The dense rainforests and mountainous landscapes of Costa Rica are brimming with life – from sloths and frogs to brightly colored toucans and hummingbirds. Costa Rica hosts an astounding 5 percent of Earth’s species despite covering only 0.03 percent of its area. Shaded coffee farms integrated into tropical forests constitute just one example of the sustainable conservation strategies for which the country is known.
Study Abroad in Costa Rica
Have you ever wanted to live on a small tropical farm, walk among the waterfalls and wildlife of tropical cloud forests, wake to the sound of tropical birds, or taste Costa Rican coffee straight from a local coffee plantation?
Whether you’re an experienced traveler or looking for your first trip to another country, studying abroad is an important component of your college career. Living abroad gives you the opportunity to explore new places and learn about different cultures, gaining important global perspectives, discovering new things about yourself, and building lifelong friendships.
Our programs in Costa Rica take place across the country’s diverse patchwork of rugged rainforests, cloud forests, sandy beaches, and agricultural landscapes. Courses and fieldwork focus on key environmental issues faced here such as climate change, biodiversity conservation, tourism impacts, pollution and waste management, as well as the struggle between economic growth and the maintenance of the functionality of fragile ecosystems. Efforts to preserve the wild beauty of Costa Rica are recognized worldwide, but climate change and increased urban development bring new and unforeseen challenges impacting biodiversity and food security. Conservation leaders, farmers, land managers, and policymakers must work together using regenerative strategies to build ecological resilience and adapt to climate change impacts. Our research in Costa Rica contributes vital data to innovative efforts that balance conservation and development.
Costa Rica
semester
Ecological Resilience Studies
15
Weeks
18
Credits
Fall 2023
Sep 1 - Dec 12
Closed
Spring 2024
Jan 30 - May 10
Waitlist
EXPLORE MORE
summer session I
Biodiversity and Sustainable Food Systems
04
Weeks
04
Credits
Summer 2023
Jun 2 - Jul 2
Closed
Summer 2024
Jun 3 - Jul 2
Open
EXPLORE MORE
summer session II
Environmental Justice from the Ground Up
04
Weeks
04
Credits
Summer 2023
Jul 7 - Aug 6
Closed
Summer 2024
Jul 8 - Aug 6
Open
EXPLORE MORE
semester
15 Weeks
|18 Credits
Fall 2023
Sep 1 - Dec 12
Closed
Spring 2024
Jan 30 - May 10
Waitlist
PROGRAM COSTS
Tuition:
$18,750
Room & Board:
$4,800
Total Cost:
$23,550
Sample Itinerary
Sample Itinerary:
semester PROGRAM
Ecological Resilience Studies
Atenas, Central Valley
Go off the beaten path and experience resilience in action. Spend a semester in Costa Rica, home to rainforests, volcanoes, rushing waterfalls, and a laid-back culture that reflects the national motto: “Pura Vida.” Immerse yourself in the country’s many national parks, farms, and tropical ecosystems full of incredible biodiversity. Design and conduct a rigorous field research project and learn how Costa Ricans are creatively addressing conservation and development issues.
- Explore the cloud forests of Monteverde, home to 2.5% of the world’s biodiversity, to study tropical ecology, resilient land management, and community development efforts.
- Take an expedition to Panama’s Chiriquí Highlands, a lush, forested region of volcanic peaks, coffee and vegetable farms, and perpetual spring-like weather.
- Go behind the scenes at local farms to learn how Costa Ricans have successfully combined agriculture and conservation.
- Engage in the Center’s sustainable food efforts – gather fresh mangoes from campus trees, visit the chicken coop to gather eggs, harvest kale from the garden, master composting, and more.
- Conduct a comprehensive field research project: Develop a research question, collect and analyze data, write a paper, and present your findings. Read more about SFS Directed Research projects.
Application deadlines:
Spring – November 1
Fall – May 15
follow sfs costa rica on instagram
Academics
This academically rigorous program follows a five-day/week schedule. Most weekends are open. The interdisciplinary curriculum is designed to help students actively discover and understand the complexities of environmental, social, and economic issues in Costa Rica. Read more about the SFS program model. Major academic themes may include:
- Climate change and tropical ecosystems
- Agroforestry and conservation
- Vertebrate ecology
- Water Conservation
- Urban ecology
- Sustainable ecotourism
- Carbon sequestration
Courses
On the Ecological Resilience program, you will take three 4-credit disciplinary courses, one 2-credit language and culture course, and a 4-credit capstone Directed Research course. Courses are participatory in nature and are designed to foster inquiry and active learning. Each course combines lectures, field exercises, assignments, tests, and research. All courses are taught in English. Click on each course to view a description and download the syllabus
SFS 2050
Language, Culture, and Society of Costa Rica
2 credits
SFS 3740
Principles of Resource Management
4 credits
SFS 3770
Tropical Ecology and Ecosystem Resilience
4 credits
SFS 3820
Justice, Resilience, and the Environment
4 credits
SFS 4910
Directed Research
4 credits
SFS 2050 Language, Culture, and Society of Costa Rica (2 credits)
This course contains two distinct but integrated modules. The Spanish language module offers listening, oral, and written practice of the Spanish language at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels of proficiency. Students engage in oral and written grammar and vocabulary exercises, and develop Spanish language skills and tools required for their research projects. The sociocultural module helps students to develop a more refined understanding of Costa Rican culture and the various communities with which we work. Students participate in lectures, field exercises, and other activities including a homestay—all of which teach them strategies and skills for working with people in a community-based research context and help them to assist with community extension projects.
SFS 3740 Principles of Resource Management (4 credits)
This course is designed to examine the connection between society and natural resources, and how application of management tools can lead to biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods. This course introduces underlying concepts and practical tools used in addressing complex environmental problems, including protected area planning and management, guidelines for ecologically sustainable development, and environmental impact assessment. Students examine local case studies using the theory and practice learned in this course.
SFS 3770 Tropical Ecology and Ecosystem Resilience (4 credits)
This course examines the ecological impact of human activity, especially agriculture, in a tropical country. Students study the agro-ecology of important crops, with emphasis on biodiversity as the source of production means and materials. Students identify renewable and nonrenewable resources and examine their historical use. We study the long-term and large-scale impact of local agricultural and other practices on the national and global environment (e.g., water pollution, waste management, climate change). Students examine options for alternative resources use, land restoration, and preservation from ecological, sociopolitical, and economic viewpoints, and use basic field techniques and measurements to examine the efficacy of different options.
SFS 3820 Justice, Resilience, and the Environment (4 credits)
This course addresses the intersection of the human and environmental sides of sustainable development in Costa Rica. Linking human rights to sustainability is an emerging field that combines the important dimensions of economic and social rights with the environmental underpinnings of sustainability. We use a multidisciplinary methodology to cover themes of local and global social and environmental policies, valuing of and access to ecosystem services, development aid, agrarian reform, indigenous rights and local livelihoods, and climate change. Students examine the roles of local people, government, and local and international non-governmental actors in the implementation of sustainable development models. Students also review specific local case studies to explore the empowerment of local people and their reaction to local and non-local proposals for sustainable development.
SFS 4910 Directed Research (4 credits)
This course prepares students to distinguish hidden assumptions in scientific approaches and separate fact from interpretation, cause from correlation, and advocacy from objectivity. Students learn specific tools including: experimental design; field techniques; basic descriptive statistics; and parametric and non-parametric quantitative analysis. Emphasis is placed on succinct scientific writing, graphic and tabular presentation of results, and effective delivery of oral presentations.
Core Skills
You will gain practical skills in the field such as: GIS use and applications, species identification, habitat and biodiversity assessment, vertebrate ecology, tourism impact assessment methods, basic Spanish language skills, research design and implementation, quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, and research presentation.
Field Sites
You will visit different ecosystems and communities which may include lowland tropical rainforest, tropical cloud forest, Pacific coastal rainforest, dry forests, national parks, agroecosystems, farms, volcanoes, mangroves, coastal ecosystems, and the highlands of northern Panama.
summer session I
04 Weeks
|04 Credits
Summer 2023
Jun 2 - Jul 2
Closed
Summer 2024
Jun 3 - Jul 2
Open
PROGRAM COSTS
Tuition:
$4,850
Room & Board:
$1,650
Total Cost:
$6,500
Sample Itinerary
Sample Itinerary:
summer session I PROGRAM
Biodiversity and Sustainable Food Systems
Atenas, Central Valley
You’ll never look at a cup of coffee the same way again. Using coffee and chocolate as case studies, explore the relationships between food systems, ecology, conservation, and sustainability. Learn how different agricultural techniques have the potential to restore biodiversity and combat climate change. Study the sociocultural history of coffee and cacao, from Indigenous histories to modern production and exports.
- Visit an agroforestry cocoa system, where you’ll get hands on with local methods of chocolate production and processing.
- Visit El Toledo Coffee farm to learn about environmentally sound methods of coffee production and discuss the history and impacts of chocolate and coffee production in Latin America.
- Engage in the Center’s sustainable food efforts – gather fresh mangoes from campus trees, visit the chicken coop to gather eggs, harvest kale from the garden, master composting, and more.
Application deadlines:
Summer 1 – April 1
follow sfs costa rica on instagram
Academics
This academically rigorous program follows a five-day/week schedule. Most weekends are open to explore Costa Rica or relax at the Center. The interdisciplinary curriculum is designed to help students actively discover and understand the complexities of environmental, social, and economic issues in Costa Rica. Read more about the SFS program model. Major academic themes include:
- Climate change adaptation
- Agriculture and agroforestry
- Ecological impacts of coffee and cacao production
- Ecotourism and culinary tourism
- Social justice issues surrounding sustainable food systems
- Alternative strategies and methods of coffee and chocolate production
Courses
On the Biodiversity and Sustainable Food Systems program, you will take one 4-credit course. This course is participatory in nature and is designed to foster inquiry and active learning combining lectures, field exercises, assignments, and tests. This course is taught in English. Click on the course to view a description and download the syllabus
SFS 3141
Coffee, Chocolate, and Sustainable Development
4 credits
SFS 3141 Coffee, Chocolate, and Sustainable Development (4 credits)
This interdisciplinary course explores the social and ecological components that intertwine coffee and cacao to our lives and the natural and political history of Costa Rica. We consider the transformation of forested lands to coffee and cacao plantations owned by elites; intertwine with current questions of cultural representation, agro-tourism, and land use strategies, and agricultural certifications. Through field investigations, we focus on in-depth exploration of the relationships between cacao & coffee production and climate change, social justice movements, and species conservation.
Core Skills
You will gain practical skills in the field such as: agricultural impacts assessment, ecosystem health survey, water quality testing, quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, scientific writing, and research presentation.
Field Sites
You will visit different ecosystems and communities which may include coffee farms, cacao plantations, other agroecosystems and farms, agrotourism businesses, and the forests and rainforest ecosystems around agricultural areas.
summer session II
04 Weeks
|04 Credits
Summer 2023
Jul 7 - Aug 6
Closed
Summer 2024
Jul 8 - Aug 6
Open
PROGRAM COSTS
Tuition:
$4,850
Room & Board:
$1,650
Total Cost:
$6,500
Sample Itinerary
Sample Itinerary:
summer session II PROGRAM
Environmental Justice from the Ground Up
Atenas, Central Valley
Tackle the challenging topic of environmental justice from a community perspective. In studying this crucial subject, we find that many solutions originate with the very communities being denied access to the natural resources that sustain them. Dive deep into the themes of food sovereignty, water access and management, tourism’s impact on biodiversity, and the development of sustainable resource alternatives. Explore diverse perspectives on controversial environmental management issues, learn to conduct community-based data collection, and support community members reaching their own solutions to natural resource management and protection.
- Visit the cloud forests of Monteverde to learn about the transition from pastures to forests to reserves, including different perspectives on ecological and environmental justice from tourists, local communities, conservationists, and farmers.
- Analyze water management practices and social movements in defense of water by visiting ASADAS, a local water management committee.
- Explore local community efforts to enhance food production and seed-saving by visiting agroecological farms and learning about sustainable farming practices.
Application deadlines:
Summer 2 – May 1
follow sfs costa rica on instagram
Academics
This academically rigorous program follows a five-day/week schedule. Most weekends are open to explore Costa Rica or relax at the Center. The interdisciplinary curriculum is designed to help students actively discover and understand the complexities of environmental, social, and economic issues in Costa Rica. Major academic themes include:
- Climate change and tropical ecosystems
- Agroforestry
- Sustainable ecotourism
- Food security, seed sovereignty, and women´s entrepreneurship in agriculture
- Water access rights; water management and protection
- Biodiversity analysis
Courses
On the Environmental Justice from the Ground Up program, you will take one 4-credit course. This course is participatory in nature and is designed to foster inquiry and active learning combining lectures, field exercises, assignments, and tests. This course is taught in English. Check back soon to view a course description and download the syllabus
SFS 3232
Environmental Justice from the Ground Up
4 Credits
SFS 3232 Environmental Justice from the Ground Up (4 Credits)
In this course, students study the complicated and critical subject of environmental justice (EJ) through three case studies: 1) food justice and seed sovereignty, 2) water justice and social movements, and 3) the use of bioindicators and measurement of ecosystem services to assess ecological justice. Coursework involves exploration of local communities’ efforts to preserve local food production and save seeds, water management in Costa Rica and social movements in defense of water, and the ecological justice implications of the transition of pastures to forests to reserves. These themes will be analyzed during lectures, discussions, and fieldtrips. For the final component of the course, students will actively synthesize concepts and methodologies learned in class and field activities in an integrated final essay summarizing a specific aspect of the EJ issues examined here. Throughout the program, there will be room for discussion with fellow students and faculty, to provide a comprehensive introduction to EJ issues and conflicts and how to propose solutions.
Core Skills
You will gain practical skills in the field such as: identification of organisms (including birds and frogs), biodiversity evaluation, conducting social surveys (including household interviews, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews), data synthesis, data analysis and interpretation, scientific writing, and tourism impact assessment methods.
Field Sites
You will visit different ecosystems and communities which may include lowland tropical rainforest, tropical cloud forests in Monteverde, communities surrounding national parks, agroecosystems, and organic farms.
What Students Are Saying:
“SFS offers students some really unique opportunities. Much of the semester was devoted to experiential learning. This meant hiking through the cloud forest and observing first-hand the ecological processes we had learned about in lecture. This meant conducting wildlife research on camping trips. This meant conducting our own research under the guidance of passionate and knowledgeable faculty advisors. I left SFS with a new depth and breadth of knowledge, as well as tangible projects and skills to show for it.”
– Georgie, George Washington University
“On a personal level, I learned how to be independent and succeed in a new setting. Aside from learning a lot in my classes, I also learned (from living at the center) about sustainable living and efforts we can make to truly make a difference.”
– Laura, Brandeis University
“Not only is this program run by very intelligent and personable faculty and staff, but also the students that participate in this program are one of a kind. This program attracts individuals who are concerned about the environment and desire to make a positive difference in the world, but more importantly who realize that the best change can only occur collaboratively. As a result, this program fosters an academic work and living environment like no other.”
– Seamus, Bucknell University
Where You'll Be Living
The Center overlooks the vibrant Central Valley, where green is the predominant color as far as the eye can see. The dorms and classrooms are nestled among orchards and gardens, while Center dog Hera keeps watch over it all. The friendly town of Atenas is a 10-minute cab ride away, offering restaurants, shops, parks, and cultural events.
- Dorm living with four-person bunkrooms
- Classroom, library, computer lab, and laundry room
- Open-air porch with hammocks and chairs
- Dining hall with scenic valley views, and on-site cooking staff
- Swimming pool, soccer field, basketball court, and pizza oven
- Outdoor classroom, greenhouses, nursery, and a vegetable garden
Community
Atenas, Costa Rica
SFS is an active part of the Atenas community, where we have been based since the early 90s.
We have built long-term, collaborative relationships in the communities around the Center, and developed our research plans based on the environmental issues they and the surrounding ecosystems face. Throughout the program, students help maintain a local recycling program, teach environmental education to local students, and participate in waterways management projects.
At the end of each semester program, we share our research findings with the community, local NGOs, and the Costa Rican government.
