Costa Rica:
ACM Language, Society and the Environment
The fall semester ACM program in Language, Society, and the Environment is an interdisciplinary program for students seeking a comprehensive understanding of life in Latin America and wishing to develop fluency in Spanish. This program, which focuses on the humanities and social sciences, is designed to take full advantage of its Costa Rican setting. Language study is stressed as the key to understanding the culture. Course work in language, literature, geography, anthropology, politics, and culture enables students to develop insights that are reinforced by field trips and two weeks of field work in rural areas. In San José and its environs, students live with families both to improve their language ability and enjoy personal involvement in the daily life of a Latin American community.
Length of Program: Late August to December.
Enrollment: 25 to 30 students.
Eligibility: Sophomores, juniors, and seniors, with at least two years of college-level Spanish or the equivalent.
Credit: 4 units.
Application Deadlines: March 10.
Campus Advisor: Mario Montaño.
ACM Field Research in the Environment, Social Sciences, and Humanities
The spring semester ACM program for Field Research in the Environment, Social Sciences, and Humanities is designed for advanced work in the natural and social sciences. Independent research in the humanities is also encouraged. Costa Rica supports an extraordinary variety of plant and animal life and provides rich research opportunities for students of tropical biology and ecology. An equally broad range of research topics is available for students of anthropology, archaeology, economics, geography, geology, history, political science, literature, fine arts, and sociology. Students prepare for their research during a month-long orientation that includes intensive language training and a review of fieldwork methodology. Their field study may be integrated with an ongoing project or undertaken independently under the supervision of a faculty advisor.
Length of Program: Late January to May. Enrollment: 25 to 27 students.
Eligibility: Juniors and seniors with prior course work in the discipline in which they propose to do research, plus at least one year of college Spanish (two years are strongly recommended).
Credit: 4 units.
Application Deadlines: October 10.
Campus Advisor: Marc Snyder or Brian Linkhart.