Acquire the language skills and understanding of cultural elements that may come into play when working with Spanish-speaking patients. Designed for students at all levels of Spanish ability who wish to work in the medical and health sciences fields, this program offers health science courses (taught in English) that provide insight into Costa Rica's health care system and offer active learning components that reinforce lessons learned in class. From recognizing medical vocabulary to describing patients' physical and mental states to communication with patients and other medical personnel, language courses focus on developing the ability to effectively communicate with patients through intensive speaking and listening practice set within a medical context. Advanced students will fine-tune their language skills, discussing topics such as advantages and disadvantages of traditional vs. holistic medicine and preparing talks or presentations given at clinics or conferences. Regardless of the level of instruction, expect to give presentations that simulate medical provider-patient interactions. An Early Start option, offered in the fall semester, helps you jump start your (regular) Spanish language skills before your Medical Spanish course begins in the semester.
San Jose
1/4/25 - 5/3/25
$13,995
16 - 20
Still Open
12/1/24
All Levels
2.6
High School Graduate
Enroll in 1 language course, 1-3 health science courses, and 0-2 optional elective courses. Language courses meet for 60 contact hours/4 credits, health sciences and elective courses meet for 48-60 contact hours (3-4 credits). You may earn 12-16 credits (up to 240 contact hours).
If you choose the Early Start option, you'll enroll in an additional language course that meets for 60 contact hours/4 credits. With the Early Start option, you may earn 16-20 credits (up to 300 contact hours) over the semester. Please note, the language course offered in the Early Start option is a traditional Spanish language course. Medical Spanish courses are only offered during the normal semester.
Veritas University offers courses in English and Spanish language. English taught courses are fully in English, while the Spanish language acquisition courses are taught fully in Spanish - the methodology they use is “Spanish in Spanish”. Veritas utilizes the Competencies based learning as their Pedagogical Model for both English and Spanish courses.
Language courses meet for 3 hours per day, Monday-Friday, for 4 weeks in January (winter semester) or October (fall semester). Health sciences and elective courses meet in the afternoons or evenings, Monday-Thursday, through the entire semester. Active learning components required by your courses may be scheduled for Fridays.
Prior to departure, you will select your preferred courses and take a language placement exam. Students who have no prior knowledge of Spanish language and consider taking SPN 101 Spanish Basic I or SSP 141 Basic Spanish for Health Professionals, may opt out of the of the language placement exam. You will be enrolled into courses based on their availability and the result of your placement exam. It is in your best interest to have multiple alternative courses approved by your home university prior to your departure due to course availabilities. To ensure that you receive credit for the language level you place into, have your home school pre-approve courses at several levels before you leave for Costa Rica. Please consult with your academic advisor at your home university on credit pre-approval guidelines.
The following courses have been confirmed for this term. Please note, the host institution reserves the right to cancel or change courses without prior notification.
*Courses with an asterisk indicate that the course has been associated with multiple subject areas.
Please click on the course title to view additional subject areas and detailed course information.
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
SPN 101 Basic Spanish I | 100 | Sp | 60 | 4 |
SPN 102 Basic Spanish II | 100 | Sp | 60 | 4 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
SSP 141 Basic Spanish for Health Professions * | 100 | Sp | 60 | 4 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
HHD 1020 Physical Therapy & Sport Rehabilitation | 100 | En | 48 | 3 |
HHD 1050 Holistic Health Approaches | 100 | En | 60 | 4 |
HHD 1070 Health & Nutrition: A Sustainability Approach | 100 | En | 60 | 4 |
HHD 3070 Conflict Resolution and Health Care * | 300 | En | 60 | 4 |
HIS 3293 Costa Rican Health Care System and Tropical Medicine | 300 | En | 60 | 4 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
PSY 2200 Health Psychology | 200 | En | 48 | 3 |
PSY 3050 Cultural Psychology | 300 | En | 48 | 3 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
ADDITIONAL ALTERNATES NOT NEEDED | 100 | En | 0 | 0 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
ART 2100 Art Fundamentals: Theory and Practice * | 200 | En | 48 | 3 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
BIO 1100 Principles of Biology | 100 | En | 60 | 4 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
GEB 3120 Entrepreneurship & Design Thinking | 300 | En | 60 | 4 |
GEB 3350 Introduction to International Business | 300 | En | 60 | 4 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
COMM 3070 Creative Conflict Resolution: A Multicultural, Gender Perspective | 300 | En | 48 | 3 |
COMM 3100 Communication for Development & Social Leaders | 300 | En | 60 | 4 |
COMM 3200 Intercultural Communication & Competence | 300 | En | 48 | 3 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
ETH 3100 Selected Topics in Afro-Caribbean Studies * | 300 | En | 48 | 3 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
ENV 3044 Tropical Ecology | 300 | En | 60 | 4 |
ENV 3170 Freshwater Ecology | 300 | En | 60 | 4 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
ECON 1100 Introduction to Micro and Macroeconomics | En | 48 | 3 | |
ECON 3403 Introduction to International Economics in Latin America & Caribbean | 300 | En | 48 | 3 |
ECON 3500 Introduction to Circular Economy | 300 | En | 48 | 3 |
GEB 3500 Ecotourism: The Costa Rica Case * | 300 | En | 60 | 4 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
ENV 2500 Introduction to Genetics: Current Applications | 200 | En | 60 | 4 |
ENV 2800 Permaculture for a Regenerative Culture | 200 | En | 60 | 4 |
ENV 3005 Environmental Impact and Social Development * | 300 | En | 60 | 4 |
ENV 3100 Tropical Birds of Costa Rica * | 300 | En | 60 | 4 |
ENV 3150 Tropical Botany: Useful Plants Workshop | 300 | En | 60 | 4 |
ENV 3160 Conservation Biology & Endangered Marine Species | 300 | En | 60 | 4 |
ENV 3190 Tropical Marine Biology * | 300 | En | 60 | 4 |
ENV 3740 Climate Change: Impacts and Adaptations | 300 | En | 60 | 4 |
ENV 4030 Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems * | 400 | En | 60 | 4 |
ENV 4040 Sustainable Development & Environmental Awareness * | 400 | En | 60 | 4 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
HHD 1020 Physical Therapy & Sport Rehabilitation | 100 | En | 48 | 3 |
HHD 1050 Holistic Health Approaches | 100 | En | 60 | 4 |
HHD 1070 Health & Nutrition: A Sustainability Approach | 100 | En | 60 | 4 |
HHD 3070 Conflict Resolution and Health Care * | 300 | En | 60 | 4 |
HIS 3293 Costa Rican Health Care System and Tropical Medicine | 300 | En | 60 | 4 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
HIS 2302 Contemporary Latin American History | 200 | En | 48 | 3 |
HIS 3130 Sustainability and Resources Management in the Ancient World * | 300 | En | 60 | 4 |
HIS 3290 Human Development in Latin America | 300 | En | 48 | 3 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
HUM 2100 Introduction to Video Creation | 200 | En | 60 | 4 |
HUM 3150 Indigenous Ecology and Sustainability | 300 | En | 60 | 4 |
HUM 3513 Costa Rica Colloquium: History & Culture * | 300 | En | 48 | 3 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
GEB 3000 Introduction to Project Management | 300 | En | 48 | 3 |
MGMT 3020 Renewable Energy and Resource Management | 300 | En | 60 | 4 |
MGMT 3030 Creative Leadership Skills * | 300 | En | 48 | 3 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
ENV 3020 Marine Molecular Biology | 300 | En | 60 | 4 |
ENV 3200 Marine Mammals of Costa Rica: Biology and Conservation | 300 | En | 60 | 4 |
ENV 3210 Ecology and Conservation of Coral Reef * | En | 60 | 4 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
MKTG 3010 International Marketing Management | 300 | En | 48 | 3 |
MKTG 3150 Sustainable Consumption and Production * | 300 | En | 48 | 3 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
MATH 1231 Foundations of Single-Variable Calculus | 100 | En | 48 | 3 |
STAT 1151 Introduction to Statistical Reasoning & Data Analysis | 100 | En | 48 | 3 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
PHOT 2100 Ecological Photography | 200 | En | 60 | 4 |
PHOT 2130 Cultural Photography | 200 | En | 48 | 3 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
POL 2500 Human Rights in Latin America | 200 | En | 48 | 3 |
POL 3100 Costa Rican Traditions: Peace and Democracy | 300 | En | 48 | 3 |
POL 3220 Migration, Globalization and Social Change | 300 | En | 48 | 3 |
POL 3420 Costa Rica's Environmental Policy: A History of Policy, Politics and Action. * | 300 | En | 60 | 4 |
POL 3450 International Relations in Latin America * | 300 | En | 48 | 3 |
POL 3500 Human Rights Protection System: International Mechanisms | 300 | En | 48 | 3 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
PSY 2200 Health Psychology | 200 | En | 48 | 3 |
PSY 3050 Cultural Psychology | 300 | En | 48 | 3 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
SOCY 3050 LGBT: Diversity and Sexuality in Latin America * | 300 | En | 48 | 3 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
ART 2130 Mural Painting and Public Art * | 200 | En | 60 | 4 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
SUSD 3000 Sustainable Lifestyles: Nine Dimensions of Healthy Living | 300 | En | 60 | 4 |
SUSD 3100 Gender and Sustainability * | 300 | En | 60 | 4 |
SUSD 3160 Systems Thinking and Sustainability | 300 | En | 48 | 3 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
THEO 3150 Major World Religions | 300 | En | 48 | 3 |
Course Name | Level | Lang | Hours | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
ENV 3120 Land Vertebrates of Costa Rica | 300 | En | 60 | 4 |
Interested in taking your career to the next level?
*Housing options may change and will be confirmed on the housing application form prior to the start of the term. Below are the housing options that have been offered in the past.
Get out and explore! Excursions are offered for most semester, year, and summer programs. Semester students are typically offered between two to three excursions and summer study students are typically offered between one to two excursions. You'll receive a calendar of excursions during orientation; here are a few day and overnight excursions we've offered in the past.
From housing to excursions, our programs include a variety of inclusions to enhance your study abroad experience! Here are examples that may be available in San José. Inclusions vary by program – please contact our Enrollment and Advising team to find out what options are available for you.
Below is a tentative itinerary for your program. Please note, dates and events below may change without prior notification. Contact CEA CAPA before purchasing airline tickets.
You will receive a finalized itinerary once you arrive onsite.
Note: Additional cultural activities/excursions or required course-related activities may be incorporated into your final itinerary. You are advised not to make personal travel arrangements until you have the final dates.
Date | Description |
---|---|
January 04
|
Arrival/Program Begins
Official Program Start Date. Students must arrive at the Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) in San Jose on this date in order to be eligible for airport pickup. Students will then be transferred to their assigned housing. |
January 05
|
Orientation
Mandatory CEA CAPA Orientation & Welcome Activities. |
January 06
|
Classes Begin
Spanish Language Classes begin at Veritas University. |
February 03
|
Classes Begin
Elective Classes begin at Veritas University on this day. |
February 07 - 09
|
Excursion
Included trip outside the city. Subject to changes. |
February 14 - 16
|
Excursion
Included trip outside the city. Subject to changes. |
February 22 - 23
|
Excursion
Included trip outside the city. Subject to changes. |
April 12 - 20
|
School Break
Veritas University is closed for Holy Week Break. No classes will be held. |
May 03
|
Program Ends/Move-Out
Official Program End Date. Students must move out of housing no later than this day. |
This budget contains costs that you can take to your financial aid office. Please note that amounts may fluctuate; we've included a range of costs.
Federal law allows the use of financial aid to cover "reasonable" costs of study abroad including round-trip transportation, tuition and fees for the program, living costs, passport and visa fees, health insurance, and more.
Please note that all costs and charges listed below are subject to change without notice. With the exception of Program Price, all costs are estimates and may vary.