The University of Kansas Program in San Jose, Costa Rica, began in 1958 and remains the oldest exchange program in the Western Hemisphere.
Alyssa Milner at University of Costa Rica
UCR’s fall semester begins in August and ends with final exams in mid-December, and spring semester begins in March and ends in mid-July. Students can also choose to do the “Early Start” language immersion option. KU students on the Early Start program are eligible for a special scholarship, and they leave for Costa Rica early and earn some extra credits.
Group excursions on the program are frequent, and are arranged by on-site staff. KU has its own “Grupo de Kansas” office with two full-time staff members that serve KU students. It’s also a great place to hang out on campus. The staff members help students with their host families, course enrollments, and optional volunteer opportunities.
UCR offers a wide variety of course offerings, including courses in Business and Economics, Education, Engineering, Fine Arts, Health Sciences, Journalism, Liberal Arts and Sciences, as well as Social Work. Course equivalencies are available on our website. Students at UCR take their courses in Spanish, but can study other subject areas. This is a great option for students majoring in another discipline but also studying Spanish.
Danielle Moccia
Eileen Remley at UCR
ACCOMODATIONS
Students live in private homes with Costa Rican families, allowing for language growth and overall expanded knowledge of family life. Also, there on two on-site employees on the UCR campus that serve as KU program coordinators for students, offering help and guidance throughout the experience.
ELIGIBILITY
This program is open to students from any accredited U.S. university, at the sophomore through graduate level. A minimum 3.0 GPA is required, along with a proficiency in Spanish (at least five semesters of college-level Spanish).
Andy Larkin at UCR
WHEN TO APPLY
Application deadline for Fall: March 1
Application deadline for Spring: October 1