Universidad Nacional Summer Program
Spanish Language, Costa Rican Culture and Community Service
SUMMER SNAPSHOT
Spend six weeks exploring the culture and language of beautiful Costa Rica, known for its rich rainforests and ecological awareness. Universidad Nacional (UNA) offers this cultural immersion language program for students at all levels. Students live with host families and participate in exciting day-long excursions as well cultural workshops that include Costa Rican cooking, and popular dance. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in a week-long community service project, where they can do an array of volunteer activities, ranging from working on organic coffee plantations to organizing activities with the children of the community.
Heredia, Costa Rica
Language of Instruction: Spanish
PROGRAM TYPE
ISEP-Direct Summer for all ISEP member students 
COURSES
This program comprises 80 class hours of a language component (classes meet 4 days a week, 4 hours a day) and includes 20 hours of a sociocultural component that involves two one-day field trips and two workshops. It also includes a research project about topics in Costa Rican culture and environment.
Download Course Descriptions for UNA Language and Culture Courses:
Advanced Level
Intermediate Level
High Beginner Level
NEW : Community Engagement Activity: The week-long community engagement activity is included as part of your ISEP benefits. Students will be taken off-site and will have the opportunity to volunteer for an organization that works to benefit the socioeconomic development of the region and the preservation of natural resources. Some projects may include working on family coffee plantations or organic farms, assisting in the coffee processing center, teaching English, and collecting samples for the organic farm database. For more information about the week-long community service engagement program, click click here.
Calendar
SPECIAL ACADEMIC CONDITIONS
Minimum prerequisite: Sophomore-level status.
HOW TO LIST THIS PROGRAM IN THE ISEP APPLICATION
When completing the Host Site Request List, please indicate the host site program name and if required, list your selected courses. Your entry may look like this example below:
1. UNA: Spanish Language and Costa Rican Culture- ISEP Direct
LANGUAGE NOTES
A minimum of two semesters of university-level Spanish or the equivalent must be completed prior to the start of the program. Note: The host institution ultimately determines proficiency level and course eligibility.
SEMESTER OPTIONS
Students testing into the intermediate level (with at least 3 previous semesters of Spanish) are eligible to continue studying during the fall semester. See the Membership Directory for details.
PROGRAM DATES
May 26 – July 7, 2013
APPLICATION DEADLINE
DEADLINE EXTENDED May 1, 2013
PROGRAM FEE
$3,200
HOUSING AND MEALS
Students live with a host family. Meals are included.
STUDENT ACTIVITIES
The program offers two day-long field trips (Santa Maria de Dota and San Antonio de Escazu plus two cultural workshops (Costa Rican Cooking, Costa Rican Dance), one Popular Costa Rican Dance Class, and two day-long excursions (Sarapiquí and La Fortuna; and Volcan Poás and Waterfall Gardens).
Also included with the program fee is pre-departure information, airport pick up and drop off, and an on-site orientation.
PROFILE
The Universidad Nacional aims to meet the needs of Costa Rican society. It furthers the integral development of the student through a humanistic curriculum based on the study of local reality and world culture. There is a growing international student body, with students from Central, South, and North America. Total enrollment: 10,500 at the Campus Omar Dengo.
LOCATION
Costa Rica is exceptional for its ecological awareness, environmental sensitivity, and political stability. The university, located in the city of Heredia in the Central Valley, is surrounded by coffee plantations and rainforest parks. Known as the “City of Flowers,” it has a year-round spring climate and is a small comfortable city for students to live and study.
