Universidad de Costa Rica (San José)

Universidad de Costarica Logo.

 

Universidad de Costa Rica (San José) is a universitywide partner in San José, Costa Rica.

Student experiences

Download the student experiences

Webpages

General information for exchange students

Course information scroll down to STUDENT VISITOR > then look under "Enrollment Intent"

Fact Sheet for more information

Social media

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Instagram

Get to know Universidad de Costa Rica (YouTube)

Academic calendar

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

Orientation generally commences end July for Semester I and end February for Semester II.

Exams take place the 1st week of December for Semester I and the 1st and 2nd week of July for Semester II.

Requirements

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).
Areas of study open to exchange students
  • Arts: performing, musical, plastic.
  • Sciences: biology (limited to Biology students and to space), mathematics, physics, chemistry.
  • Education: teaching, orientation, physical education, administration in education.
  • Economic Sciences: business management (limited), public administration, economics/financial, statistics.
  • Social Sciences: psychology, political sciences, social work, sociology, anthropology.
  • Engineering: electrical, civil, mechanical, chemical, industrial.
  • Agronomy: agribusiness, food technology.
Courses at Master’s level

No

Language of instruction

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

Housing assistance

The university coordinates a home stay program, with Costa Rican families. The cost is $425 per month, which includes room and board, meals (twice a day on weekdays, and three times a day on weekends), laundry, and orientation. A$75 fee is charge for family selection procedures.

Students can opt to find alternative housing.

Estimated living costs per month

Average living costs are around $850 per month. (Estimate from 2020).

  • Accommodation: $425 per month
  • Transportation (local): $2.00 per day (approximately)
  • Meals (once a day): $4.00 at the Campus cafeteria
  • Books and reading material (approximately):
    • For sciences, engineering, and economics $100 per course
    • For Social sciences and others $80 per course
Credits

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

Number of places available

2 places per year

Selection

Selection was not necessary in the past few years.

                   

Contact

If you have any questions about this universitywide partner university, contact the universitywide International Office:

Asia & Latin America

Name: Ms. Clim Gorissen
E-mail: region1@uu.nl

North America & UK

Name: Ms. Cathelijne van Weelden
E-mail: region2@uu.nl

Australia, New Zealand, South Africa & Spain*

Name: Ms. Tessel Arendsen
E-mail: region3@uu.nl

* Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Universitat de Barcelona

Europe & Middle East

Name: Ms. Mandy van den Houten
E-mail: region4@uu.nl

General exchange questions

Names: Tamar Oderwald and Patrick Chan
Email: exchange@uu.nl

Erasmus+ grant questions

The International Office can only help you with questions related to the content of your Learning Agreement and with signing documents on behalf of the Sending Institution.

For all other Erasmus+ grant related questions, please refer to the Erasmus+ grants for Studies page (scroll down to “Contact the Erasmus Office” to make an appointment) or send an e-mail to erasmus@uu.nl

For questions about faculty programmes and internships, contact the Faculty International Offices.

Phone availability

Phone: +31 (0)30-2531224
Office hours for calling: Monday and Thursday, 13:30-15:00

Make an appointment via Teams

We are available for appointments via Teams. If you have a question, use the calendar below to make an appointment.

If you are unable to make it to your appointment, please do not forget to cancel.