GEOL 4018: University of Puerto Rico Summer Geological Field Course

SUMMARY

The University of Puerto Rico 6-credit summer geology field course has been offered for over 35 years in the tropical US territory of Puerto Rico.  The Caribbean island's diverse geologic substrate provides an excellent natural laboratory for teaching undergraduate students the skills of planning, carrying out, and communicating earth science field work.  

Primary foci of the course include bedrock and geomorphic mapping techniques in addition to integrated, harmonious GIS application along an active plate boundary.  Students will gain exposure and experience with marine terraces, carbonates, volcaniclastic rocks, serpentinized peridotite, skarn deposits, intrusive igneous rocks, and more.

WHO CAN ENROLL?

Any student in Puerto Rico, the continental United States, or any where else in the world may enroll.  UPRM is a fully accredited 4-year institution and course credits transfer within and outside of the United States.  US citizens do not need any passport or special permission to travel to Puerto Rico.  International students need a passport and visa to enter the US.  

The course is intended for geoscience majors but is open to other students with a sufficient background in core geology courses.  The suggested pre-requisites are standard Mineralogy, Petrology, Structural Geology, and Stratigraphy courses offered in geoscience curricula.  Special considerations may be made on a case by case basis.

LOGISTICS

LANGUAGE

The professors offer most instruction in English but Spanish is often used as well.  Language is not a barrier for any English or Spanish speaker.  

TRAVEL

Students are responsible to make their own travel plans to arrive in Mayagüez before the first day of the summer session.  Flights to San Juan (SJU), Aguadilla (BQN), and Ponce (PSE) arrive from continental connections and the municipal Mayagüez airport (MAZ) receives multiple flights from SJU daily.  See map below. Ground transportation to Mayagüez can be arranged for any students arriving to BQN or MAZ in the days before the course begins.  

COURSE ORGANIZATION

For 2026, the course will be based around 25 contact-days.  Each day is considered the period from 7:30am - 4:30pm.  Generally, students will meet at the Department of Geology each morning and board university transportation to the field area of the day.  However, some mapping projects will require overnight (1 or 2 nights) camping. The course will not meet on Saturdays, Sundays, or holidays listed in the university's academic calendar.  

The course will begin with a focus on methods and safety for geological field work.  Mapping projects will include sedimentary/quaternary area, metamorphic area, volcanic area, economic geology area, and intrusive area.  These mapping areas will be distributed around the island (see stars on map below).  Individual field trip days will highlight the island's karst region, geological hazards, and tectonic history.   Please see chart below for a sample course calendar (subject to change).

TUITION (2024 information) - Update coming soon!

In September of 2020, the Univ. of Puerto Rico central administration announced that out-of-state and international students would pay the same tuition rate as in-state students. 

The course is charged for 6 credits and associated fees.  The tuition rate during summer 2024 will be $157 per credit (UPR cert. 2021-2022-163) or $942 for the course tuition.  There are also additional fees (maintenance, technology, lab) around $200 in total.  Out-of-state students also pay an additional $500 course fee.  Final tuition amounts and registration fees are subject to alteration and approval by the university administration at any time.

HOUSING

Our on-campus Hotel Colegial dormitory style lodging is highly recommended, but not required.  Please check back soon or contact us for more details.  Each student will be responsible for arranging and financing their own housing. 

MEALS

No meals are included in the course tuition or fees.  Students should bring their own portable lunch each field day.  There is a large grocery store immediately across the street from the university campus, in addition to may other local markets, stores, online food delivery (e.g. DoorDash) etc.  Field days are typically 7:30am - 4:30pm. 

COST (based on 2024 rates)

An estimate for total costs for an out-of-state student is provided here:

2026 rates will be updated soon!

Application = ~$50

Tution = $942

Fees = $200

Out-of-state student course fee = $500

Housing = ~$800

Meals = ~$600

Round trip airfare to/from Puerto Rico = ~$800

Total estimate based on 2024 rates:  ~$3900

Keep in mind that this is an estimate based on projections and is not a fixed, guaranteed amount.  The cost of each out-of-state student's airfare, meals, and housing can vary.  Each student enrolled in the course is required to have a health insurance plan and this cost is not included in the above estimate.

WEATHER

June and July in Puerto Rico are hot but not unbearable.  The high temperatures are moderated by the proximity to the ocean. Day time temperatures are around 90F and nightly low temperatures are around 75F.  Humidity is high.  The rainy season really picks up in August but afternoon showers can be strong during the whole year.  If at all, tropical storms usually pass during September, not during June.

VEGETATION

Puerto Rico is home to diverse micro-climate zones and a consequence of this are varying types of vegetation. In the more arid mapping areas, we will encounter large cacti and thorny scrub.  While there are no native poisonous animals in the island, there are some types of plants that can cause allergic reactions (similar to poison ivy or poison oak) if handled.  The course instructors will help orient students to know which plants should be avoided. 

HEALTH and SAFETY

Safety is our top priority in all field settings.  No student will ever be alone in the field.  Because of this reason, participants have a field partner.  We also use location-tracking phone applications for extra safety consideration.  Phone signal is not perfect but serviceable in most sites.  A field vehicle is present at all times should an emergency arise.  All field trip sites and field mapping areas are within a short distance of roads and local communities.  Each mapping area is within 30 minutes of a regional Medical Center.  On campus, we have a medical clinic available for basic needs.  Like all universities, a requirement to register for classes at UPRM is to have health insurance coverage and standard vaccinations up to date.

When we travel with our students on departmental field trips, we suggest that all participants acquire travelers' insurance.  These types of plans cover a much wider range of things that can happen than regular health insurance.  These plans include various personal injury, loss of possessions, airline issues, etc. and range between about $150-$250 for a six week period.  One company that we have used in the past is World Nomads but there are many options to suit your individual circumstances.  This coverage is not required to enroll in the course but is highly recommended.

FIELD DAYS

Field days are Monday - Friday with weekends free.  The general schedule will be from 7:30am to 4:30pm each day. Optional field trips to sites of interest (caving, waterfalls, beaches, coral reefs, cultural sites, rainforest, etc.) may be organized for free days.  The last field day will be two days before the final mapping project materials are due.

SPECIAL CONCERNS

Only a valid ID like a driver's license is necessary to travel to PR. If using a driver's license, we encourage that it is REAL ID compliant. 

There are no special health requirements for travelers to Puerto Rico.  Mosquitoes are present but not more prevalent than in the southern US.  Consumption of food and local municipal water is safe and regulated by similar standards in the continental US.  

All continental US phone carriers function in Puerto Rico without additional service fees.  Mail can be sent and received via the US Postal service or other providers like FedEx or UPS.

The University of Puerto Rico Department of Geology summer field course is conducted in an environment with respect for participants from varying ethnic backgrounds, life experiences, sexual orientation, and/or gender identification.

APPLY

Please fill out this Pre-application form and contact professor Raiza Quintero (raiza.quintero@upr.edu) or Thomas Hudgins (thomas.hudgins@upr.edu) for more information about the course and how to navigate the application process.  

After confirmation from professors Quintero and or Hudgins instructions on how to proceed to apply via official University channels will be provided. 

The course is based out of the University of Puerto Rico campus in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.  The university is a fully accredited land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant institution. The Department of Geology was established in 1967 and has been a leader in Caribbean earth sciences since that time.  Mayagüez is the principal city in Western Puerto Rico and serves as a launching pad for field sites across the island.