Dates
May 25 - June 11, 2027Subjects
Biology, Conservation, Child and Family Studies, Environmental History, HonorsDeadlines
Dec. 1: Apply Early & Save $100Feb. 5: Regular Deadline
Program Overview
Costa Rica offers students a challenging academic experience with travel through breathtaking scenery, immense biodiversity, culturally immersive homestays, and a variety of unique excursions. The program will explore the complexities of environmental history, human ecology, biodiversity, and eco-tourism with stays at the Monteverde Cloud Forest, the capital, San Jose, and the sites of Tortuguero and Cahuita on the Caribbean Coast. Students will participate in hikes including a night hike, and there will be some transport by boat.
Note: Studying abroad likely is more physically strenuous than you are used to at home. KIIS study abroad programs typically involve approx. 5-10 miles of walking (approx. 10,000-20,000 steps) or the like in a day, including the possibility of walking, hiking, and climbing stairs in heat and humidity, over elevations at higher altitudes, and over rocky terrain. See Health & Wellness for more information.
Program Director
Luis M. Sierra is Associate Professor of History and Chair of the History Department and Law Program at Thomas More University. His teaching and research focus on Latin American history, urban history, memory, and public history. He is also faculty director of study abroad at Thomas More. He is excited to serve as Program Director for the KIIS Costa Rica program and to help students engage with global cultures and histories.Dr. Luis Sierra
Photo Gallery
-
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
Courses
Courses are 3 credit hours. You may enroll in 1 course.
This interdisciplinary course uses three Costa Rica economic activities designed to generate foreign income: sugar, coffee, and banana production, as local agricultural activities, and as elements of ecotourism to examine how internal and external historical and social factors have shaped Costa Rican society. As we explore Costa Rica from a science, food, and culture perspective, we will encounter elements that bring to life a small nation in Latin America.
This course explores the dynamic relationship between food culture, dietary practices, and population health through immersive learning. Students examine how Costa Rican culinary traditions, agricultural systems, and public health efforts shape nutrition and health outcomes across communities. Through participating in activities like visiting local food markets to farm tours, students will examine how culture, environment, and policy influence well-being.
This course introduces students to the extraordinary diversity of plants and animals and their habitats in Costa Rica. We will explore the Arenal Volcano area of La Fortuna, tour the largest butterfly garden in the world in La Paz, and hike in some of the most famous Costa Rican cloud forests. Emphasis of this course is on understanding biodiversity issues in the tropics and on conservation strategies needed to protect these dwindling resources.
All KIIS course credit is awarded by Western Kentucky University. Prior to your KIIS program, please speak with your home campus academic advisor and/or study abroad office to determine course equivalencies. Grades will be transferred to your home institution in mid-August after the completion of the program. Course offerings are subject to change according to enrollment. For more information, visit Transcripts & Grades.
Group Flight
ESTIMATED COST $1,250- $1,350
The group flight is required for all KIIS Costa Rica participants (any exceptions must be pre-approved by the Costa Rica program director). KIIS will purchase a round-trip flight ticket for you. The flight cost will be added to your final program fee on April 1. The group flight will depart from Cincinnati or Louisville.
Flights to and from Costa Rica are typically the same day. Visit Flights and Passports & Visas for more information.