SBE Adventure Semester in Costa Rica

picture of Costa Rica town

Universidad Veritas, San José, Costa Rica

Costa Rica supports diverse ecosystems and microclimates and some of the greatest biodiversity in the world.  The nation has invested substantially in restoration of its forest and preservation of its natural areas.  It’s a fabulous place to study tropical ecology and conservation.

Traveling can be super important to gain exposure to ecosystems and gaining hands-on experience through classes that would never be possible in the U.S. Like you never get to swim with sharks and manta rays for a class in Maine or cross paths with a sloth on your way to your hotel room. Both of those things have happened to us here and it’s something we think everyone should experience.

Costa Rica

WHEN:  Spring Semester

WHERE:  Universidad Veritas in San José, Costa Rica

ESTIMATED COST:  ~ $15,000 (before financial aid)

Take 3-4 courses for 12-16 credits.

toucan on tree branch

Student Experience

sample list of courses

  • ntroduction to genetics: current applications
  • Permaculture for a Regenerative Culture
  • Environmental Impact and Social Development
  • Molecular Marine Biology
  • Tropical Ecology
  • Tropical Birds (Tropical Ornithology)
  • Land Vertebrates of Costa Rica
  • Tropical Botany: Useful plants
  • Conservation Biology of Endangered Marine Species
  • Freshwater Ecology (Limnology)
  • Tropical Marine Biology
  • Marine Mammals of Costa Rica: Biology for Conservation
  • Climate Change: Impacts and adaptations
  • Sustainable Development and Environmental Awareness
  • Biotechnology and Sustainability
  • Ecotourism: The Costa Rica Case
  • Sustainability and Resource Management in the Ancient World
  • Indigenous Ecology and Sustainability
  • Renewable Energy and Resource Management
  • Sustainable Consumption & Production
  • Ecological Photography
  • Costa Rican Environmental Policy, History, and Action
  • Gender and Sustainability
  • Systems Thinking and Sustainability
  • and many more…

Most courses include an overnight field trip with a fieldwork component.