Study
Abroad at the Tropical Studies Program.
If you like to be
challenged and
you have an
interest
to learn new things and from a new perspective, then Tropical
Studies
might
be for you. The Tropical Studies
Program
is designed to provide a hands-on experience to students
interested in
academic and cultural aspects of Tropical America. The
Program
offers a unique combination of theory/practice with a homestay
element
in a rural area in the southern coast of Costa Rica.
Tropical
Studies
is especially tailored for those students who want to learn from
nature
and society. Tropical Studies is a for "
naturalists;"
being
a
naturalist a person who gains knowledge by experiencing and
analyzing
things in their natural setting. And, to gain this
experience,
he/she
is willing to endure discomforts and privations. In other
words,
this
Program
is for those students who not mind but enjoy making the extra
effort.
This Program is open to students
majoring in any
academic discipline. Self-motivation, and
inquisitive
attitude,
4 semesters of Spanish language, and 2.75 G.P.A. are the basic
requirements
to apply to this Program (Summer Programs have different requirements).
An average of eight different courses in biology,
environmental
sciences,
anthropology, Latin American culture, and Spanish language are
offered
every semester. Occasionally, courses in other
disciplines are
offered,
too. Students are required to be enrolled in
a
minimum of 4 courses per semester, and two courses in the
Summer.
Most of the courses offered combine
field work
and
theory and are planned to both introduce novice students into
the
different
field work techniques and to allow advanced students gain
additional
experience in field research in the tropics. One course
in the
biological
sciences and one in anthropology are designed to be research
classes in
which all enrolled students participate in the same original
research
topic
but are assigned different tasks, according to their level of
expertise,
and their particular interests. All students, under the
guidance
of the professor, will write a single publishable
paper/article.
Other courses do have a field work component, but students in
those
classes
are not expected to write publishable material. Overall,
this is
a Program for dedicated students highly interested in field
work.
The Program is located in Golfito,
Costa
Rica. As an important component of this
Program,
all participant students are housed with local families.
All
homes are
at a walking distance from the university centre.
Students eat
their
meals with their families, and have a room for
herself/himself.
Students
will be asked to fill out a housing questionnaire, to submit
with the
application,
in order to look for the best home/student match.
Summer Programs at Tropical
Studies are
biology
oriented and taught in English. Students can participate in a
main
research
project in Biology and/or Anthropology. Students may
also be able
to do their own independent research under the supervision of
a
professor
in the field. Please e-mail
us if you have questions.
One of the objetives of the Fundación ProSur is to
support the
development of higher education in the Zona Sur, and as part of
that
objective and mission, is to establish a quality-based
university.
That is, an institution focused on a few disciplines and carried
out by
a selected group of professors committed to
academia. For
further
details (in Spanish) please
click
here.
Announcements
If you are looking for a place where to conduct field
research in the
tropics, please check for details about our field
station. Send
us an e-mail if you have questions.
The Golfito Field
Station