From Rainforest to Reef: Wildlife Medicine & Conservation in Belize

Discover the rich diversity of Belize while working in collaboration with the Belize Wildlife and Referral Clinic. Be introduced to the major ecosystems in Belize, the plant and animal organisms inhabiting these areas, and the strategies employed by biologists and environmental resource managers. Learn from and with the staff through hands-on labs and excursions. During this section of the program, past labs have included everything from spay and neuter to a VIP behind-the-scenes tour of the Belize Zoo. Visit an Iguana Project and Baboon Sanctuary.

Travel to coastal Placencia where you will have the opportunity to experience the incredible marine life up close, while attending daily lectures on marine animal zoology and physiology.

Check out the Belize Wildlife and Referral Clinic Facebook page, or view captioned photos from previous programs.

The deadline for this program is October 1, 2026.

You will earn 3 credits for CFANS 3529. This course has been approved for the Global Perspectives theme and the Environment theme. This course will meet online starting the week of December 27th for class and then will depart for Belize on January 2nd.

If you are interested in animal science, wildlife conservation, or sustainability, you will benefit most from this experience and are given priority enrollment. However, the program is open to learners from all disciplines.

For complete course information, see a sample course syllabus (PDF).

Melissa Palmer is an assistant professor of Animal Physiology in the Department of Animal Science. She teaches Human and Animal Physiology with corresponding laboratory component, Biotechnology, People and the Environment and Orientation to Animal Science.

Past excursions have included the Belize Zoo, Belize Wildlife Refuge Center, coastal Placencia, and the Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education.

Contact Vanessa Walton from the CFANS Office of International Programs with your questions. 

Program Alumni Contacts

• Ilona Zhukouski—May 2026, Animal Science BS, Chemistry Minor

Program fees can vary widely due to location, cost of living, airfare, and program inclusions. The program fee generally includes tuition, airport transfers, in-country program-related transportation, housing, some meals, entrances to course-related excursions and site visits, program administration, and international health insurance. Generally, the program fee ranges from $7,500–$8,500. You must also budget for airfare, passport and passport photos, some meals, textbooks, independent travel, and miscellaneous living expenses.

An updated version of the program cost for Winter Break 2027 is forthcoming.

Note: If you have enrolled in the diving option, you must upload your Open Water Diving Certification and Diving Insurance (DAN) by November 15, 2026. Failure to do so will result in you being moved to the snorkel track with no fee reduction to reflect this change.

The application fee, deposit, and program fee are charged to your UofM account. 

The College of Food, Agricultural & Natural Resource Sciences offers grants for study abroad programs.

The Learning Abroad center also offers financial aid and scholarship opportunities.

All applicants are charged a $50 non-refundable application fee by the Learning Abroad Center. Once you confirm your participation in the program, you will have a $825 non-refundable deposit charged to your student account. If you cancel your application before October 15, 2026, you are responsible for the non-refundable deposit. If you cancel your application on October 15, 2026 or later, you are responsible for the non-refundable deposit and any non-recoverable fees.

In the event that the CFANS Office of International Programs (OIP) is forced to cancel this program, you will receive a full refund of your application fee and deposit if you are both accepted and confirmed to the program. In the event that you have started the on-campus portion of the program, but international conditions do not allow for travel, as per University of Minnesota policy, you will be provided with the ability to complete the course and recoverable fees will be returned to you.

You have the option to appeal the CFANS OIP cancellation policy when canceling from a program for extenuating circumstances. Refer to the Learning Abroad Center's refund appeal process for details and the form to submit. The review and decision will be made by CFANS OIP, not the LAC refund appeal committee.