Global Education and Field Study

Costa Rica - EV360/PS307 - Sustainable Development, Conservation & Social Justice

BLOCK 6 - SPRING 2027

EV360/PS307: Sustainable Development, Conservation, and Social Justice in Costa Rica

San Jose, Tamarindo, Monteverde, and Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica

This course examines the successes and challenges of sustainable development in Costa Rica, particularly in the face of climate change. Through discussions with community groups, public officials, and environmentalists throughout the country, students will gain a multifaceted understanding of pressing issues including the politics of forest conservation, the social and environmental impacts of tourism, sustainable agriculture, and urban development. The relationship between the national and local governments, the role of international development aid, and Costa Rica’s contribution to global environmental governance will also be examined. The class will be based out of San José, Costa Rica, with several day and overnight trips to other parts of the country.

Course led by Prof. Corina McKendry

Course Info

This course is OPEN for new applications

Financial Info

How to Apply or Withdraw

Course Expectations

Heightened Physical & Psychological Requirements for All Study Away: Study Away or Abroad can be a very different experience than an on-campus course, requiring both physical and mental adjustments which may not be typical for your on-campus experience. This includes requirements for physical activity such as more extensive physical movement (walking, touring, extended sedentary time during travel, etc.), requirements to manage luggage, often on uneven terrain such as cobblestone streets or buildings without elevators, or locations with limited medical facilities, potential extremes of weather and temperature.

Housing options are also significantly different from an on-campus experience. Some programs will use family homestays while others will require students live in pairs, triples, and quads. Travel is also inherently a stressful alteration to your normal routines, with greater flexibility, adaptability and resilience required, whether it is dealing with distinct cultures, language differences, feelings of “otherness” or lack of belonging, or simply greater ambiguity and unfamiliarity with surroundings.

We recommend that all students consider these realities of study away and abroad as they consider programs. Below we will list any known expectations which the faculty have identified for their specific course.

Expectations for Study on this Program: The program features such as immersion in unfamiliar community settings, intensive exploration of identity or cultural difference, housing types unfamiliar to students, limited dietary options, or other potentially heightened-stress scenarios which may produce challenges to student mental health. Though mostly staying in dorms and hotels, we do have a short home-stay with families in a small cooperative farming community. Students will be paired (no one will be alone), but the living situation will be quite different than what most students are accustomed to.

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Costa Rica - EV360/PS307 - Sustainable Development, Conservation & Social Justice

BLOCK 6 - SPRING 2027

EV360/PS307: Sustainable Development, Conservation, and Social Justice in Costa Rica

San Jose, Tamarindo, Monteverde, and Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica