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Spanish Language, Liberal Arts & Environmental Sciences
Spring 2025 Winter Semester - Extended San Jose

Spanish Language, Liberal Arts & Environmental Sciences Available Sessions

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Overview Structure Courses Excursions Budget Calendar

About the Program

Take a deep dive into environmental issues in a country that's renowned for its amazing biodiversity while improving your Spanish language fluency and discovering local culture. Along with environmental science courses, you'll choose from a range of liberal arts courses with a Costa Rican focus in areas such as economics, health sciences, political science, photography, and cultural studies. Designed for all levels of proficiency, you'll take one or more Spanish language courses and choose from a range of electives taught in English. Students at the advanced Spanish language level may choose to take electives taught in Spanish. An Early Start option, offered in the fall semester, helps you jump start your Spanish language skills before the semester begins, and the Winter Semester – Extended option allows you to take an additional Spanish language class at the conclusion of your regular semester..

Requirements

  • Overview
  • Location:
  • San Jose
  • Dates:
  • early Jan 2025 - early May 2025
  • Price:
  • $13,795
  • Credits:
  • 16 - 20
  • Deadlines
  • Apply by:
  • 10/25/24
  • Withdraw by:
  • 11/22/24
  • Application Requirements
  • Transcript - Unofficial
  • Complete Application
  • Program Participation Agreement
  • $95 Online Application Fee
  • Eligibility
  • Minimum GPA:
  • 2.6
  • Foreign Language Proficiency:
  • All Levels
  • Education
    Completed:
  • High School Graduate

Our partner institution, Veritas University, is known for its commitment to students from around the world; about 25% of the 2,000-member student body is international. Veritas offers a range of courses in fields like architecture, business, cultural studies, design, environmental science, health sciences, studio arts, and zoology. Courses are taught in English, and Spanish Language courses are available for all levels. The spacious, modern campus is located in the quiet Zapote District, just east of downtown San José and home to the Casa Presidencial.

When you study abroad in San José, you can choose CEA CAPA housing or arrange your own independent housing. Assignments are based on availability and confirmation date; we make every effort to match your housing requests, but we can’t guarantee housing preferences.

Program Structure

You'll enroll into 1-3 language courses and 1-3 elective courses. Language courses are organized into 4-week blocks; each semester contains 3 blocks. You will be tested at the end of each block and may move into a higher language level. Elective courses run for the entire 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 60 contact hours/4 credits; elective courses meet for 48-60 contact hours/3-4 credits. Together, you may earn 12-16 credits (up to 240 contact hours) over the semester.

If you choose the Fall Semester - Early Start or Winter Semester – Extended option, you'll enroll in an additional language course that meets for 60 contact hours/4 credits. With the Early Start and Extended Semester options, you may earn 16-20 credits (up to 300 contact hours) over the semester.

Language courses meet for 3 hours in the morning, Monday-Friday. Elective courses typically meet 2-3 days per week. Active learning components required by your courses may be scheduled on 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 results of your language 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.

16-20

Credits

Beginner Level Course Structure

Available Levels

Courses

The host institution has offered the following courses in the past. Please note that course listings may not be finalized until the start of the term; we’ll post an updated list when the host institution finalizes its offerings.

*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.

Excursions

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.

Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna

Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna

Arenal Volcano is located next to La Fortuna, built in 1969 after the original town was destroyed by a huge eruption. On the way to La Fortuna, you’ll stop at Finca Don Juan, an organic farm where you’ll learn about organic products like cassava. Next enjoy a hike to La Fortuna Waterfall, where you can swim in cool waters hidden in the jungle. Finish your day with a visit to Baldi Hot Springs , where you can relax in the many water pools naturally heated by Arenal Volcano.

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Manuel Antonio National Park

Manuel Antonio National Park

Located on the Central Pacific Coast in Puntarenas Province, Manuel Antonio is one of Costa Rica’s most popular and beautiful national parks and home to many endangered species, such as the Titi monkey. On the way to Manuel Antonio, you’ll stop at the Tárcoles River to watch huge crocodiles in their natural habitat. Once inside Manuel Antonio, keep your eyes open for monkeys, sloths, and many species of birds and insects as you enjoy the pristine beaches, beautiful waterfalls, and impressive lookout points in this lush tropical forest. Colorful and plentiful crafts sold on the beach make this the perfect place to buy souvenirs for loved ones back home.

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Doka Estate Coffee Tour & Poas Volcano

Doka Estate Coffee Tour & Poas Volcano

Enjoy beautiful views from the mountainside and savor a warm cup of coffee as you gaze out at the coffee plantations of Alajuela. Thanks to eruptions from Poás Volcano, this land’s rich soil is perfect for growing coffee, one of Costa Rica’s major exports. Next you’ll head to the volcano where you'll take a short hike up to its crater,which is one of the biggest in the world (2 kilometers in diameter).There the turquoise acid pool and fumaroles are visible coming out of the sides of the crater.

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Monteverde Cloud Forest

Monteverde Cloud Forest

Visit a cloud forest that boasts a complex, far-reaching ecosystem that’s home to thousands of species of mammals, birds, insects, and plants, including many endemic and endangered species. Take a night walk to observe fascinating nocturnal animals like spiders and snakes, and immerse in the cloud forest through a tour of hanging bridges. During your free time, you can explore the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve and experience being both the Caribbean and the Pacific sides of the country at once by stepping on the Continental Divide.

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Sample Budget

The sample budget is unavailable at this time. Please check back later or ask your CEA CAPA Admissions Counselor/Site Specialist for a comparable program’s sample budget.

Sample Calendar

The calendar for this program is coming soon; please check back later.

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