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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester in English | ||||||||||||
| Integrated Study in Spanish | ||||||||||||
| Sustainable Summer Sessions | ||||||||||||
| Intern Abroad | ||||||||||||
| Spanish Learning Courses |
Duration: 16 weeks
Available start dates: January 19, August 2
Love sustainability but not fluent in Spanish? We’ve got you covered! This active study abroad program gets students analyzing Costa Rica’s sustainable development efforts in both urban and rural contexts. In English! The program combines enriching fieldwork and site visits with engaging classroom time, allowing students to critically examine and understand several models of responsible economic development, biodiversity promotion and resources management. The program’s first two months are spent in urban San José, Costa Rica’s capital city, at the International Center for Development Studies (ICDS). The final two are spent in the Caribbean lowland rural rainforest area at EARTH University.
The four-month program includes five credit-bearing courses. Spanish skills are built through complementary Spanish language courses, local culture immersion and homestays. (Best for on-the-go students with a passion for protecting biodiversity and strengthening socio-economic wellbeing!)
For the first two months, students will take the following courses at ICDS, located in San José, the urban capital of Costa Rica:
- Community Engagement and Sustainable Human Development: A Service Learning Course
- Environmental Dimensions of Sustainable Development: The Costa Rican Experience
During the second half of the course, students will attend EARTH University in the rural lowland rainforest region of the Caribbean Limón province and will participate in the following two courses:
- Sustainable Livelihoods: Integrating Community, Entrepreneurship and Natural Resources.
- Environmental and Social Assessment: How to Measure, Manage and Mitigate our Impact.
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Duration: 15 weeks
Available start dates: January 15, May 7, September 3
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
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
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
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!)
Fees
| The costs of this program per 15-week period | |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $5,770 |
| Room and Board | $2,219 |
| Administrative and services | $887 |
| Total | $8,876 |
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Duration: 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks or 8 weeks
Available start dates (course-specific): May 13, May 27, June 17, July 1
This program offers four 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 13-26)
Tools for Protecting Rainforests and Mitigating Climate ChangeCourse 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.Tropical Forest Carbon Management: Tools for Protecting Rain Forests and Mitigating Climate Change (two-week long). Fees
Making Agriculture Sustainable (May 27-June 9)
Understanding Challenges and Finding SolutionsCourse 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
Making Agriculture Sustainable: Challenges and Alternatives (two-week long).
Fees
Engaging Rural Communities (June 17-30)
Tools and Methodologies for Sustainable DevelopmentCourse 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
Engaging Rural Communities: Tools and Methodologies for Sustainable Development(two-week long).
Fees
Tackling Environmental Issues (July 1-14)
How to Measure, Manage and Mitigate Our ImpactCourse 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
Tackling Environmental Issues: how to measure, manage, and mitigate our impact (two-week long).
Fees
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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:
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 monthly fee* for this program varies by the type of housing selected:
| Housing Options | Room | Meals | Tuition (mentorship, supervision and student services) | Total U.S. $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lodging at student dorms | $244 | $576 | $879 | $1,699 |
| Lodging at intern apartment | $731 | $576 | $879 | $2,186 |
Not included in stated fees: Airline tickets, airport pick-up, airport drop-off, U.S. $29 airport exit tax, personal expenses, and international medical insurance (mandatory). Additional costs for transportation and materials can be provided upon request.
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 monthly fee* for this program varies by the type of housing selected:
| Housing Options | Room | Meals | Tuition (mentorship, supervision and student services) | Total U.S. $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lodging at student dorms | $244 | $576 | $879 | $1,699 |
| Lodging at intern apartment | $731 | $576 | $879 | $2,186 |
Not included in stated fees: Airline tickets, airport pick-up, airport drop-off, U.S. $29 airport exit tax, personal expenses, and international medical insurance (mandatory). Additional costs for transportation and materials can be provided upon request.
Fees
The monthly fee* for this program varies by the type of housing selected:
| Housing Options | Room | Meals | Tuition (mentorship, supervision and student services) | Total U.S. $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lodging at student dorms | $244 | $576 | $879 | $1,699 |
| Lodging at intern apartment | $731 | $576 | $879 | $2,186 |
Not included in stated fees: Airline tickets, airport pick-up, airport drop-off, U.S. $29 airport exit tax, personal expenses, and international medical insurance (mandatory). Additional costs for transportation and materials can be provided upon request.
Fees
The monthly fee* for this program varies by the type of housing selected:
| Housing Options | Room | Meals | Tuition (mentorship, supervision and student services) | Total U.S. $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lodging at student dorms | $244 | $576 | $879 | $1,699 |
| Lodging at intern apartment | $731 | $576 | $879 | $2,186 |
Not included in stated fees: Airline tickets, airport pick-up, airport drop-off, U.S. $29 airport exit tax, personal expenses, and international medical insurance (mandatory). Additional costs for transportation and materials can be provided upon request.
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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!
Option A: On-campus student dorm
| Cost per person for 4 weeks // private classes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 hours | 64 hours | 24 hours | |
| Room and board | $820 | $820 | $820 |
| Spanish lessons | $3,600 | $2,880 | $1,080 |
| Total in U.S. $ | $4,420 | $3,700 | $1,900 |
| Cost per person for 4 weeks // group classes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 hours | 64 hours | 24 hours | |
| Room and board | $820 | $820 | $820 |
| Spanish lessons | $2,000 | $1,600 | $600 |
| Total in U.S. $ | $2,820 | $2,420 | $1,420 |
Not included in stated fees: Airline tickets, airport pick-up, airport drop-off, U.S. $29 airport exit tax, personal expenses, and international medical insurance (mandatory). Additional costs for transportation and materials can be provided upon request.
Option B: Homestay with a local family
| Cost per person for 4 weeks // private classes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 hours | 64 hours | 24 hours | |
| Room and board | $950 | $950 | $950 |
| Spanish lessons | $3,600 | $2,880 | $1,080 |
| Total in U.S. $ | $4,550 | $3,830 | $2,030 |
| Cost per person for 4 weeks // group classes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 hours | 64 hours | 24 hours | |
| Room and board | $950 | $950 | $950 |
| Spanish lessons | $2,000 | $1,600 | $600 |
| Total in U.S. $ | $2,950 | $2,550 | $1,550 |
Not included in stated fees: Airline tickets, airport pick-up, airport drop-off, U.S. $29 airport exit tax, personal expenses, and international medical insurance (mandatory). Additional costs for transportation and materials can be provided upon request.
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