Program Overview
For the first eight weeks of this program, students travel to the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, where they enroll in intensive Spanish language courses, take one course with an accompanying North Central College professor, and live with a family in the town of Quepos. Students take Spanish language classes for four hours a day at
Costa Rica Spanish Institute (COSI), an intensive language school overlooking the coast and just a few miles from Manuel Antonio National Park. Local buses bring students from their homes in Quepos to COSI and the nearby beaches. Before their mid-semester break (including a three-day excursion to Nicaragua), students move to the capital city of San José, where they live with a new host family. Spanish-language beginners (100-200 level) continue language study and engage in volunteer community work, while advanced language students (300-400 level) begin a six-week internship.
Students study and become immersed in Costa Rican culture, not only by living with two host families, but also by participating in weekly cultural events and weekend excursions around the country.
No prior knowledge of Spanish is required, though many students study Spanish before going. The program is open to all majors and upper-level academic credit is awarded for internships. This program fulfills North Central College’s foreign language requirement.
Check out COSI's updated facilities in San Jose!
NCC-in-Costa Rica group program brochure
Internship or service learning component included in program depending on language level.