Brazil Field School 2026

Brazil Field School Colalge

Sustainable Environmental Management and Strategic Thinking in the Global South: The Brazilian Case Study

The Brazil Field School is designed for participants to explore the complexities of environmental sustainability and strategic business decision-making in emerging economies, using Brazil as a real world case study.

By engaging with industry leaders, academic institutions, and local organizations, participants will gain firsthand insights into sustainability challenges and innovations within a rapidly growing economic and environmental landscape. 

Participants will be immersed academically and culturally throughout the course. Highlights of the itinerary include:

  • Spending time at the Poço das Antas Biological Reserve;
  • Visiting the Tijuca National Park & Botanic Garden in Rio de Janeiro;
  • Community presentations in São Paulo;
  • visiting the Bioeconomy Innovation Hub  and communities supported by bioeconomy in and around Extrema;
  • Nature and cultural days, including exploring Rio De Janeiro and the Brazilian rain forests. 

Courses

Brazil Field School participants will be enrolled in the following two courses:

  • MGMT 4403: Environmental Management & Sustainable Development (GNED Cluster 3, Tier 3) - 3 credits
  • INBU 3350: Field School in Business I (GNED Cluster 3, Tier 3) - 3 credits
Interested students should confirm their ability to use both courses for credits with their academic advisor prior to joining the field school.

Program Dates

Course Dates: April 27 - May 24, 2026

Travel Dates: May 2 - May 17, 2026

Final projects will be due one week after the travel component ends.

Information Sessions

Information sessions will be offered in a hybrid format. You are welcome to join in-person or on-line using the link provided.

Tuesday, October 22 2:00 pm EA 1050 Join virtually here.
Thursday, October 30 12:00 pm EB 1109 Join virtually here.

 

If you are unable to attend a scheduled information session, please contact Paul Varella.

Application Deadline

Saturday, November 15 at 4 pm

Application Process

To apply for the Brazil field school, submit the following by the application deadline:
  • Field School Application Form (with all requested supporting documents attached in PDF format);
  • A written statement of intent (max 1 page/250 words) that explains why they want to participate in this field school and what they hope to learn, experience and conceptualize during this program.
Note: The supporting documents outlined above as well as those outlined in the Field School Application Form itself must all be attached to the application form as PDFs at the time of submission in order for your application to be considered complete.

Before applying for a field school, students should ensure they have familiarized themselves with the general field school requirements and policies.

Program Costs

Brazil Field School Program Fee - $4,516.00

The Brazil Field School Program Fee includes:

  • Local ground transportation during the field school;
  • Accommodation;
  • All course-related excursions, visits, activities;
  • Contingency fee;
  • Some meals;
  • Faculty expenses and MRU administration fees.

Program fees are payable online or in person at the Office of the Registrar (A101) according to the payment deadlines outlined in the following table. Instructions for making the deposits will be provided to successful applicants.

1st deposit* November 30, 2025 $500
2nd deposit January 29, 2026 $2,008
3rd deposit March 19, 2026 $2,008

*Initial program fee deposit is non-refundable and secures the participant's place in the program. Possibility of refund of subsequent deposits due to withdrawal from the program will be assessed and determined at the time of withdrawal according to the field school refund policy. Program fees do not include course tuition or additional student expenses (see below).

 

MRU Tuition & General Fees
MRU tuition and fees for MGMT 4403 and INBU 3350 are in addition to the program fees and will be assessed to each student's account in April, 2026. They are payable to MRU by the spring 2026 fee payment deadline.

Additional Student Expenses
Students are responsible for all additional expenses not included in the program fees such as: return airfare, trip cancellation & interruption insurance, meals & incidentals, Out of Country Travel Heath and Medical Insurance, passport & travel documents, travel essentials, personal spending and emergency funds.

Estimates of additional student costs are available at the Information Sessions and from the instructors or International Education.

Financial Assistance

Brazil field school participants will receive a $1,500 grant from the MRU International Mobility Award to use towards the costs associated with the field school. Further information about this grant, other grants and student loan funding for field schools can be found here.

Contact Information

Paul Varella (pvarella@mtroyal.ca)

Ryan Parks (rparks@mtroyal.ca)

Trinda Guillet - International Education (tguillet@mtroyal.ca)