Pitzer in Costa Rica Semester Program

Core Course

During the first five weeks of the program, students participate in the first half of the core course, a seminar offered through ICADS entitled Latin American Perspectives on Justice and Sustainable Development. The course includes lectures, study trips in and around San José, discussion sessions, a variety of oral, interactive and written assignments, and a longer study trip. Students typically have class every day during their time in San Jose.

The second half of the course will take place once students have transitioned to the Firestone Center. This half focuses on deepening a students’ understanding of Costa Rican culture through interviews, ethnographic work with local host families, and community organizations. For Pitzer students, the core course will satisfy Pitzer’s Social Responsibility Praxis (SRX) requirement.

Intensive Spanish Language Class

The Spanish language course begins in San José at the Institute for Central American Development Studies (ICADS), where students will stay for the first month of the program. While at ICADS, students take 80 hours of Spanish language instruction, receive lectures on Costa Rican culture, and take study trips in San José. Spanish classes continue when students transfer to the Firestone Center for Restoration Ecology (FCRE) focusing on developing oral proficiency in Spanish.

Tropical Restoration and Ecology

The Tropical Restoration and Ecology (TRE) course takes place in both Panama and Costa Rica. Field and laboratory work focuses on the terrestrial, estuarine and marine ecosystems of southwestern Costa Rica and Panama. The course begins during the study trip to Panama. While on the study trip students do a deep dive into marine ecology and observe the gradient of ecosystems, beginning with the input of biological productivity from the forests into island mangrove systems. The trip has a significant field work component including daily snorkeling trips, kayaking, and hiking, along with class discussions. After spending two weeks in Panama students transition to the Firestone Center where they focus on the tropical restoration ecology portion of the course. Using the FCRE as a biological field station, the course provides a field-intensive exploration of the terrestrial and marine ecology of the neotropical region. The course covers physical geography, biodiversity theory, and practical methods of data collection and analysis. Special emphasis is given to the theory of restoration and its practice on the property of the Firestone Center. This course satisfies the natural science graduation requirement at Pitzer College. For students who have completed an introductory biology sequence, the course can be counted as an upper division Keck Biology and EA-Science elective by arrangement with the instructor. 

Environment, People, and Restoration

This course takes place at the FCRE and is designed to explore special topics in relation to the rich cultural and ecological resources available at the Firestone Center, its neighboring communities, and local protected areas. Topics change from year to year but may include conservation policy and governance, agroecology, and protected areas. Each course segment is taught as an intensive seminar that combines theoretical considerations, case studies, methodologies, and fieldwork. 

Independent Study Project

Students may focus on one aspect of human or tropical restoration ecology to study in greater depth through an independent research project or internship. Students may also participate in one of the longitudinal research projects set up by scholars from the U.S. and Costa Rica that contribute to the biological baseline assessment for the property. Some topics may have prerequisites. All projects take place in the area surrounding the Firestone Center and require a final written report with a significant analytical component as well as other appropriate documentation of learning. 
 

Costa Rican family stays provide a window into the culture as the families include students in their daily lives. Often relationships developed with host family members turn into friendships that last long past the end of the program. Students will have two family stays during their semester in Costa Rica.

San Jose Experience

The first will take place in San José while students study Spanish intensively and take the first portion of their core class through ICADS. The San José families typically live within thirty minutes walking distance of ICADS. Two students are generally assigned to homes close together so they have someone to walk with to class every day and can share taxi rides home at night.

Firestone Center Experience

The second family stay will be with a family in the smaller towns of Dominical or Platanillo near the Firestone Center. Students are encouraged to see their host families as co-educators on the program along with staff and faculty and take advantage of the opportunity host families provide to deepen culture and language learning as well as explore important topics and issues covered in the course. Students stay with their host families in Dominical and Platanillo for the remainder of the semester.

A wide range of study trips are planned to enhance the curriculum. Study trips are an important part of the educational program. Trips vary slightly each semester, in previous semesters study trips have included:

• Limón and Guanacaste on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica
• The archipelago of Bocas del Toro in Panamá, a collection of 12 islands, where tropical rainforests meet the sea
• The Sierpe River, one of Costa Rica’s most important river systems and a mecca for biodiversity
• National Parks of Costa Rica such as Caño Island and Marina Ballena National Park

How to Apply

Application Steps and Deadlines for Pitzer College Students

Application for Non-Pitzer Students

Before You Go

Passport: Everyone on the program needs a passport. Check the expiration date. If you do not have a passport valid for six months after your planned return from study abroad, then you will need to renew your passport.

Orientation: After students apply and are accepted into the program, they will participate in a program orientation before leaving for Costa Rica. Orientations are required and designed to ensure students get the most out of the study abroad experience. They provide cultural context, health and safety information, and academic guidelines. At orientation, students will receive details specific to the program including program dates, flight arrangements, immunization documents, safety guidelines, and the handbook.

Visa: Typically, students can receive their visa when arriving in Costa Rica. However, the visa process can change. Students are responsible for researching country specific information and the visa process.