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The School for Field Studies (SFS) Costa Rica - Biodiversity and Sustainable Food Systems (Summer I) (Study Abroad Program)

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  • Locations: Atenas, Costa Rica
  • Program Terms: IOP Summer
  • Homepage: Click to visit
  • Program Sponsor: The School for Field Studies (SFS) 

  • This program is currently not accepting applications. If the deadline has recently passed, you may wish to complete the Extension Request Form.
Dates / Deadlines:

There are currently no active application cycles for this program. If you were expecting to find an available application, there are few possible reasons why:

  1. If it is for a program starting anytime from summer 2024 to spring 2025, applications will not open until November 1, 2023, but deadlines will be available here. Consider signing up for alerts in your inbox with our interest list and on your phone with the UC Merced Connect app.
  2. If it is for an earlier term, the deadline for the program may have passed quite some time ago.
  3. If the program has limited spots, the program may now be full and no longer accepting new applications.
Fact Sheet:
Fact Sheet:
Click here for a definition of this term Minimum GPA: 2.60 Click here for a definition of this term Class standing: 1-Freshman, 2-Sophomore, 3-Junior, 4-Senior, 5-Graduate student, 6-Other
Language of instruction: English Housing options: Dormitory / affiliated residences
Click here for a definition of this term Areas of study: Anthropology, Biological sciences, Earth and space sciences, Economics, Environmental studies, International studies, Zoology
Program Description:

SFS COSTA RICA: BIODIVERSITY AND SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS (SUMMER I)

sfs costa rica1


PROGRAM DETAILS

  • Term: Summer Session I
  • Credits: 4 semester-hour credits (8 credits if taken with Session II)
  • Prerequisites: No course prerequisites: 18 years of age
  • Application Deadline: Rolling admissions. Early applications encouraged
  • Financial Aid: All accepted students can apply for need-based scholarships, grants, and loans


OVERVIEW

Spend a summer in Costa Rica and examine the relationships between food systems, ecology, conservation, and sustainability. Two of the country’s most popular crops – coffee and chocolate – serve as case studies for these issues as you learn how different agricultural techniques have the potential to restore biodiversity and combat climate change. Trace the sociocultural histories of coffee and cacao, from Indigenous histories to modern production and exports, and see how people around the world can follow Costa Rica’s example of sustainability.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT:
  • Visit La Iguana Chocolate Farm, where you’ll harvest cacao by hand and learn about permaculture, sustainable living, and local methods of chocolate processing.

SFS students live and study at the Center for Sustainable Development Studies. The Center is an active organic farm overlooking the vibrant Central Valley, where green is the predominant color as far as the eye can see. Dorms and classrooms intermingle with orchards and gardens, while Center dog Hera keeps watch over it all. The friendly town of Atenas is a 10-minute cab ride away, offering restaurants, shops, parks, and cultural events.
 

SUMMER COMBINED

Take back-to-back summer sessions and get the hands-on learning and skill-building experiences of an internship, while also going off the beaten path and exploring the world. Each summer session focuses on a different topic, and you’ll have time to travel independently between sessions. Receive a $1,000 discount on your second session.


LEARN MORE

REQUEST INFORMATION

APPLY NOW


CONNECT WITH SFS

Visit the SFS website
Call the Admissions Hotline at 800.989.4418
Email admissions@fieldstudies.org
Read updates from the field on the SFS Blog
Follow SFS on Instagram and Facebook
Watch student videos on YouTube and Vimeo
 


This program is currently not accepting applications. If the deadline has recently passed, you may wish to complete the Extension Request Form.