Program Overview
Study Spanish in Costa Rica, a country known for its natural wonders which spends more on education than on defense and boasts the longest tradition of orderly, democratic government in Central America. While in Costa Rica you will live with a host family in the city of Heredia, the capital of the province of Heredia. Heredia is a university town and is home to the National University of Costa Rica as well as many private universities. It has a slower and more relaxed pace than the capital city, San José.
You will enjoy the pleasant climate of the city, its public and historic buildings, its recreational activities and the up to date facilities at our host university, the Universidad Interamericana. Because of its central location, Heredia provides easy access to a variety of interesting and beautiful sites which the winter session group visits as part of the program. This program typically offers a mixture of day trips and weekend excursions which expose students to the culture and unique natural environment of Costa Rica. These excursions may include destinations such as national parks, beaches, volcanoes, a variety of cities and towns, as well as some attractions in and around the city of Heredia.
Anyone interested in studying abroad in Costa Rica is encouraged to obtain a passport before the application deadline as many forms which require passport numbers are needed promptly. Anyone without a passport at the time of acceptance will need to expedite their passport application which incurs an additional cost.
Students reside either singly or in pairs in private Costa Rica homes in and around the city of Heredia. Bedding and linen are provided as well as breakfast and dinner daily. Some meals during travel and on weekends are not included in the program fee and are the responsibility of each student. Additionally, transportation costs to and from the host family residence to the Universidad Interamericana for classes and excursions are the responsibility of each student. Please contact the program director for more specific information.
For assistance choosing which FLLT study abroad program and language courses are appropriate for you, please contact Marion Bernard Amos at 831-4385 or mba@udel.edu for advisement.
Requirements
The Winter Session Program in Costa Rica is designed for any student, regardless of major, who has completed either Spanish 106 (Spanish II, Elementary/Intermediate) or its equivalent, or four years of high school Spanish. Applicants should have a G.P.A. of at least 2.0 (on a 4.00 scale). We encourage freshmen to apply!
Meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance, which is based on academic quality and demonstrated ability to contribute to the objectives of the program. Early application is encouraged as acceptances may be made on a rolling basis and the program may fill before the application deadline.
For all participants, a formal application is necessary, including a deposit, one transcript (non-University of Delaware students only), and one recommendation. An interview may be conducted in person or by telephone.
Study abroad at the University of Delaware is highly competitive. See here for an overview of the acceptance process. If you are not selected for your first choice program, we recommend moving your application and deposit to another program (by emailing your request to studyabroad@udel.edu).
UD students pay all program fee deposits by direct bank transfer via this website: http://www.udel.edu/studyabroadpayments. Non-UD students should send a check, payable to the University of Delaware, to CFIS, Elliott Hall, 26 East Main Street, Newark, DE 19716. Credit card payments are not accepted.
