Monteverde, Costa Rica

Sustainability + the Environment

Click to scroll down and read more

Information for term Sustainability + the Environment

Application deadline, and cost information.

Application Deadline

May 1, 2023
weeks
days
hours

Program Deadlines and Pricing Info

  • Deadline: May 1, 2023
  • Dates: Aug 14 – Dec 2, 2023 (16 weeks)
  • Credit: 17 semester hours / 25.5 quarter hours
  • Eligibility: 2.5 Overall GPA

Application Deadline

The application deadline has passed.

Program Deadlines and Pricing Info

  • Dates: Jan 23 – May 13, 2023 (16 weeks)
  • Credit: 17 semester hours / 25.5 quarter hours
  • Eligibility: 2.5 Overall GPA

Application Deadline

November 1, 2023
weeks
days
hours

Program Deadlines and Pricing Info

  • Deadline: November 1, 2023
  • Dates: Jan 22 – May 11, 2024 (16 weeks)
  • Credit: 17 semester hours / 25.5 quarter hours
  • Eligibility: 2.5 Overall GPA

Overview

Click to Open

Attending CIEE Monteverde is a unique and life-changing experience where you will develop new knowledge and skills while taking your Spanish language skills to the next level. This program is for students from all fields of study interested in digging into today's pressing environmental issues. When class is in session, you'll take three required content courses, an internship, and a Spanish language course. Outside the classroom, you'll participate in activities on local farms, natural reserves, field stations, and other experiences that provide intercultural understanding.     

  • EXPLORE ALTERNATIVE ENERGIES

    and learn about how they impact communities and biodiversity

  • INTERN WITH A LOCAL LEADER

    and apply the principles of conservation and sustainability to real-life situations

  • species of plants and trees

    3,021
  • Natural Wonders of Costa Rica including the Monteverde Cloud Forest

    7
  • inhabitants

    6,700

Location & Culture

Click to Open

Located in the northwestern region of Costa Rica, Monteverde lies along the continental divide at the crest of the Cordillera de Tilarán mountain chain, which is blanketed by a cool, wet cloud forest extending down into the Atlantic lowlands.  The cloud forest provides a striking contrast to the deciduous forest on the Pacific side. 

The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve was founded in 1972 to protect the entire ridge above Monteverde and down into the Peñas Blancas Valley.  As a result of its unique history and geography, Monteverde is a stunning home to exotic flora, fauna, and wildlife and sustainability projects including agriculture, energy production, water conservation, forest management, and biodiversity conservation.

CIEE wants all our students to feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed while studying abroad. Local CIEE staff have provided details about conditions and cultural attitudes that students with specific identities might encounter in Monteverde.

The Culture

EXCURSIONS & ACTIVITIES may include:

  • Immersing yourself in the steamy jungle of the Lowland Rainforest. 
  • Rising with the sun for birding tours or farm chores and experiencing biodiversity after the sun goes down with a guided night hike in the forest.  
  • Meet local people and business owners to get a firsthand look at a range of environmental protection projects. 
  • Earn work experience as an intern in a local organization or company. 
  • Indoor and outdoor areas with access to forest trails and gardens for recreation, self-exploration and co-curricular activities. 
  • Optional weekend at a home stay where students can live with a local family in Monteverde and immerse themselves in the Costa Rican culture. 

Program Blogs

Click to Open

Program Blogs

Daily Life

Click to Open
  • Housing

    Dorms: whether on or off-campus students live in dormitories surrounded by the Cloud Forest in double, triple, or quad rooms shared with other CIEE students.  Rooms have shared or en-suite bathrooms, shared desks, and shared closets.

  • MEALS

    All students receive three meals per day.  Accommodations for vegan and vegetarian diets are available. 

Monteverde, Costa Rica

Where You'll Study

  • A

    CIEE MONTEVERDE

    where some classes and laboratories are held and where some students are housed

  • B

    MONTEVERDE BIOLOGICAL STATION

    where some classes and laboratories are held and where some students are housed

  • C

    Getting Around

    CIEE Monteverde provides transportation to town once or twice a week or students may take a taxi.

What People are Saying

  • "Great experience; Trips were extremely fun and informative; Staff was really nice and helpful; Also, Costa Rica is a beautiful country with great people"

    Fayoni O., George Washington University
  • "Studying abroad in a new place is a very rewarding experience."

    Morgan O., University of Colorado-Boulder

Academics

Click to Open

Academics

This program is designed for energetic, outdoorsy students who are committed to fully immersing in academics, local culture, and nature. Successful students are those committed to working hard, playing hard, and expanding their comfort zone. Students participants learn in the classroom and field, and travel within Costa Rica to places that most visitors never see. You are rewarded with unique and life-changing experiences, new knowledge and skills, and inspiration to carry the sustainability movement forward. 

There is a wet laboratory, an herbarium, plus organic gardens to support a wide array of STEM studies and internship 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

Major in environmental studies/science.  Have completed two college-level courses in natural sciences, environmental studies, or agriculture. 

Recommendations

Some college-level Spanish is recommended.  

 

Individual courses may have additional prerequisites; for CIEE courses, these are listed in the syllabi below. Students are responsible for having their own course approval conversations with their advisors.

Program Requirements

Students must take 5 required courses including Spanish language and an internship. 

  • 3 CIEE Biology/Environmental courses  
  • 1 Spanish language course  
  • 1 Internship  

Program Credit

Total credit: 17 U.S. semester credits/25.5 quarter credits  

Course Credit

  • CIEE Biology courses: 4 U.S. semester/6 quarter credits, 60 contact hours unless otherwise noted  
  • CIEE Spanish language courses: 4 U.S. semester/6 quarter credits, 60 contact hours  
  • CIEE Internship: 3 U.S. semester/4.5 quarter credits; 25 seminar hours, 110 placement hours 

Individual courses may have additional prerequisites; for CIEE courses, these are listed in the syllabi below. Students are responsible for having their own course approval conversations with their advisors.

Academic Culture

The program is highly rewarding. Fall Schedule: mid-August to early December. Spring Schedule: Late January to mid-May. 

Class Format

Students learn with other CIEE participants in small, dynamic groups, taking five classes that are required for this program. Learning happens through lectures, fieldwork, excursion, interviews, small group work, and discussions. Because of the focus on critical thinking, assignments and exams are writing intensive. Classes are typically held Monday through Friday and are for CIEE participants only. Instruction is supported and augmented online by Canvas, our e-learning management tool.  

Grading

Students are assessed with traditional evaluation tools – tests, reports, essays, participation, and oral presentations – and given a standard letter grade of A-F like in the US.  

 

Individual courses may have additional prerequisites; for CIEE courses, these are listed in the syllabi below. Students are responsible for having their own course approval conversations with their advisors.

Language of Instruction

English and Spanish

Individual courses may have additional prerequisites; for CIEE courses, these are listed in the syllabi below. Students are responsible for having their own course approval conversations with their advisors.

Courses

Click to Open

Course Information

All students take a Spanish Language class, at an appropriate level (as determined by a placement evaluation) from the list below. Participants should be attentive to the scheduling of the placement tests and the online class schedule, all of which will be communicated well in advance of the program start date.

Spring 2023 CIEE Courses

Click to Open

Academic Projects

Course
Language
Semester Credit

Biological and Physical Sciences

Course
Language
Semester Credit

Languages and Cultural Studies

Course
Language
Semester Credit

Natural Resources, Conservation, and the Environment

Course
Language
Semester Credit

Fall 2023 CIEE Courses

Click to Open

Academic Projects

Course
Language
Semester Credit

Biological and Physical Sciences

Course
Language
Semester Credit

Languages and Cultural Studies

Course
Language
Semester Credit

Natural Resources, Conservation, and the Environment

Course
Language
Semester Credit

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.
"(GI)" denotes courses that originated at CIEE's Global Institutes and that are offered at multiple CIEE sites.

Scholarships

Click to Open

Scholarships & Grants

CIEE offers scholarships and grants annually to help students like you make your study abroad dream a reality.

Students who apply to this program are eligible for the following scholarships and grants:

  • Wollitzer Merit Scholarships in Area or Comparative Studies
  • Ping Scholarships for Academic Excellence
  • Ritzmann Tropical and Marine Ecology Scholarships
  • Global Access Initiative (GAIN) Grants
  • CIEE Gilman Go Global Grant

To be considered, submit the CIEE Scholarships & Grants application within your CIEE program application. Learn more at the Scholarships & Grants section of our website.

See more scholarship info

Dates & Fees

Click to Open

Dates & 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

Spring 2023 16 weeks Deadline Passed Jan 23, 2023 May 13, 2023
$18,850
Click to Close

Program Fees

CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel insurance with benefits.

Participation Confirmation = $300 *

Educational Costs = $16,683 **

Housing = $1,700 ***

Insurance = $167

Total Fees = $18,850

Estimated Costs

Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration.

International Airfare = $700

Local Transportation = $100

Books & Supplies = $20

Personal expenses = $350

Total Estimated Costs = $1,170

Financial Aid

CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $8 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, institutional and MSI grants, and Gilman Go Global Grants.

See Scholarships

This breakdown has been prepared from the program budget for the purpose of calculating eligibility for financial aid. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. CIEE reserves the right to adjust fees at any time.

Students required by their US home institution to study abroad via CIEE's School of Record will be charged a $500 administrative fee in addition to the Program Fees listed.

* non-refundable

** direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students

*** includes all meals

round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure

Fall 2023 16 weeks May 1, 2023 Aug 14, 2023 Dec 2, 2023
$18,850
Click to Close

Program Fees

CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel insurance with benefits.

Participation Confirmation = $300 *

Educational Costs = $16,653 **

Housing = $1,700 ***

Insurance = $197

Total Fees = $18,850

Estimated Costs

Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration.

International Airfare = $650

Local Transportation = $100

Personal expenses = $350

Other = $100 ††

Total Estimated Costs = $1,200

Financial Aid

CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $8 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, institutional and MSI grants, and Gilman Go Global Grants.

See Scholarships

This breakdown has been prepared from the program budget for the purpose of calculating eligibility for financial aid. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. CIEE reserves the right to adjust fees at any time.

Students required by their US home institution to study abroad via CIEE's School of Record will be charged a $500 administrative fee in addition to the Program Fees listed.

* non-refundable

** direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students

*** includes all meals

round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure

†† Covid test fees for entry to the US, if required

Spring 2024 16 weeks Nov 1, 2023 Jan 22, 2024 May 11, 2024

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.

Looking for funding?

What's Included

Click to Open

What's Included

Tuition
Housing
Meals
Pre-departure Advising
Advising before you depart to set goals and answer questions
Optional on-site airport meet-and-greet
Orientation
Introduction to your program plus practical information about living in your host city
On-site Staff
Full-time program leadership and support in your city
Cultural and/or Co-curricular Activities
Excursions and/or Study Tours
Travel Protection
CIEE iNext and a local liability insurance
24/7 emergency on-site support

Our Staff

Click to Open

Get Started

Here's what you need to do to take the next steps:
  • 1

    START AN APPLICATION
    You're one step closer to an amazing study abroad experience! 

    Apply Now
  • 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. 

  • 3

    Contact Us

    Send us an email if you still have questions or need information about applying to this program.