Admission
Be IESer
Get out of your comfort zone and spend your summer or winter break taking exciting, adventurous course in the field! You will enjoy interacting with diverse people in the exotic environment. IES is a great way to get ready for the future with tragic changes in Climate and Ecosystem. There are four steps you should take to be a IESer: Plan, Apply, Enroll, Prepare.
PLAN
Check what course IES currently offers and if you are eligible for that course!
APPLY
Do you want to apply? See how to fill out the application form and what materials you need to submit.
Plan ahead
Check the eligibility and course description.
Eligibility
Here are some easy and simple eligibility requirement.
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18+ years of age
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1+ year of undergraduate and graduate student
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Interested in the field work and environment
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flexible, responsible, adventurous, mature
Apply now
Fill out the online application form and upload/email following required materials:
(1) Official Transcript from college or university
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If electronic official transcript is available, upload it on application form or have it sent directly to intl.ecoschool@gamil.com
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If only hard copy is available, scan it and upload it on application form
(2) Reference Letter
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Ask your professor, academic adviser, supervisor or principal investigator for reference letter and have it sent to intl.ecoschool@gmail.com. Your full name and Institution must be included in the letter.
Enroll quickly
After you get accepted, you must pay the tuition within 7 business days of your acceptance date to confirm your enrollment.
Program costs
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Program costs include tuition, room and board, field excursions, transportation during the program(not during the free time like weekends), entrance fee, etc. Students are responsible for paying the tuition. Large portion of the program costs is supported by IES, sponsors, and in-kind contribution of hosting institution.
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There is no refund of tuition under any circumstances.
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Travel costs are at the expense of the students, but travel grant is available to help some participants partially cover their travel costs.
ENROLL
Did you get accepted? Congratulations! It's time to enroll for the course you wanted.
PREPARE
Check what course IES currently offers and if you are eligible for that course!
Prepare for traveling
After you get accepted, you must pay the tuition within 7 business days of your acceptance date to confirm your enrollment.
Travel arrangement and visa
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Students are responsible for their own travel arrangements and costs.
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Upon confirmation of enrollment, students will receive (1) Information Package with travel instructions and useful tips for the course and (2) Invitation Letter which may be used in visa application process.
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For international traveling, your passport must be valid at least 6 months left after the end date of the course. Check the expiry date of your passport and renew your passport if necessary.
Health Insurance / Travel Insurance
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Students are required to have purchased their own health insurance(out-of-country) or travel insurance. The insurance should cover health insurance, liabilities, and accidents that may occur. IES and hosting institution of IES courses accepts no responsibility for any injuries, illness, loss or damage to property, accidents of any student
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If any medical incident occurs, students are responsible for all medical & transportation expenses. Please be aware that students are required to pay up-front all the medical expenses at the site since most insurance providers have reimbursement policy.
Travel grant
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Partial travel grant may be available to a limited number of students to support the personal travel cost. The amount of a grant and the grantees will be determined by a couple of factors; the distance and economy status of applicant’s country. In order to apply for travel grant, please prepare (1) an appeal letter, (2) itinerary of the flight, and (3) receipt and have them sent to intl.ecoschool@gmail.com.
Why IES
Young researchers and scientists are the future of our world. As they will continue to fight the daunting phenomena of climate change and decreasing biodiversity, their training and professional growth are imperative. IES wants to empower next generation leaders in environment and ecology field. With the generous support of researchers, professors, and corporates concerning next generation, we host a 2-week course at Long Term Ecological Research sites in East Asia and Pacific region. You are the next generation leader we are looking for! We invite you to take a IES course and be a IESer.
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Broadening your scope of the world
Each country in East Asia and Pacific region has a different and unique nature, ecosystem, and biodiversity. Surrounding environmental issues may be also somewhat different from your home country. Experiencing the diversity of the environment and culture will broaden your view on the world.
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Compact but found, effective curriculum
We know you want to do lots of things during your summer and winter breaks, so we offer a compact 2-week curriculum. At the end of each curriculum, students will be presenting their reports in mini-symposium and their works may be published collectively. Instructors are composed of experienced researchers and professors at local research institutes and universities.
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Field-based research and hands-on learning
Location of IES course is one of Long Term Ecological Research sites in EAP region. These research sites are located near beach, rainforest, high mountains, and outback and conducting various researches and projects. You will learn firsthand how to run your own individual scientific research and group collaboration project in a wonderful field.
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Friendship, networking among fellow students and researchers
Experience the excitement of being a IESer and meeting fellow students and researchers from EAP region whose interests are aligned with yours. Spending 2 weeks together will create a friendship bond among IESers. In the future along your career path, you may utilize the network of IESer to conduct a joint research or make a collaborative effort in solving climate change and reduction of biodiversity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some FAQ provided for you about IES admission process. If you are not satisfied with these, please contact us here.
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Does IES offer any scholarship or financial aid?
No, IES currently does NOT offer any scholarship nor financial aid. We are aware that many students and junior scientists are concerned about finances. So instead of offering scholarships or aid, we try our best to cover as much costs as possible with funds and in-kind contributions.
In other words, a large portion of actual tuition for a program such as accommodations and meal is ALREADY covered by IES sponsors, partners, and local hosting institutions, so as to ease the financial pressures on students by lowering the tuition fee as much as possible.
In addition, we offer Travel Grants to some students whose plane ticket costs more than others due to the distance. Travel Grant will help limited numbers of students to partially cover their travel cost.
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When do I submit an appeal letter for Travel Grant?
Travel Grant appeal letter is accepted on a rolling base, which means that the earlier you submit, the higher the change of receiving the grant is.
The appeal letter for Travel Grant requires the proof of plane ticket purchase: itinerary and receipt of the flight. Students can apply only after they have purchased the plane ticket.
Please be aware that not all applied students can receive the grant for the amount of Travel Grant available is limited and different for each program. Click here to learn how to submit Travel Grant.
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I am not a ecology-related major, but really interested in field-based ecology course. Can I apply?
As long as you meet the eligibility of IES (18+ and 1+ (under)graduate), we welcome all of you to apply. We respect your interest and diversity. Please describe thoroughly all ecology-related activities and involvement on the application.
However, unrelated major to ecology and environment can have disadvantage in the selection process because IES course includes lectures, experiments, research, and field works that require intensive background knowledge in ecology, environment, and even data management.
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Can I receive a transcript for the course I've taken?
No, IES currently does NOT offer a grade or transcript. Instead, students are awarded a certificate issued by IES upon completion of the course.
Whether this certificate magically transforms into your credits or not depends on you and your university. You can always make an appeal to your professor or university to make a summer or winter course that can be substituted with external training programs like IES. Considering the amount of total course hours per 2 weeks, a course may be equivalent to 2-3 credits.
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What is an invitation letter and when can I get one?
Invitation letter is a formal letter saying you are invited to the course. It might be required as a proof for some nationals to obtain a visa or to receive a grant from school or other institution.
Invitation letter is sent out through email, only after your enrollment to the course is confirmed by your action of both completing registration and paying tuition fee. If you don't receive one in a week after the enrollment, please contact us at intl.ecoschool@gmail.com