Costa Rica: Universidad Veritas | Study Abroad Center

San Jose, the sprawling capital of Costa Rica, offers a wide variety of activities. Emerge yourself in the local culture by spending a day exploring one of the numerous museums or markets found downtown. Shopping malls, restaurants, public parks, casinos, and night clubs also provide in-city entertainment.

Outside of the city, discover your adventurous side. Use Costa Rica’s expansive, accessible bus system to explore the country's vast forests and both coasts. National parks offer access to hiking trails, waterfalls, volcanoes, and untouched beaches. Activities like snorkeling, white water rafting, and zip lining can be found throughout the country.

Dates & Deadlines

Term: Winter Session 2024-2025
App Deadline: Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Program Dates: January 6 to January 17, 2025

Term: Spring 2025
App Deadline: Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Program Dates: January 6 or February 3 to April 30, 2025 (dates are subject to change) (January 6 start date for first month of Spanish or J Term course)

To start the application process for Costa Rica in Winter 2024-25 or Spring 2025, schedule a meeting with an advisor using the link below.

Schedule First Steps Meeting

Interested in studying abroad in the summer of 2025 or later? Please fill out the waitlist form below and the study abroad center will notify you when applications for future terms open. You can also schedule an informational meeting with our office to learn more about the programs we offer and find one that works best for you!

Study Abroad Waitlist Schedule Info Meeting

Unsure where to begin? Visit our Application Process page to learn more!

Learn More about Universidad Veritas

Location

The University of Veritas is located in the Zapote district of Costa Rica’s capital city, San Jose. Home to just over 330,000 people San Jose is the largest city in Costa Rica. Over a million additional people commute to the city daily.

San Jose offers a wide variety of entertainment and cuisine. The down town is home to different markets, museums, bakeries, plazas, and shops. The neighborhoods surrounding the school are eclectic and colorful.

Downtown San Jose is a 30-minute walk or 10-minute bus ride away from the school. Bus travel from San Jose is fairly easy. The Pacific coast can be reached in as few as 2 hours and the Atlantic in 5.

The spring semester falls during San Jose’s dry season when the average temperature stays around 85 degrees with virtually no humidity.

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Academics

Veritas was one of the first private colleges founded in Costa Rica. Local students study art, design, and architecture. The university is fairly small, hosting approximately 1,800 Costa Rican students and 320 international students.

At Veritas, energetic and passionate staff members offer extracurricular activities like cooking and dance lessons, conversation club, yoga classes, and events such as talent shows, welcome parties, and group outings.

Veritas offers a shuttle system to and from the university for students with evening classes and activities, and there is also a line of taxis on the corner of the university always ready for students.

Courses: Veritas offers a unique and customized academic program. While most students interested are in improving their Spanish language skills, Veritas also offers many English taught courses that students can take in a variety of fields. Students may take intensive language courses with little to no Spanish proficiency.

Courses are divided into six areas:

Intensive Language Courses range from basic to advanced. Each course transfers back as 5 credit hours.
Spanish electives require an advanced level of proficiency. Classes focus on literature and linguistics. Each course transfers back as 3 credit hours.
Integrated Studies in Spanish with Costa Rican students in the Art, Design, and Architecture Departments are available to students with an advanced level of Spanish. Credit amounts, ranging from 2-4 hours, vary depending on the class.
English Taught Courses are offered in art, business, economic, communication, science, history, politics, theology, and health.
Short Term Programs in different fields, such as health or law enforcement.
Internship Opportunities on an individual basis

Students are placed into Spanish courses based on a written placement test and Skype interview with a Veritas faculty member. Students taking intensive Spanish take one course per month, meeting five days per week from 8 am to 12 pm. After each month and passing the class, students are able to progress to the next level of Spanish.

English-taught courses meet for 3 months, generally twice per week, and usually include field trips related to the course content. English-taught electives are held in the afternoon and early evening hours.

For course offerings of electives taught in English or Spanish, please see here.

For course offerings of the month-long intensive Spanish, please see here.

Academic Calendar: Veritas offers a Fall term from October to December. For students who want to study Spanish as well or solely study Spanish, they can go even early in August or September and stay through December. For the Spring Semester, they offer two terms - one from January to March and one from April to June. Students can do one or the other or both. They also offer a variety of summer options. It is best to view their calendar to understand the structure of the classes. To view the academic calendar, please see the Veritas' homepage or in PDF form here.

Credits:
Credits are the same as in the U.S. Most elective courses are 3 credits, and 4 credits if they include a lab portion (usually a weekend field trip). The month-long Spanish intensive courses are typically 4 credits.

Grades:
Grading scale is the same as in the U.S.

Participant Info

Important Information to Review:

Study abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be challenged by new experiences in new environments and cultures. UNI study abroad programs are designed to prioritize educational opportunities for students. Students are encouraged to embrace the adventure of exploring how housing, meals, and daily routines differ abroad.

Review the roles of the Advisee and the Advisor under the main menu Get Started

Entry and Exit Requirements:

Review and follow the travel recommendations of the U.S. State Department for travel to Costa Rica.

Immigration Information:

Students going to Costa Rica for less than 180 days do not need to apply for a student visa or to refresh their tourist visa.

Your Study Abroad Advisor will help you through this process but it is the student's responsibility to stay on top of the visa application process and to review the latest updates related to their destination country.

Travel within Costa Rica:

Looking for some adventure while abroad? You've picked the right country! In Costa Rica, bountiful opportunities await you! From crystal clear waters to the ever so thriving rain and cloud forests, you are bound to make memories that will last a lifetime! Right near campus, there is a tour agency called Tico Viajero that offers many affordable trips around Costa Rica in addition to Nicaragua and Panama. Many students that study abroad at Veritas take advantage of the great prices and get to know other study abroad students.

Another option for traveling around the country is to make use of the resources found right on campus at Veritas. Veritas offers their own selection of excursions and tours that can be found here.

Housing & Meals

Veritas typically coordinates host families for UNI students, located within walking distance of the university. Many students consider host families the best part of the program. The Tico (Costa Rican) families go through a selection and evaluation process with CPI Veritas staff to ensure their home meets standards and needs of US students. Host families are required to speak Spanish to students to help improve language skills. Most families, however, do speak some English. Homestays include two meals per day, laundry once per week, Wi-Fi, and a private bedroom.

Students are in charge of lunch. A number of little restaurants, called sodas, are within walking distance of the school. The university also has two different cafeterias and cafes serving meals, snacks, drinks, salads, and desserts. On average, lunches can be bought for around $5 per meal. Most host families provide refrigerator and cabinet space for students if they want to buy food to make their own lunches.

We recommend that students arrive for their program one day before their classes start (traditionally Sunday) and depart one day after their classes end (traditionally Saturday). Veritas has a big pool of host families, but they also receive hundreds of students from around the world, therefore they prefer that students stay with host families primarily during the time of their academic program.

Winter Session (J-Term)

Veritas University offers a few courses for the Winter 2024-2025 session (known at Veritas as the J-Term.)

Dates

The dates for the 2025 J-Term will be from January 6 to January 17. Students should plan to arrive on January 5th and they can depart either January 18th or 19th.

Course Options

Courses are for two weeks and are offered Monday to Friday. Classes taught in English (unless specified). Each class will be four hours long, with some day trips, totaling 45 hours of class time. Four-credit courses will also have mandatory fieldwork during the weekend to complete additional hours for four credits. View the full course list with descriptions here.

Wholistic Midwifery Skills: A Latin American Perspective course, scheduled for J-term 2025, and we would love for your students to participate!
- This unique course offers an in-depth exploration of midwifery practices, combining traditional and modern approaches with a focus on holistic care. Students will gain valuable insights into the cultural, social, and medical aspects of midwifery in Latin America, enhancing their understanding and skills in this vital field.
  - Check out the syllabus for the course.
Tropical Marine Biology
Tropical Ecosystems Gallery
Ecological Photography
Introduction to Genetics: Current applications
Eco Wellbeing: Intersections of Health, Biodiversity & Climate
Costa Rican Health Care System
Health & Psychology: A Holistic Perspective
The Role of Women in Latin American Short Stories - Taught in Spanish

Cost

Veritas J-Term Cost Estimate 2025 - Biology

Veritas J-Term Cost Estimate 2025 - Midwifery

Summer School

Veritas University offers a few types of programs for the summer.

Summer Sessions 1 and 2

A 5-week program where students can take English and Spanish electives
Session 1: Late May-End of June
Session 2: Early July-Early August

Monthly programs

Four week programs where students take intensive Spanish language courses
Available May, June, and July

Field Courses

Three week programs taught in English focused on building immersive hands-on experiences
Course topics include biology and environmental sciences, sustainable studies, business and economics, and arts and humanities

Veritas Cost Estimate Summer 2024 (2 electives over 5 weeks)

Veritas Cost Estimate Summer 2024 (2 electives over 5 weeks, 1 Spanish learning course over 4 weeks)

Program Costs

Estimated Program Cost: $12,735*

*estimated total cost of participation, actual amount depends on type of housing accommodation selected, actual airfare purchase price, personal spending habits, and other factors

Estimated Total Program Cost	$12,735
Estimated U-bill Charges	$9,308
Estimated Out-of-Pocket Costs	$3,427

Veritas Cost Estimate Fall 2024 (PDF)

Cost of Studying On Campus at UNI*

*per semester, estimated, will vary per person

Tuition & Fees	$4,864
Room & Board	$4,824
Books	$400
Personal Expenses	$887
Transportation	$350
Total	$11,325

Source: https://admissions.uni.edu/cost-aid

Pending Updates for UNI Fall 2024

‌Eligibility Requirements to Study Abroad

The Study Abroad Center reserves the right to determine participants' eligibility to study abroad. Students must have a completed study abroad application, including supportive recommendation form(s). Additionally, students must meet all of the following in order to be eligible to study abroad:

Have a cumulative 2.5 GPA or higher at the time of application and maintain this cumulative GPA prior to departure and throughout the study abroad process
If your cumulative GPA is lower than 2.5, submit the following to the Study Abroad Center (103 East Bartlett):
- Letters of reference from two academic contacts (e.g. academic advisor and former or current professor) supporting your pursuit of study abroad. If you are attending a faculty-led study abroad program, one of the letters must be from a course leader. However, if the program has two course leaders, only one of the letters can be from one of the course leaders.

Must be over the age of 18 years old
Must meet the course prerequisites (participation in the program is dependent upon meeting these)
Must be in good standing with the university
UNI's partner institutions may require additional eligibility requirements to be met, these vary from institution to institution. Please consult with the Study Abroad Center staff to discuss these additional requirements, if applicable.
Applicants traveling to a region of a country or a country with an overall Travel Advisory Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) or 4 (Do Not Travel) will not be eligible.