Program Provider: School for Field Studies

Program Site: Center for Sustainable Development Studies, located on a hillside farm with spectacular views overlooking the Rio Grande River.

Duration: Fall or Spring. Fall semester runs from early September to early December; spring semester runs from early February to early May.

Description: The School for Field Studies is a leader in field-based international education. Its mission is to deepen students' understanding of the relationships between environmental sustainability, social justice, and economic development. The Costa Rica program offers about 25 American students per semester the opportunity to address sustainable development issues.

Costa Rica’s landscape is as varied as it is beautiful. Cloud forests, rainforests, dry forests, mountain plains, and fields of coffee, bananas and pineapples help complete this stunning mosaic. Costa Rica has a long history of environmental conservation, but brisk population growth is straining natural and developed resources.

The main goal of the Center for Sustainable Development Studies’ research is to examine different sustainable management models that protect the biodiversity of Costa Rica’s ecosystems while promoting socioeconomic benefits for its people. Students examine these issues through a case study approach and field work in addition to completing a directed research project. 

Academics: Students take four courses: Tropical Ecology and Sustainable Development, Economic and Ethical Issues in Sustainable Development, Principles of Resource Management, and Directed Research. A 2-unit course called Language, Culture, and Society of Costa Rica is also required.
   
Course load and Credit: Students take five courses for a maximum of 18 USC units.

Accommodations: Shared dormitory rooms with other program participants.

Activities and Other Program Features: Visits to forests, volcanic parks, and plantations offer opportunities to examine management schemes, identify the benefits of protected areas, and determine which systems offer the best option for economic development, the maintenance of cultural norms, and the preservation of biodiversity. Possible field trips also include Nicaragua and various national parks in Costa Rica.

Community needs are the impetus behind the program’s research goals. Conversation and collaboration with local residents allow students to better understand their perspectives and provide the framework for research plans.

Activities might include:

• Monitoring and maintaining trail infrastructure at the Municipal Forest and Cacao watershed with the local high school, ministry of agriculture, and municipality.
• A full Spanish presentation of the results of the research conducted during the semester to government agencies.
• Long-term community projects: U.S. culture and English taught in the elementary school, fighting diseases in Atenas, and trail management and construction in the Municipal Forest.
• Soccer games, community festivals, and short home stays.

Eligibility: Minimum 3.0 GPA and at least one semester of college-level ecology or environmental science and one semester of college-level Spanish (or the equivalent). In addition, students must be at least 18 years old to participate in this program.

Estimated Semester Cost:
Tuition:..................................$12,800
Additional Expenses*.................$7,846
Total......................................$20,646

Cost Updated: 11/30/07
Text Updated: 8/19/08


*Additional expenses include estimated costs for airfare, room and board, books and supplies, health insurance, and personal expenses (which can vary greatly from student to student). USC financial aid, scholarships, and tuition remission may be applied to program costs. Please visit the Office of Overseas Studies for more detailed cost information.

Links:
School for Field Studies
Atenas Information
Costa Rican Consulates in the USA
Costa Rican Tourist Information
Lonely Planet Costa Rica