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So you want to go abroad…

● Looking for a destination that’s safe but never boring?

● Think it’d be cool to live in a tropical paradise?

● Hoping to learn or improve your Spanish?

● Passionate about sustainability and ethical entrepreneurship?

If you responded YES! (or ¡SÍ!) to any/some/all of these questions, keep reading!
We believe EARTH University in Costa Rica is the place for you.

We offer a wide variety of one-of-a-kind study programs, special courses and internships within the Costa Rican rainforest.

Overview

Choosing the right place to study (and explore) is crucial.

We think you’d really enjoy our safe, sustainable, 8,340-acre University in the heart of the tropical Costa Rican rainforest.

Here you can aprovechar (take advantage of) free time in our integrated organic farm, butterfly garden, experimental peri-urban farm, and medicinal garden. Enjoy a dash of adventure on the weekends? You’re always a short bus ride away from the zesty flavors of Caribbean beach life, the protected sea turtles of Tortuguero National Park, the natural majesty of the Arenal and Poas volcanoes, the vast wisdom of local indigenous peoples, the colorful arts culture of San José, and the comforting aromas of your caffeine fix at thriving coffee plantations.

At EARTH University, you can learn or improve your Spanish while also figuring out how to advance the sostenibilidad (sustainability) of our world. We’re not talking about sitting in a stuffy classroom all day, either. Here, we focus on active, hands-on, experiential learning to strengthen your education and propel social change. We offer a variety of programs, from language studies to internships – it’s easy to find the right one for you.

Academic Programs

PROGRAMS	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	June	July	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Integrated Study in Spanish
Sustainable Summer Sessions
Intern Abroad
Spanish Learning Courses

Integrated Study in Spanish

Duration: 15 weeks

Available start dates: January 13, May 4, August 31, 2020

Become fully integrated into the EARTH way of life for a semester, alongside our full-time undergraduate students from more than 40 countries across Latin America, Africa, Europe and the Caribbean. You’ll take courses in environmental science, organic agriculture, sustainability, community development and Latin American studies, among others. 12 different course-load options are available.
Choose one of the following to start your rainforest adventure:

First Trimester

January 13-April 25, 2020

Option 1

COURSE CODE	COURSE
CIE101	Introduction to Natural Sciences
COM106	Communication and Cultures
CUL101	Tropical Crops
EMP104	Entrepreneurial Project: Entrepreneurial Immersion
EXP100	Work Experience**
HUM101	Orientation to Student Life
IGA101	Operation of Agricultural Equipment
INF101	Computer Workshop
MAT105	Basic Skills in Mathematics I
COM104	Spanish as Second Language

Option 2

COURSE CODE	COURSE
CUL203	Pest Control: Weeds
EMP205	Entrepreneurial Project: Entrepreneurial Experience
EXP200	Work Experience**
HUM203	Rural Development and Sustainable Communities
ING201	English
EMP208	Accounting and Information Systems
PRA201	Animal Reproduction and Lactation
COM203	Applied Academic Writing

Option 3

COURSE CODE	COURSE
COM 106	Communication and Cultures
CUL101	Tropical Crops
EMP104	Entrepreneurial Project: Entrepreneurial Immersion
EXP100	Work Experience**
HUM101	Orientation to Student Life
IGA101	Operation of Agricultural Equipment
INF101	Computer Workshop
MAT105	Basic Skills in Mathematics I
RCN101	Fundamentals of Ecological Management of the Resources of the Humid Tropics
COM104	Spanish as Second Language

Option 4

COURSE CODE	COURSE
CIE 201	Applied Genetics
EMP205	Entrepreneurial Project: Entrepreneurial Experience
MAT201	General Statistics
MAT202	Calculus for Agriculture I
EXP200	Work Experience**
HUM203	Rural Development and Sustainable Communities
ING201	English
EMP208	Accounting and Information Systems
COM203	Applied Academic Writing

Second Trimester

May 4-August 15, 2020

Option 1

COURSE CODE	COURSE
COM 107	Written Communication
CUL102	Tropical Crop Production
EMP107	Introduction to Entrepreneurship
ERS101	Health Promotion
EXP100	Work Experience**
HUM102	Student Life Workshop
IGA102	Mechanical Skills
ING101	English
MAT106	Basic Skills in Mathematics II
EMP105	Entrepreneurial Project: Laboratory Formulation of Business Plan I
RCN101	Fundamentals of Ecological Management of the Resources of the Humid Tropics

Option 2

COURSE CODE	COURSE
CIE201	Applied Genetics
CIE202	Inorganic Chemical Processes
EMP206	Entrepreneurial Project: Entrepreneurial Experience
EXP200	Work Experience**
ING202	English
MAT201	General Statistics
MAT202	Calculus for Agriculture I

Option 3

COURSE CODE	COURSE
COM107	Written Communication
CIE101	Introduction to Natural Sciences
CUL102	Tropical Crop Production
EMP107	Introduction to Entrepreneurship
ERS101	Health Promotion
EXP100	Work Experience**
HUM102	Student Life Workshop
ING101	English
MAT106	Basic Skills in Mathematics II
EMP105	Entrepreneurial Project: Laboratory Formulation of Business Plan I
PRA101	Tropical Animal production

Option 4

COURSE CODE	COURSE
CIE202	Written Communication
CUL202	Pest Control: Diseases
EMP206	Entrepreneurial Project: Entrepreneurial Experience
EXP200	Work Experience**
ING202	English
CUL201	Pest Control: Entomology

Third Trimester

August 31-November 4, 2020

Option 1

COURSE CODE	COURSE
COM103	Oral Communication Workshop**
CUL103	Tropical Crop Management
EMP108	Business Planning and Organization
EXP100	Work Experience**
HUM103	Campus Life
HUM105	Opportunities for Development and Equity
ING102	English
MAT107	Quantitative Skills for Agriculture Sciences
PRA101	Tropical Animal production
EMP106	Entrepreneurial Project: Laboratory Formulation of Business Plan II
COM107	Written Communication

Option 2

COURSE CODE	COURSE
CIE203	Organic Chemical and Biochemical Processes
CUL201	Pest Control: Entomology
CUL202	Pest Control: Diseases
EMP207	Entrepreneurial Project: Entrepreneurial Experience
EXP200	Work Experience**
ING203	English
ERS201	Health and Wellbeing
EMP209	Finance

Option 3

COURSE CODE	COURSE
COM103	Oral Communication Workshop *
CUL103	Tropical Crop Management
EMP108	Business Planning and Organization
EXP100	Work Experience**
HUM103	Campus Life
HUM105	Opportunities for Development and Equity
IGA102	Mechanical Skills
ING102	English
MAT107	Quantitative Skills for Agriculture Sciences
EMP106	Entrepreneurial Project: Laboratory Formulation of Business Plan II

Option 4

COURSE CODE	COURSE
CIE203	Organic Chemical and Biochemical Processes
CUL203	Pest Control: Weeds
EMP207	Entrepreneurial Project: Entrepreneurial Experience
EXP200	Work Experience**
ING203	English
PRA201	Animal Reproduction and Lactation
ERS201	Health and Wellbeing
EMP209	Finance

(Best for students with an intermediate-to-advanced command of the Spanish language and a love of sustainability!)

FeesApply

The costs of this program per 15-week period	$9,513

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Sustainable Summer Sessions

Duration: 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks or 10 weeks

Available start dates (course-specific): May, June and July 2020

This program offers five intensive courses, each exploring a unique approach to sustainability. You will gain access to projects and practices employed on EARTH University’s campus, as well as numerous notable sites throughout Costa Rica. During these 14-day courses, you have the opportunity to join international peers, research partners and renowned professors to learn about critical global sustainability issues. Courses involve lectures, participatory activities and field visits.

Interested students are encouraged to register for multiple course sessions.

Tropical Forest Carbon Management (May 10-23, 2020)

Tools for Protecting Rainforests and Mitigating Climate Change

Key questions: How can climate change science and carbon cycle science be used for sustainable forest management in tropical rainforests? How can carbon conservation and sequestration be used as sustainable development strategies in agroforestry? What are sustainable forest management practices, carbon markets and payments for eco-system services, and how are they uniquely operational in Costa Rica?
Course description: Through visits to three important rainforest ecosystems – coastal, upland and cloud forest – and a range of local agroforestry farms, you will explore the application of climate change and carbon cycle science to sustainable forest management in the tropical rainforests of Costa Rica. This course also introduces you to the concept of livelihoods from tree management systems, as well as poverty alleviation and sustainable development through agroforestry carbon management methods.
Field visits: FUNDECOR (Foundation for the Development of the Central Volcanic Range), jungle canopy, forest reserve, plantation, Monteverde Cloud Forest, Tortuguero, lagoon and more.
FeesApplyDownload Syllabi

The cost for each course (two-week session) is U.S. $2,546.25 and includes tuition, room and board, access to campus facilities, student services, excursions throughout the region and administrative fees. Airplane ticket, international health and travel insurance, personal expenses and any additional study abroad fees from your home institution are not included.

Making Agriculture Sustainable (May 24-June 6, 2020)

Understanding Challenges and Finding Solutions

Key questions: How do different agricultural systems impact the local environment, society and economy? How can we recognize, measure and assess a sustainable agricultural system? How can we alter a current agricultural system to become sustainable?
Course description: Through visits to a multiple farms on the EARTH campuses in Guácimo and La Flor, as well as local banana, rice, mango, vegetable and organic farms in nearby communities, you will learn first-hand how several different agricultural systems impact the environment, society and economy – both negatively and positively. You will be exposed to and become familiar with a variety of tropical agricultural ecosystems within Costa Rican rural community contexts.
Field visits: Conventional pineapple plantation, USDA-organic pineapple plantation, banana plantation, biologic control center for citrus fruits, carbon-neutral dairy farm, industrial composting site, hot springs and more

FeesApplyDownload Syllabi

Engaging Rural Communities (June 14-27, 2020)

Tools and Methodologies for Sustainable Development

Key questions: How can we identify and apply different paradigms of sustainable developments? How can different paradigms of sustainable development support us in identifying and resolving community issues? What are some of today’s most innovative experiments in local sustainable development, and how are they helping to resolve some of the most pressing community problems?
Course description: Through visits to local agricultural producers employing a range of approaches to sustainability, indigenous communities regenerating their long-standing approach to cacao production, and massive recent dam construction as a renewable energy source, you will learn how to interpret and critically assess diverse approaches to rural sustainable development through direct engagement and participation with local communities.
Field visits: small farmers in rural La Lucha and Santa Rosa, Ditsöwö u and Amubri Talamanca Bribri Indigenous communities, the Cacao Association in Puerto Viejo, La Argentina Women Association, Agro-ecotourism Association, “Reventazón” Hydroelectric Project and more

FeesApplyDownload Syllabi

Tackling Environmental Issues (June 28 - July 11, 2020)

How to Measure, Manage and Mitigate Our Impact

Key questions: How can we critically evaluate the social and ecological impacts of environmental issues such as eco-tourism and treatments of solids and wastewater? How can we calculate CO2 emissions and relate this to different economic externalities? How can we measure, manage and mitigate the footprints that each of us has on Earth?
Course description: Through visits to local community farms, banana plantations, wastewater treatment plants, and eco-tourism sites along the Caribbean and Pacific oceans, you will explore different methodologies for evaluating sustainability and assessing the social and environmental impact of our actions as individuals and companies. You will have the opportunity to identify and directly assist in the development of decisions to control, mitigate, and compensate for the environmental and social impacts of businesses and individuals.
Field visits: banana packing plant, Tarcoles Crocodile River, Playa Azul, Isla Tortuga, wastewater plants, San José and more

FeesApplyDownload Syllabi

Food, Energy and Water Systems (July 12- July 25, 2020)

Nexus in the background of climate change and the sustainable development goals.

Key questions: How can we understand the food, energy and water inter-relationships? How can we use the metrics that describe and quantify the relationships in the nexus, its sustainability and its resilience? How can we become comfortable with a suite of system analysis tools? How can we contextualize the nexus in the background of climate change and the sustainable development goals?
Course description: Costa Rica is a leader in sustainable development and an ideal setting for study in the Food/Energy Water Nexus. The program will introduce students to the basics of food, energy, and water systems and will progress into an in-depth analysis of the interconnected nature of these systems, and the associated environmental consequences.
Field visits: Biggest dam in Central America, Renewable Energy Lab, BioTech, homestays, Ad Astra Rocket Company, Geothermal Power Plant, Solar Farm, Wind Turbine Park.

FeesApplyDownload Syllabi

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Intern Abroad

Duration: Minimum 4 weeks per focus area

Available start dates: You name it!

The internship program at EARTH University offers the opportunity to learn through hands-on, career-focused work experiences in four distinct focus areas:

Tropical Crops

Want to concentrate on sustainable agriculture in the humid tropics? You’ll learn about specific stages of production and available technologies, the correct methodology for responsibly using agricultural inputs, and other best practices of production and harvest.

Fees

The cost to participate for one month in the intern abroad program is $2121.

This cost does not includes airline tickets, airport pick-up, airport drop-off, personal expenses, and international medical insurance (mandatory). Additional costs for transportation and materials can be provided upon request.

Apply

Organic Agriculture

Here you’ll learn efficiency-promoting strategies while employing the techniques of the eco-friendly production gold standards – organic, biodynamic, bio-intensive and permaculture-style agroforestry. This biodiverse farm focuses on how these methods support health and wellbeing throughout the entire production chain. You’ll have the chance to work with crops such as cacao, bananas and plantains, while also learning about the many challenges organic producers face in Latin America and the tropics.

Fees

The cost to participate for one month in the intern abroad program is $2121.

Apply

Integrated Livestock Management

Our animal husbandry operations are dedicated to tropics-adapted swine and cattle production. Spend time in our dairy operation, which supplies the ingredients for EARTH’s yogurt, milk and cheese production, while also learning about managing an operation that is both economically and environmentally sustainable. This internship includes study of careful animal waste treatment methods. At EARTH, most animal waste is set to local biodigesters, in turn producing gas to power generators.
Fees

The cost to participate for one month in the intern abroad program is $2121.

Apply

Peri-Urban Agriculture

As the global population continues to concentrate in major metropolises, learning how to move food production to these areas has become key. This internship teaches you how to do a lot with a little – in other words, how to manage a thriving agricultural operation with limited access to water, nutrients and space. That means you will work on projects of vertical agriculture, floating-root systems, raised-bed production, recycling agriculture, aquacultures and more.
Fees

The cost to participate for one month in the intern abroad program is $2121.

Apply

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Spanish Learning Courses

Duration: You name it!

Available start dates: You name it!

EARTH University’s Spanish Language Institute offers intensive language-learning courses as either a standalone study or as a supplement to any of our existing programs – they pair especially well with the internship abroad program, for example. These courses are small-group or one-on-one and thus can be tailored specifically to your needs. That means classes for beginner, intermediate and advanced language learners are all available. During your time on campus, you also will have many opportunities to get involved in University life and activities with our full-time students, along with visiting local communities and traveling to impressive destinations across Costa Rica!

Please check with us for cost information as this depends on the number of hours you wish-require to enroll in.

Apply