Panama City, Panama: Energy and the Environment
Program Dates 2025
| Arrival | August 21, 2025 |
| Classes Start | August 25, 2025 |
| Classes End and Departure | December 6, 2025 |
Program Dates 2026 (Tentative)
| Arrival | August 20, 2026 |
| Classes Start | August 25, 2026 |
| Classes End and Departure | December 6, 2026 |
Costs and Financial Aid
The total cost of the program for 2026 is $20,268 and includes all registration fees and tuition, overseas insurance, flights, passport, visa, pre-departure costs, housing, excursions, meals, and estimated personal expenses during the semester abroad.
You will be able to apply for federal and institutional financial aid to cover a portion or all costs of this program.
Application
The application for Fall 2026 will open on August 1, 2025. You must indicate your interest in this program on your UT Austin application. You will then receive a supplementary application in your MyStatus portal. The deadline to apply to UT Austin is December 1, 2025 and the supplemental application for Take the World by the Horns must be received by December 10, 2025.
Energy and the Environment
Explore the amazing biodiversity of Panama in the Take the World by the Horns program through visits to wildlife preserves, marine exhibition centers, and fieldwork excursions to sites such as a 300-island archipelago. Panama is ranked No. 1 in the world by the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity due to its location between three distinct bodies of water: the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Chiriqui, and the Gulf of Panama.
You will make an immediate impact and gain invaluable experience by participating in internships with environmentally focused nonprofit organizations. You will also enroll in four academic courses with our partner, School for International Training (SIT), focusing on environmental study, fieldwork ethics, and research design, including an internship to jump-start your academic and professional career.
There is no language requirement for participation. Spanish language lessons will be incorporated throughout the semester but will not appear on your transcript. Upon your return, you may take a placement test or seek an evaluation to assess your UT Austin language course level.
Academics
The Take the World by the Horns Panama City courses are integrated into the degree plans for students in the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Education, the Moody School of Communication, the School of Information, the School of Civic Leadership, the LBJ School of Public Affairs, and the School of Social Work. McCombs School of Business, School of Architecture, Computer Science, and Statistics and Data Science majors are not eligible for this program.
| Course Title | UT Course Number | Core Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Internships 101 & First Year Foundations for Success: Career Pathways | LA 321 | Potential Bridging Disciplines Connecting Experience |
| Introduction to Environmental Studies | GEO 302G | Natural Science and Technology Part I |
| Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | ANT 302 | Social Behavioral Sciences |
| Fieldwork Principles and Ethics | LA 319S |
The academic design for this program combines an introduction to the theoretical frameworks of environmental studies with the practical experience of an internship focusing on environmental issues.
- “Introduction to Environmental Studies” provides an academic foundation to explore the Earth’s physical environments
- "Introduction to Cultural Anthropology" examines civil and social structures that impact the environment.
- "Fieldwork Principles and Ethics" leverage students’ unique opportunities abroad to center ethical engagement while introducing them to the essential processes of research, research design, and basic field-based methods for exploration.
- “Internships 101” credit-bearing placements for internship work at environmental nonprofits.
- “First Year Foundations for Success: Career Pathways” course will help students explore how their internship experience will create further professional and academic opportunities.
Signature Course Offered
After completing their fall semester abroad, students can enroll in a signature course to continue to explore the academic themes with their cohort.
Professor Arlen Rosen’s signature course, “The Prehistory of Food,” explores such topics as the origins of hunting, the early beginnings of cooking, and sustainability of food production in our modern world.