Information for term January in Monteverde
Application deadline, and cost information.
Overview
Click to OpenPut on your hiking boots and spend January in the progressive mountain community of Monteverde studying Sustainable Development for the Tropics, surrounded by the region’s breathtaking natural scenery. Coursework is taught in English at the CIEE Global Institute - Monteverde and is complemented with immersive co-curricular activities designed to increase intercultural understanding.
Follow our Travels:
Unique Experiences
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Learn how tourism
can bring more than new people to a community. As a student, you’ll explore environmental, economic, and social impacts of this powerful force, and come away a more enlightened traveler in the process!
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EXPLORE RENEWABLE ENERGIES
like solar, wind, and hydropower, that are helping Costa Rica avoid fossil fuels and become carbon neutral
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VISIT THE CLOUD FOREST
where mosses and orchids, dripping with mist, decorate the boughs of gnarly trees and brightly colored birds dart through the fog for fruits. This resource is critical not only for the economy of Monteverde but also for the hundreds of plants and animals that call this wet world ‘home’.
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FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL, ON THE TOP OF THE TILARAN MOUNTAINS
4,600 -
species of birds
400 -
annual tourists
250K
Location & Culture
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Your Destination
Monteverde is a small, international community, nestled along the edge of the cloud forest in the Tilarán Mountains. Drawn to the area’s spectacular beauty and opportunity to see quetzals and monkeys, tourists now contribute the principal revenues to the zone, although coffee plantations and dairy farms still dot the landscape. This area is famous as an epicenter for grassroots conservation and private reserves, and the community is emerging as the vanguard of innovation for Costa Rica’s carbon neutrality program.
The Culture
EXCURSIONS & ACTIVITIES
- Hike in the under the dripping boughs of the cloud forest and observe colorful plants and animals. Insiders will tell you about how these protected areas both conserve biodiversity and contribute to the economy.
- Visit local businesses involved with tourism and learn from residents about their opinions on the good, the bad, and all the rest of tourism development.
- Take a day trip to a local sustainable farm and enjoy a meal of 100% organically-grown food, direct from the fields.
- Explore and experience the power of renewable energies, including solar, wind and hydropower, operating at large and small scales, to gain insight into the how and why Costa Rica is an international leader in the carbon neutral movement.
Program Blogs
Click to OpenProgram Blogs
Daily Life
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Housing
Students stay on the CIEE Global Institute campus in shared rooms with bunkbeds and en suite bathrooms. The campus includes indoor and outdoor common areas for recreation and study and allows exclusive access to forest trails and gardens.
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MEALS
All meals are included in the program fee. Students are provided with breakfast, a sack lunch, and dinner.
Monteverde, Costa Rica Where You'll Study
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A
CIEE Monteverde
Located next to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve, CIEE Monteverde offers a comfortable home-base for students and faculty conducting research and coursework.
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B
Monteverde
Located in the Cordillera de Tilarán mountain range, Monteverde is home to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve which contains over 26,000 acres of tropical plants and animals.
Academics
Click to OpenAcademics
The January in Monteverde program is an intensive introduction to environmental sustainability issues facing many tropical, developing nations. Emphasis is on the economic sustainability of renewable energy, ecotourism, and agriculture. Courses are taught by qualified instructors at the CIEE Global Institute – Monteverde.
CIEE Global Institute – Monteverde is located on an extensive 153-acre campus that includes forest and farms against a backdrop of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Facilities include classrooms, residence halls, and recreational areas in a natural setting. There are laboratories, a herbarium, plus organic gardens to support a wide array of STEM studies and research opportunities. An extensive trail system through forest and fields, links classrooms to a botanical garden, animal stables, and coffee and vegetable production areas.
GPA
2.5
Language Prerequisites
There are no specific language requirements for this program.
Additional Requirements
Two college-level courses in the natural sciences, environmental studies, sustainability, or agriculture
Program Requirements
All students take the required CIEE course.
Program Credit
Total credit: 3 U.S. semester/4.5 quarter credits
Course Credit
CIEE course: 3 U.S. semester/4.5 quarter credits; 45 contact hours
Academic Culture
The program is made up of three weeks of classes, designed to follow U.S. academic culture. Class attendance is strictly enforced for both classes and required co-curricular excursions. There is no time for weekend travel and students are strongly encouraged to spend evenings and Sundays taking part in extra-curricular activities to practice the language and learn about the local culture.
Class Format
Courses taught at CIEE Monteverde are for CIEE students only. Courses are taught Monday - Saturday. Instruction is supported and augmented online by our learning management system, Canvas.
Grading
Assessment is based on the individual’s overall performance in the course, including quizzes, exams, essays, oral presentations, deliverables, plus participation in classes, including outings. Students must check with their professors to find out exam and project presentation dates. Under no circumstances will CIEE alter deadlines or exam dates for study abroad students who have made conflicting travel plans. The U.S. grading scale of A-F is used.
Language of Instruction
English
Courses
Click to OpenCourse Information
Note: This course listing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract between CIEE and any applicant, student, institution, or other party. The courses, as described, may be subject to change as a result of ongoing curricular revisions, assignment of lecturers and teaching staff, and program development. Courses may be canceled due to insufficient enrollment.
Dates & Fees
Click to OpenDates & Fees
You get more for every dollar when you study abroad with CIEE, because our high-quality programs include everything from excursions to insurance. There are no hidden charges, and no disappointing surprises when you arrive.
Program |
Application Due |
Start Date |
End Date |
Fees & Housing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 2021 | Nov 1, 2020 | Dec 28, 2020 | Jan 18, 2021 | |
| January 2022 | Nov 1, 2021 | Dec 27, 2021* | Jan 17, 2022* |
*Dates for this program are provided as tentative dates. Please consult with your study abroad advisor to confirm dates before purchasing your flights.
To help you budget, keep in mind that students are responsible for the cost of international airfare, local transportation, books and supplies, visas, and personal expenses. In addition, your college or university may charge additional fees for study abroad, or may require you to receive a transcript via CIEE's School of Record, which carries an additional fee of $500. January 2020 programs in Latin America are not eligible for CIEE Scholarships and Grants.
What's Included
Click to OpenWhat's Included
Our Staff
Click to OpenOur Staff
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Hector Castaneda
Instructor
Hector Castaneda has a doctorate from the University of Florida in Interdisciplinary Ecology.
Get Started
Here's what you need to do to take the next steps:-
1
START AN APPLICATION
Apply Now
You're one step closer to an amazing study abroad experience! -
2
CONNECT WITH YOUR CAMPUS STUDY ABROAD OFFICE
Share your plans and confirm you're on track to meet all required steps to go abroad. -
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Contact Us
Send us an email if you still have questions or need information about applying to this program.
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