Costa Rica: Universidad Nacional Autonoma (IFSA-Butler) - Main Page

Prerequisites

Two years of college-level Spanish (or the equivalent) and a 3.0 GPA (4.0 scale) are required to attend this program.

Student Life

If you're looking for a stellar university in an outstanding natural environment, consider the Institute For Study Abroad's program at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma (UNA) in Heredia, Costa Rica. This university of 15,000 offers an enthusiastic and diverse student body from various socio-economic backgrounds. Costa Rica itself is among the most beautiful places on earth, a jewel for eco-tourism and a model of political and economic stability in Latin America.

Housing

Students reside with a host family selected by IFSA-Butler. Since much of the Latin American culture revolves around the extended family, living with a host family is one of the best ways to become immersed in Costa Rican life. There are plenty of opportunities to meet your fellow students, given the plethora of artistic and athletic student groups on campus.

Natural beauty and academic excellence intersect at UNA!

Excursions

You can bond with your fellow IFSA-Butler students on group excursions. In the past, students have visited an ecological reserve, where they witnessed turtles laying eggs by moonlight and later returned for the hatching. Students have also traveled to a working coffee plantation for lively tour and coffee tasting.

Courses

UNA's full range of course offerings includes strengths in Latin American studies, sociology, economics, and business. Appropriate for a university in an ecological paradise, UNA also has outstanding environmental studies and ecology departments. Beyond the courses you pursue at UNA, you will also take a required Spanish course and a Costa Rican social history course organized by IFSA-Butler. All coursework is conducted in Spanish.