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Education Abroad Office

  • a house with mountains in costa rica

Global UofSC in Costa Rica

Area: Global UofSC
Location: San Jose
Country: Costa Rica
Term: Maymester

This program provides students a unique opportunity to gain UofSC course credits while learning about health and culture in San José. Courses are instructed by UofSC faculty. Students have the chance to explore San José and immerse themselves in Costa Rican culture while living in a homestay. In addition to taking courses, students participate in educational and service-oriented cultural excursions, including local health facilities, a coffee plantation, a national park & more!

Eligibility: UofSC undergraduate students with a minimum 2.5 GPA are eligible to participate in this program. All majors are welcome. There is no foreign language requirement, except for those interested in the SPAN 350 course.

Cost: USC in-state tuition for the class, plus a program fee of $3700. 

Dates: May 3 - May 24

The program fee includes:
  • Homestay accommodation
  • Two meals per day, provided by host family
  • Excursions
  • Visits to local clinics and hospitals
  •  Welcome and farewell meals
  •  In country transportation for program excursions
  •  Housekeeping service once per week
  • 24/7 support from UofSC faculty in country
The program fee does not include:
  •  UofSC tuition (paid directly to UofSC on my.sc.edu at a rate of $1,536 per 3 credits)
  • Study abroad application fee of $150
  • Exit visa fee
  • Round trip airfare
  • Local transportation (if needed)
  • Overseas emergency medical insurance (approximately $36)
  • Meals not listed on itinerary
  • Personal expenses and optional activities

Students have the choice of 3–9 credits of UofSC course offerings. Anticipated course offerings include:

PUBH 302: Introduction to Public Health (Edena Guimaraes) This course is designed to introduce students to relevant public health topics. The course will provide an overview of public health with an emphasis on the population perspective and the cross-cutting and ecological nature of public health. The course will provide students with a historical perspective of public health, an understanding of basic epidemiological concepts, and an introduction to disease control and health promotion tools.

HPEB 470: Principles of Global Health (Edena Guimaraes) Designed to examine major global health topics and approaches used in governmental, non-governmental and donor agencies and international institutions to improve health in low and middle income countries. Students will analyze and generate intervention strategies to combat health issues in various country settings.

SPAN 350: Spanish for Healthcare Professionals (Ana Cueto) An advanced course, taught in Spanish, for those interested in health professions. Students will be taught functional and lexical language, cultural information and etiquette and protocol necessary to interact with Spanish speakers. To enroll, students must have completed SPAN 209 or equivalent.

Various funding opportunities exist for this provider. Please note the terms eligible listed for each:

  • Carolina Global Study Award: All USC students participating in semester, academic year, or summer programs are eligible to compete for this award. The number of awards available varies from year to year. The goal of this award is to help provide a study abroad experience for students with financial need. 

Per university policy, all UofSC students will be charged emergency medical, evacuation and repatriation insurance for their time abroad. Contact the Education Abroad Office for more details.

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