Tropical Field Ecology in Costa Rica

Students fly together to Costa Rica. Costa Rica is a rugged, forested Central American country with coastlines on the Caribbean and Pacific. Though its capital, San Jose, is home to cultural institutions like the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum, Costa Rica is known for its beaches, volcanoes, and biodiversity. Roughly a quarter of its area is made up of protected jungle, teeming with wildlife including spider monkeys and quetzal birds.

Student travel for two weeks in Costa Rica through different regions of the country, including Dominical, Guanacaste, and Sarapiqui. Costa Rica is a fairly small country and supports a remarkable diversity of different types of ecosystems. 

Students will explore rainforests, tropical deciduous forests, active volcanoes, mangrove swamps, and rivers. Students watch a mother sloth nurse its baby, hold tree frogs smaller than houseflies, and touch fruit-eating bats. The adventure also includes snorkeling, hiking for amphibians at night and white-water rafting.

The experiences lead to a better appreciation of how interesting and beautiful natural, intact tropical forests can be.

Following the program, students return to Michigan from Costa Rica.

Requirements: A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required. Students who don’t meet the GPA requirement may still be eligible and should speak with OU’s International Education Office prior to applying.

Course: BIO 3333: Tropical Field Ecology (3 credits)

Students will obtain an immediate and impressionistic understanding of ecology that just isn’t possible in the classroom or lab. For example, students may see more than 50 different species of birds during a single outing.

The course is taught in English by OU faculty.

Students will stay in hotels, biological preserves, and while in Costa Rica in different regions of the country, including Dominical, Guanacaste, and Sarapiqui.

All meals are included in the program cost. Popular Costa Rican dishes include gallo pinto, a breakfast dish made of rice and beans, casado, arroz con leche, sopa negra and olla de carne.

Tuition: 3 Credits

You will be charged for these credits on your eBill at your normal rate of tuition.

Program Fee: $3,400

To be paid to OU on our MarketPlace payment system and includes: airfare, housing and all meals, ground transportation and all excursions while in Costa Rica, and health insurance.

Additional Costs: $375

You will need additional funds for these expenses not covered by program fee. Amounts are estimated.
Incidental personal expenses: $200
Passport (if you don't have one): $175

Scholarships and Financial Aid: You are able to use financial aid to cover your full cost of attendance to this program (tuition, program fee and additional costs). Scholarships are also available through your study abroad application.