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Academic Program
Academic Program
The Costa Rica Center hosts all freshman students of LIU Global as well as some visiting study-abroad students. The freshman year provides students with an introduction to experiential education, Latin American studies, and global issues. In addition to attending regularly scheduled seminars and Spanish language classes, students learn how to plan, evaluate, and document their field work with the support and guidance of faculty members based at the Costa Rica Center in Heredia.
All students have the opportunity to interact with the local population in Costa Rica through homestays, service learning, field trips, internships, and field research. During excursions to different communities in Costa Rica as well as to other countries in the region such as Panama, students explore the tension between environmental and economic issues and begin to understand how individuals at the local level are affected by decisions made at the global level. (For more information about the field trips, see Field Trips & Independent Travel).
During the fall semester, students take courses such as Foundation Year Orientation Seminar; Latin American Studies; Writing, Research and Documentation; elective seminars and different levels of Spanish to earn 16 credits.
And in the spring semester, students take Introduction to Global Studies, Electronic Portfolio Construction, Introduction to Field Work Methods for Independent Study, and carry out a two-week Field Work Project in addition to other elective course options.
Previous students have used independent study projects and internships to explore comparative political systems; tropical and/or organic agriculture, aquaculture and reforestation; rural development, underdevelopment and the role of cooperatives; nutrition and public health; journalism in social change; workers and trade unions; street children; dance, theatre and ethnomusicology; women’s issues such as violence and self-esteem; human rights and peace studies, and much more.
Fall 2012
Required Courses:
|
Latin America Studies Seminar
|
3
|
| Foundation Year Orientation Seminar |
3
|
| Writing, Research and Documentation Seminar |
2
|
| Spanish Language |
4
|
Elective Courses
|
Living Latin American Culture Independent Study
|
1-3
|
| Holistic Health and Culture Seminar |
3
|
| Introduction to Holistic Health and Culture Seminar |
2
|
| Global Environmental Issues and Latin America |
3
|
| Introduction to Global Environmental Issues and Latin America Seminar |
2
|
| Gender and Sexuality |
3 |
| Introduction to Gender and Sexuality |
2 |
| Spanish Language Independent Study for Seniors |
1-5
|
Spring 2013
Required Courses:
| Field Work Methods for Independent Study |
2
|
| Field Work Project |
2
|
| Introduction to Global Studies |
3
|
| Electronic Portfolio Construction Seminar |
2
|
Elective Courses:
| Peace and Conflict Resolution Seminar |
3
|
| Introduction to Peace and Conflict Resolution Seminar |
2
|
| Contemporary Indigenous Peoples in Latin America |
3
|
| Introduction to Contemporary Indigenous Peoples in Latin America |
2
|
| Globalization in Contemporary World Fiction |
2 |
| Globalization in Contemporary World Fiction, intensive |
3 |
| Writing the College Essay Workshop |
2 |
| Directed Independent Study |
1-4 |
| Spanish Language Independent Study |
1-4 |
*Note: Some courses can be taken for a range of credits, depending on the interests and approved learning plan for each student. One credit is equivalent to approximately 45 hours of work.