Pitzer in Costa Rica Summer Health Program
The 2023 Pitzer in Costa Rica Summer Health cohort of students
Organized by Pitzer College in collaboration with the Institute for Central American Development Studies (ICADS), the Costa Rica Summer Health program begins in Claremont during the spring semester where students participate in a half-course seminar introducing them to Costa Rica, epidemiology, important public health concepts, and intercultural learning. The program moves to Costa Rica for six weeks in the early summer, usually from late May through early July. Through intensive Spanish language courses, a seminar on health and health care in Costa Rica, internships, and family stays, students explore health care in Central America while furthering their Spanish language skills and gaining an understanding of the life and culture of Costa Rica.
Eligibility and Prerequisites
- The Costa Rica Summer Health program is open to Pitzer students and students from the Claremont Colleges
- Students must have a 2.0 or higher GPA on a 4.0 scale
- Completion of the second semester of college-level Spanish or a demonstrated equivalency is required prior to participation in the summer portion of the program. A third or fourth semester is preferred and recommended for students who wish to maximize their learning and internship opportunities on the program.
- Students are required to complete the 1/2 credit course CGS 101 Health and Health Care in Costa Rica taught at Pitzer College during the spring semester prior to summer participation
Program Dates
- Spring Semester Half-Credit Course: Approximately nine class meetings in Claremont
- Summer Program: Six weeks in Costa Rica from late May to early July
Courses & Credits
| Course | Claremont Credits | Semester Credits |
| CGS 101 Health and Health Care in Costa Rica *Required pre-requisite course offered on-campus in the Spring | 0.5 | 2 |
| Sociology of Health & Health Care in Costa Rica | 1.0 | 4 |
| Intensive Spanish Language | 1.0 | 4 |
| TOTALS | 2.5 | 10 |
Program Information
Core Course: Sociology of Health and Health Care in Costa Rica
This course provides an overview of health and health care in Costa Rica. Internships, lectures by program faculty, presentations from organizations, site visits, and engaging assignments allow students to explore the epidemiology of Costa Rica, the structure and financing of the health care system in Costa Rica, women’s health issues, and environmental health. The course includes an overview of Costa Rica’s social and economic history that is essential for understanding the context of health and health care in Costa Rica. For Pitzer students this course will satisfy Pitzer’s Social Responsibility Praxis (SRX) requirement.
The highlight of the core course is the intensive internship of 14-16 hours per week for four weeks. The internship provides students with a focused exposure to the roles that particular agencies play in addressing health care issues in Costa Rica. Students gain first-hand experience with the models and assumptions on which an agency operates, the particular problem solving strategies it utilizes, and the financial, intellectual and technological resources it brings to bear on these problems. Past students have:
- assisted health outreach workers on home visits
- worked in a nutrition program for malnourished pre-school children
- conducted field work with Costa Rica’s national institute for health research
- worked in local clinics
- supported community health posts
- volunteered with organizations that service disabled children
- taught at a school for disabled children
Intensive Spanish Language
Intensive Spanish is offered at the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels through the Institute for Central American Development Studies (ICADS). With a maximum of four students per teacher, the course employs a highly communicative, interactive curriculum that emphasizes both spoken and written Spanish and is closely connected to the family stay experience, the health care course, internships, and other field activities. Students attend language classes for 12 to 14 hours a week for a total of roughly 60 hours of in-class instruction. Students who are already fluent in Spanish have an independent study in Spanish on a topic of interest (culture, history, literature, etc.).
The Costa Rican family stays provide a window into the culture as the families include students in their daily lives. Often relationships developed with host family members turn into friendships that last long past the end of the program. Family stays are in homes within thirty minutes walking distance of ICADS. Two students are generally assigned to homes close together so that students have someone to walk with to class everyday and can share taxi rides home at night.
Students are encouraged to see their host families as co-educators on the program along with staff and faculty and take advantage of the opportunity host families provide to deepen culture and language learning as well as explore important topics and issues covered in the course.
To deepen students’ understanding of topics covered in the core course, there are several site visits in or near San José, and two more major study trips. Study trips can vary each summer but past trips have included:
- trips to national parks
- a visit to a Nicaraguan immigrant community
- a visit to banana or pineapple plantations
- visits to an urban precario (settlement)
- an extended weekend study trip to a cloud forest
- a longer study trip to the Caribbean coast
How to Apply
Application Steps and Deadlines for Pitzer College Students
Application Steps for Non-Pitzer Students
Before You Go
Passport: Everyone on the program needs a passport. Check the expiration date. If you do not have a passport valid for six months after your planned return from study abroad, then you will need to renew your passport.
Pre-Departure Spring Course and Orientation: After students apply and are accepted into the program, they will participate in a 1/2 credit course in the spring semester to prepare for their program in Costa Rica. This course will provide an introduction to important academic concepts and cultural context, health and safety information, and logistics for the in country program.
Summer Program Fees: The 2025 comprehensive fee for Pitzer Direct-run Summer Abroad programs has been set at $12,500. The cost covers tuition for two courses, all program activities and study trips, full room and board, and round-trip flight. Financial Aid will be available for Pitzer College students who normally receive financial aid. Students receiving aid should contact the Financial Aid office for details on how their package could be applied to a summer program.
Visa: Typically, U.S passport holders are able to receive their visa when arriving in Costa Rica. However, the visa process can change. Students are responsible for researching country specific information and the visa process.