Zaida Ugalde, On-site Program Coordinator & Isa Alcázar, On-site Assistant Program Coordinator

Zaida graduated with a BA in Education from Saint Michael’s College in Vermont and was granted an undergraduate Fulbright scholarship for her studies.  She holds a Master’s degree in Latin American Literature from the Universidad de Costa Rica.   She joined the KU Office of Study Abroad in 1994 as a program assistant for the Grupo de Kansas and then became On-site Program Coordinator.  She has traveled extensively throughout Central America, loves gardening, TED lectures, hiking, and coffee, which she is trying to grow herself.      

María Isabel Alcázar (Isa) was born in Chile but her family decided to make Costa Rica their new home.    

Isa graduated from the Universidad de Costa Rica as an English major and later did graduate studies in Linguistics.   She started working with the KU Grupo de Kansas in 1994 as an intercultural communication instructor and a year later became the On-site Assistant Program Coordinator.   She continues teaching at the Universidad de Costa Rica and one of her main goals has been to increase volunteer opportunities and community service for students.  She is very knowledgeable of activities at UCR as well as off-campus.

Zaida and Isabel’s duties include advising students on matters related to academics, enrollment, student visas, volunteer opportunities, housing, and medical and non-medical emergencies. They organize an intensive in-country academic and cultural orientation with classes, lectures, and excursions.  They also serve as liaisons between UCR and the KU Office of Study Abroad and coordinate all the logistics for KU short term study abroad programs in Costa Rica.

Eligibility

The program is open to students from any accredited U.S. college or university, sophomore through graduate levels.  Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and at least 4 semesters of college-level Spanish (or the equivalent).  Students with 4 semesters of Spanish are required to enroll in the Early Start Program; it is optional for students with 5 or more semesters of Spanish.  KU Spanish majors must have completed SPAN 340 successfully prior to participating in the program.

Academics

The San José program can be divided into three parts: the Early Start Program, the On-Site Orientation, and Courses at UCR.

Early Start Program

The Early Start Program is a one-month intensive Spanish course for which students will earn 3 credits of SPAN 170, SPAN 270, or SPAN 370, dependent upon their language level.  Students with 4 semesters of college-level Spanish (or the equivalent) are required to enroll in the Early Start Program.  It is optional for students with 5 or more semesters of Spanish; however, many choose to participate in order to improve their language skills and spend an extra month in Costa Rica. 

There will be a question on the online application where students will indicate if they would like to participate in the Early Start Program or not.

(Photo courtesy of Andy Larkin)

Early Start Program Scholarship

KU degree-seeking students who decide to participate in the Early Start Program before their semester at UCR are eligible to apply for a $1,200 scholarship.  The scholarship covers most of the expenses (tuition, room and board, on-site assistance, and an excursion) for the program.  Interested students should complete the Costa Rica Early Start Program Scholarship Fund application.

On-Site Orientation

The On-Site Orientation is a one-month required course for all students participating in the program.  It is designed to prepare students for the challenges of rigorous academic work in a foreign language and culture. The orientation provides a cultural and historical introduction to Costa Rica through lectures and excursions, with an emphasis on upper-level academic writing skills.  Orientation excursions usually include trips to art museums, the Central Market, the National Theater, volcanoes, waterfalls, the rainforest, and beaches on the Pacific shore. Students may, among other activities, interview ticos (Costa Ricans) from different parts of Costa Rica on weekend excursions, put on skits, learn how to utilize the UCR library, and be introduced to traditional dances.  Students will receive 3 hours of credit of SPAN 370 Hispanic Language and Civilization I.

UCR Orientation Syllabus

Semester at UCR

Costa Rica follows the Southern Hemisphere academic calendar which means that fall semester begins in late August and ends with final exams in early December; the spring semester begins in early March and ends with final exams in early July. This means that there is a 2 week break in July and a month and a half break in December.  Students who want to study in Costa Rica for a year may want to consider studying a consecutive spring and fall term with the two week break in between.  Students may also study in the fall and spring, but need to know that housing isn't provided from mid-December to the end of January because of UCR's summer break.  Students could use this time to return to the United States or travel.  Sometimes it is possible to stay with the host family during the break, but it can't be guaranteed.

A normal course load is 12-18 hours, which is 4-6 classes. With a few exceptions, the number of credits a course is worth at UCR will be the same as the hours of credit received for the equivalent KU course. Credit and grades for all UCR courses in which a student is enrolled, including orientation, will be posted on his/her KU transcript.  Course offerings vary from semester to semester. It is not possible to guarantee that a course will be offered during a particular semester. Program participants should have 8-10 courses in a wide variety of departments approved by their home institution prior to arrival in San José.  Enrollment in graduate courses at UCR is limited to graduate students and requires the permission of the professor.

Important Enrollment Information

UCR Fall 2013 Schedule of Classes

UCR Spring 2014 Schedule of Classes

UCR-KU Course Equivalency Log

Student Life 

(Photo courtesy of Andy Larkin)

Students usually complement their studies by planning weekend excursions or joining University-sponsored activities, such as sports teams, volunteer activities, or cultural events.  University Week, held each year in the spring, provides an opportunity for the academic departments to compete in sports, put on shows, and sponsor on-campus dances and festivities.

Volunteer Opportunities

Students are encouraged to participate in community volunteer work, coordinated by the Grupo de Kansas office, during their free time. This may include working in orphanages, teaching English to adults, and volunteering in schools.  Students can also opt for a month-long volunteer program (before or after the UCR semester) at one of the Costa Rican National Parks through ASVO. This is a great opportunity for biology, ecology, or tropical studies students. Students are responsible for their own room and board costs during the program. For more information about volunteer opportunities, contact the KU Office of Study Abroad.
 

Accommodations

Students live in private homes with Costa Rican families to help them improve language proficiency and immerse them in Costa Rican life. Three meals are provided daily. Most students use the very reliable, inexpensive city bus system to travel from their residence to the University.

Financial Aid

KU students who qualify for financial aid in the form of Stafford and/or other loans, Pell or SEOG Grants, and scholarships may apply the aid to the cost of a Study Abroad Program.

KU Study Abroad supplemental scholarships are available to KU degree seeking students.  Click here for the KU Study Abroad Scholarship Applications.  The scholarship application deadline is March 1 for Fall programs and October 1 for Spring programs.

Non-KU students should check into the financial resources available to them at their home institutions.

Application Procedures

All applicants will be required to complete several documents for each study abroad application.  Below is a list of documents that will need to be completed for an application.

        a. Statement of Purpose
        b. Verification of Minimum GPA Requirement
        c. Academic Plan and Approval Form
        d. Autobiography
        e. Early Start Preference
        f. Costa Rica Course Selection
        g. Costa Rica - Program Length
        h. Student Photo Upload
        i. Official Transcript
        j. 1 General Recommendation and 1 Language Recommendation
        k. Authorization to Release Student Information
        l. Student Conduct Verification

For more detailed information about the application process, please visit our Application Process page.

Useful Websites

KU Department of Spanish and Portuguese

Universidad de Costa Rica website

Duncan McHenry's Travel Journal - Spring 2013 University of Kansas Participant