Students who participate in the Costa Rica semester program study in Heredia, located in the heart of Costa Rica, easily accessible to the whole country. Classes are taken at Universidad Nacional with students from all over the world. ¡Pura vida!
When is the program offered?
Students attend the semester program in the fall or spring semester. Upon completion of courses, students can opt for extended travel time before returning to the states.
When do students apply?
The deadline for the fall semester program is May 1. The Spring deadline is September 15. However, interested students should contact the Mac Center (maccenter@mc.edu) as soon as possible for questions and other details.
Who is eligible to participate?
All students, regardless of major, are eligible. The only language requirement is to have completed at least one college-level Spanish course.
What courses are offered?
Students can receive credit for up to 15 hours of Spanish, 1 hour of P.E. and 1 credit of chapel. Under special circumstances, Spanish majors can receive 18 hours of Spanish during the semester program. Courses range from Elementary Spanish to Conversation to Advanced Grammar to Art and History of Costa Rica. Classes are taught by Spanish college professors who are trained in teaching Spanish as a second language.
Are the course credits “MC credits” or do they transfer into MC?
Mississippi College is a “partner institution” of Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica. This means that students enroll at MC and register as if they were taking courses on-campus. The courses that they will actually take in Costa Rica correspond to course numbers offered here. That way, students earn MC credit while learning abroad. There is no risk in losing credits trough transferring hours.
Does the program include excursions to other cities?
The semester program cost does include a selected package of guided excursions with the University. Students may choose to travel independently, as well, to other parts of Costa Rica and Central America upon completion of the semester.
Where do students live?
Students are required to live in a home-stay environment. This may be a single parent and child, a married couple, a retired couple, or many other options. The University carefully selects the home-stay families and visits throughout the semester. If there are problems with housing, requests for changes are made. There is a detailed housing application to best match up students with the appropriate family.
How much does the program cost?
Each semester the program costs vary, but are comparable to studying on campus at MC. The program costs include tuition at MC and in Costa Rica, housing, and meals in the family home. The program cost does not include airfare and independent travel. Specific details about program costs are discussed in orientation meetings with the program director. Meetings occur early in the spring semester.
Is financial aid available?
Students should contact a financial aid counselor for details.
For questions, comments, or more information:
Mac Center | maccenter@mc.edu
