conservation and Tropical Biology on a Changing Planet. Summer programs include Tropical Biology (Costa Rica), Fire, Elephants, and Biodiversity (South Africa), and our Pre-Veterinary Practicum (South Africa). Additionally, applications are also open for both sessions of our Applied Bioacoustics in Conservation in Theory and Practice (South Africa) short course and many of our summer 2026 graduate courses. Details about how to apply can be found on our website or by reaching out to the admissions office at undergraduate@tropicalstudies.org. We look forward to meeting you in the field!