University of Delaware Institute for Global Studies
Winter 2025: Costa Rica SPAN

Program Dates January 03, 2025 - January 30, 2025
This program is closed.

Program Overview Please note that First Semester Freshmen are eligible for participation and encouraged to apply to this program.

All applicants must have a valid passport by the program’s application deadline. Your passport’s expiration date must be more than six months after the program ends. If you do not have a current passport, apply through the U.S. State Department. It takes an average of 6-8 weeks (2 months) to process a passport.

Traveling and studying abroad at this time poses new challenges and requires accepting a higher level of uncertainty than in the past. Students who choose to study abroad must be prepared to adapt to evolving situations and must take responsibility to act in accordance with the rules, regulations, and recommendations of UD, their program leadership, and legal authorities of their home and host country which are subject to change at any time.

The University will continue to monitor the ongoing situation with COVID-19 (coronavirus) and world events as we approach the departure date for this program. Please reach out to your program coordinator or faculty director with questions and continue to monitor the UD coronavirus webpage for updates. If UD decides to cancel a study abroad program, we will communicate directly with affected students.

The Winter Session Study Abroad Program in Costa Rica offers a unique and immersive experience for students looking to enhance their Spanish language skills while fulfilling the College of Arts and Sciences foreign language requirement. This intermediate-level program focuses on both language acquisition and cultural immersion, allowing students to delve deep into Central American culture.

Set in the vibrant landscapes of Costa Rica, the program combines classroom learning with real-world experiences. Students will attend structured Spanish language classes, designed to build upon their existing knowledge and propel them towards fluency: SPAN107 and SPAN206. These classes are complemented by cultural workshops, local excursions, and community engagement activities as part of LLCU208 course conducted in English. This course provides a holistic understanding of Costa Rican customs, traditions, and daily life.

Students will reside in the city of Heredia, in homes with carefully selected Costa Rican host families.

Anyone interested in studying abroad in Costa Rica is encouraged to obtain a passport before the application deadline. Anyone without a passport at the time of acceptance may need to expedite their passport application which incurs an additional cost.

The Program Fee includes accommodations, some meals, all group excursions and international medical insurance. Students reside either singly or in pairs in private Costa Rican homes in and around the city of Heredia. Bedding and linen are provided as well as breakfast and dinner daily. All lunches and 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's residence and ULatina Heredia for classes and excursions are the responsibility of each student. Please contact the program director for more specific information.

The Program Fee does NOT include airfare to or from Costa Rica, nor airport transfers within the U.S. The program officially begins when students arrive in San Jose, Costa Rica. Students will receive detailed travel instructions after acceptance, explaining how and where to purchase their plane ticket. See the cost section below for estimated airfare.

ACCESSIBILITY: Students with disabilities are welcomed and encouraged to study abroad, but should be aware that accessibility and accommodation in some program locations may differ from the United States. Transit systems and legacy building construction practices may not meet U.S. accessibility standards, and alternative access to public transportation, buildings, or public sites cannot be guaranteed. Review these questions with the Office of Disability Support Services to determine whether this program can meet your accommodation needs.

Courses: Students must enroll in all credit-bearing courses for a grade. Only the UNIV (zero credit) course may be taken pass/fail. Audit registration is not permitted on UD Travel Study. Please refer to the University Catalog to verify requirements and prerequisites. Honors credit may be available. Check with the faculty director and the Honors program for approval (check before departure). All students must enroll in at least 6 credits, as well as the 0-credit UNIV course. All students take LLCU 207 Cultures in Context and choose one other level-specific language course.

Please note: This program is designed for intermediate-level students of Spanish (i.e., those who have not yet reached the 300-level).
LLCU 207-071: Cultures in Context - Multicultural (3 credits)
Satisfies the following requirements:
  • University History Breadth
  • Arts and Sciences - Group B
  • Multicultural
SPAN 107-070: Spanish III - Intermediate (4 credits)
Satisfies the following requirements:
  • Arts and Sciences - Foreign Language
  • Other: EG BREADTH: COE Breadth Requirement
SPAN 206-070: Culture through conversation (3 credits)
UNIV 370-040: Study Abroad - Costa Rica SPAN (0 credits) pass/fail
Satisfies the following requirements:
  • Discovery Learning


Program Costs:

How much does it cost?.
Delaware ResidentNon-Delaware Resident
Final Tuition based on current year$3,648.00$9,798.00
Final Program Fee$2,860.00$2,860.00
UD Registration & Activities Fee$30.00$30.00
Total to be charged to UD account $6,538.00$12,688.00
Plus Airfare Estimate (purchased separately)$1,200.00$1,200.00

The rates above may not apply to you if you are a UD graduate student during the time you are studying abroad. Please refer to http://www1.udel.edu/finaid/rates.html for the appropriate rates.


When and how do I pay?
If you are offered acceptance to the program, you will have 3 days to withdraw without financial penalty. After the 3 days have passed, you will be officially accepted to the program, and IGS will post the full Program Fee and Tuition/Fees to your UD student account.

*All students will receive an email when they are accepted to a program and will have 10 days from that notification to make their $1,000.00 Initial Payment.


Contact Information:
Alexander Selimov
Faculty Director
Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
236 Jastak Burgess Hall
302-831-2592
selimov@udel.edu



Deadlines:
Submit Program Application by 5pm on September 20, 2024
Recommendation also due by 5pm on September 20, 2024
Acceptance and Scholarship Announced: October 02, 2024



Interest Meetings:
03/07/2024, 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM, 102 McDowell Hall
03/19/2024, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM, 102 McDowell Hall
04/09/2024, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM, 102 McDowell Hall


Program information is subject to change at any time. Please check this web site periodically for updates.