Costa Rica

Veritas Universidad

Veritas Universidad

Spend a Semester or Summer in Pura Vida

"Pure Life" - The term is often associated with ​Costa Rica and your semester abroad will give you ​a whole new perspective on your pura vida. Our ​partner institution in Costa Rica offers an ​opportunity to learn Spanish with native speakers ​and to explore tropical ecology from a science, ​business and artistic perspective.

At a Glance

Horizontal Line
Horizontal Line

Partner Institution

Veritas Universidad

Dates

8/25/-12/12 (Fall), 1/6-4/30 (Spring), 5/26-6/27 (Summer I), 7/6-8/8 (Summer II)

Number of Courses

1-6 courses

Course Category

GenEd required, Major required, GenEd electives, Major electives

Class Eligibility

Completed 45-75 credit hours (sophomore and junior)

Minimum GPA

3.25

Language Pre-requisite

None

Language of Instruction

English

Course Pre-requisite(s)

Dependent on courses selected, but most have no prereq.

Cost

Piedmont tuition, room/board ($21,700 fall or spring, $6,750 summer session)

*Financial Aid may apply. Please see Financial Aid for your specific cost.

**Accommodation supplement may apply depending on accommodation chosen.

Included in Cost

Tuition, accommodation, airport pick0up, metro travel pass, 1-2 excursions

Housing Options

Homestay

Program Capacity

Unlimited

Program Contact

Dr. Susanna Warnock (swarnock@piedmont.edu)

Activity Level

Easy

Application Deadline

5/1 (Fall), 10/1 (Spring), 3/1 (Summer I), 4/1 (Summer II)

A Day in the Life

Horizontal Line
Horizontal Line

Courses Available

Horizontal Line
Horizontal Line

Summer I (May 26th - June 27th)

  • Spanish I and II
  • Advanced Spanish courses
  • Sustainable Lifestyles
  • Tropical Ecology
  • Tropical Marine Biology
  • Environmental Impact and Social Dev
  • Intro to Genetics
  • Holistic Health Approaches
  • Health and Psychology
  • Physical Therapy and Sports Rehab
  • Philosophy
  • World Religions
  • History of Latin American Architecture and Art
  • Cultural Photography
  • Mural Painting and Public Art
  • Intro to Video Creation
  • International Marketing Management
  • Ecotourism: The Costa Rican Case
  • ...and more!

Summer II (July 6th - August 8th)

  • Spanish I and II
  • Advanced Spanish courses
  • Intro to Project Management
  • Cultural Psychology
  • Tropical Ecology
  • International Relations
  • Ecological Photography
  • World Religions
  • Creative Leadership Skills
  • Intro to International Business
  • Climate Change: Impacts and Adaptations
  • Tropical Marine Biology
  • Tropical Botany
  • LGBTQ and Sexual Identity in Latin America
  • Tropical Birds
  • Freshwater Ecology
  • Holistic Health Approaches
  • Molecular Marine Biology
  • ...and more!

Fall (August-December)

  • Spanish I and II
  • Advanced Spanish courses
  • Art Fundamentals
  • Mural Painting and Public Art
  • Intro to Genetics
  • Tropical Ecology
  • Molecular Marine Biology
  • Land Vertebrates of Costa Rica
  • Herbalism and Wellness
  • Physical Therapy and Sports Rehab
  • Intro to International Business
  • Ecotourism: The Costa Rican Case
  • Intro to Human Physiology
  • Conflict Resolution and Health Care
  • Contemporary Latin American Film
  • Human Rights in Latin America
  • ...and more!

Spring (January-April)

  • Spanish I and II
  • Advanced Spanish courses
  • Creative Conflict Resolution
  • International Economics of Latin America
  • Intro to Genetics
  • Environmental Impact and Social Development
  • Land Vertebrates of Costa Rica
  • Tropical Birds
  • Freshwater Ecology
  • Biotechnology and Sustainability
  • Selected Topics in Afro-Caribbean Studies
  • Contemporary Latin American History
  • Cultural Photography
  • Ecological Photography
  • Philosophy
  • Health Psychology
  • ...and more!

Next Steps

6

months

before departure

Talk to your Piedmont Advisors about your circumstances.

  • Financial Aid can help you nail down the exact cost of each program for you. During the fall or spring semesters, your Scholarships and Financial Aid will likely apply.
  • Your Academic Advisor can make sure you are taking classes that keep you track to graduate.
  • Career Services will give you advice about how to make the most of your experience. Travel study is a great way to build employable skills and begin to fill up your resume. Having a plan before you leave is the best way to get the most out of the experience.


Apply for a Passport

  • At times it can take 6-8 months for your passport application to be processed, so apply early.
  • If you already have a passport, check to make sure that it does not expire within 6 months of your RETURN date. You may not be allowed into Costa Rica by immigration officials if it expires in less than 6 months.


Apply for Scholarships

  • See Travel Study Director for some scholarships that may be able to help you pay for your travel study experience.
  • Consider applying for a frequent flyer program. You will be responsible for purchasing your own flight. Frequent flyer miles can add up quickly and may help you keep the costs low.

5

months

before departure

Complete a nomination packet.

  • You'll need to collect some information for the packet, which may take some time. You can't start this part of the process too early.
    • Unofficial Transcript
    • Personal Narrative
    • Advisor's Letter of Recommendation
    • Copy of Passport

3

months

before departure

Register for classes.

  • Let the Director of Travel Study know what classes you would like to take.


Book your flight.

  • The prices tend to increase significant 60 days before departure. To get the best price, you can register for alerts from sites like flights.google.com or Going (formerly Scott's Cheap Flights).