Universidad de Costa Rica (San José)

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General information for exchange students

Course information

Fact Sheet for more information

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Semester I: 1^st week of March- 2^nd week of July
Semester II: 2^nd week of March - 1^st week of December

Orientation generally commences beginning of March for Semester I and beginning of August for Semester II.

Exams take place mid July for Semester I and the 1^st and 1^st week of December for Semester II.

GPA (Average Grade)

The GPA requirement at this university is 8.00 out of 10 but a little bit lower is usually allowed (not lower than 7.5).

Spanish Language Requirement

• A B2 certificate in Spanish is required at the time you complete your application at Costa Rica, a few months prior to the start of your exchange.
• Any course that provides a certificate is sufficient (e.g. Cervantes)

It is recommended you start your language course early!

Other

• Minimum credits: 12
• Students must arrive on time for Orientation Sessions and for enrolment process.
• Visa procedure is quite expensive (around €600).

• Liberal and Fine Arts: Faculty of Letters, Faculty of Arts.
• Social Sciences: Faculty of Social Sciences, Faculty of Economics, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Education.
• Basic Sciences: Faculty of Sciences.
• Food and Agriculture Sciences: Faculty of Agri-food Sciences.
• Engineering: Faculty of Engineering.
• Health: Faculty of Dentistry, Faculty of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine*
• Programs offered in regional campuses and its corresponding branches.

* The School of Medicine is not open for exchange students, but other schools from the Faculty of Medicine are. Applications from Dentistry students will be analyzed on a case-by-case basis.

No

Almost all courses are in Spanish, a limited amount of courses in English is available

The university does not offer housing to exchange students. Students are expected to find housing independently. However, prior to the date of arrival the university will provide students with information on housing platforms.

Average living costs are around $850 per month.

• Accommodation: $200-600 per month
• Transportation (monthly pass): $46.00
• Inexpensive meal: $5.00-10.00
• Books and reading material (approximately) per semester: $300-600

You can find information on this university’s credits in the credit conversion table

2 places per year

Selection was not necessary in the past few years.