Costa Rica: Universidad Veritas

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. 

Courses: Veritas offers a unique and customized academic program. While most students interested are 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. These credits vary based on course selections.
• Short Term Programs are offered in different fields, such as health or law enforcement.
• Internship Opportunities are available on an individual basis

Students are placed into Spanish courses based on a written placement test and a Zoom 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 passing the class, students are able to progress to the next level of Spanish. For course offerings of the month-long intensive Spanish, please see here.

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 seehere.

Academic Calendar: Veritas offers a Fall term from October to December. For the Spring Semester, they offer two terms - one from January to March and one from April to June. Students can choose one of those terms or both. They also offer a variety of summer options. 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.

Meet your Advisor:

Stephanie is a full time study abroad advisor who will help you throughout the application process to Costa Rica, including documentation, finances, scholarships, and more.  From the application process to financial assistance to preparing for your journey abroad, Stephanie will be with you every step of the way providing guidance and reassurance.

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.

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.

Housing: Veritas typically coordinates host families for UNI students, located within walking distance of the university. Many host families have partnered with Veritas for over 20 years! Students consider host families to be one of the best parts of the program. The Tico (Costa Rican) families go through a selection and evaluation process with 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, cleaning service and a private bedroom.

Dining: Included with the cost of your host family will be breakfast and dinner. Students are in charge of their own lunch accommodations, however there are a number of local restaurants, called sodas, that are within walking distance of campus. The university also has two different cafeterias serving meals, snacks, drinks, salads, desserts and more. 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). However, other accommodations can be made by speaking with your host family. 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.

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 the January 18th or 19th.

Course Options: 

• Wholistic Midwifery Skills: A Latin American Perspective course is scheduled for J-term 2025. 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 University offers a few types of programs for the summer. These include monthly programs and field courses. 

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  

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

Veritas Cost Estimate Summer 2025 (2 electives over 5 weeks)

Veritas Cost Estimate Summer 2025 (2 electives over 5 weeks, 1 Spanish learning course over 4 weeks)