Winter: CIEE January in Monteverde (Costa Rica)
The Program
Study Sustainable Development for the Tropics
Put 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 CIEE - Monteverde and is complemented with immersive co-curricular activities designed to increase intercultural understanding.
Program Locations
Costa Rica
Monteverde
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 opportunities 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.
Academics
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 of CIEE– Monteverde.
CIEE Monteverde is located in an area 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 a wet and dry laboratory, an 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.
Courses offered (students choose 1):
(GI) JOUR 3005 MTVE: Nature, Photography, Social Media, and Environmental Engagement
DEVE 3001 MTVE: Sustainable Development for the Tropics
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 that are scheduled on Saturdays. 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.
Housing and Meals
Students live in double, triple, or quad rooms shared with other CIEE students of their same cohort with en-suite bathrooms. Rooms include bunkbeds, shared desks, and closets. Most students spend time in the library, rec room or student union. Indoor and outdoor areas for recreation and study, with access to forest trails and gardens.
Students are provided with breakfast, hot lunch (pack lunches on weekends), and dinner. All meals are included, served buffet style. Vegan and vegetarian options are available. Most food allergies can be accommodated. Meals include mostly Costa Rican foods, with some American-style foods available.
Fieldtrips are included in the program cost.
Students will be picked at the airport upon arrival (included in program cost). Drop off at the end of the program will be coordinated by CIEE but out-of-pocket for the student.
CIEE will arrange for COVID tests at the end of the program if still required by the US. The cost is $100 per student, out-of-pocket.
Financial Information
Program Costs
| NJ Resident | non-NJ Resident | |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | $4,415 | $4,830 |
Program Cost includes:
- Tuition
- Housing
- All meals
- Excursions
- Airport pick-up
- Administrative Fees
- 24-hour emergency on-site support
- Emergency Medical Access Abroad
Out-of-Pocket Costs
| Airfare | $800 |
| Additional food | $30 |
| CIEE Application Fee | $50 |
| CIEE Deposit | $300 |
| Airport Drop Off | $100 |
| Personal Expenses | $150 |
| Local transportation | $40 |
| Total | $1,470.00 |
Out-of-Pocket Cost includes:
The above costs are estimations and represent the known out-of-pocket costs students encounter during their time abroad.
Some of these expenses will be paid for prior to going abroad, such as an airline ticket, while some of these expenses, such as meals and personal expenses, will be paid in-country as part of your daily expenses. As you plan, you will need to budget these costs and spend wisely throughout your time abroad.
* The winter session student fee is not included in the program cost above.
Scholarships
Student Highlights
My experience abroad with CIEE was truly amazing and life-changing. I had the opportunity to meet many students from across the country who shared a similar interest in photography. I also had the opportunity to be immersed in such a unique culture and experience the ecological beauty of Cost Rica. The locals and even the CIEE staff were warmly welcoming and made you feel like you were a part of their family. It was an experience I'll never forget.