Students take a Spanish language course plus 3 courses in English or Advanced Spanish during the 12-week program and 2 Spanish language courses plus 3 courses in English or Advanced Spanish during the 16-week/17-week program. Previous Spanish language study is not required; however, AIFS students must have at least two years of college-level Spanish and must pass a placement test for the advanced level in order to take regular University courses.
Spanish Language Courses
These courses will be taught during morning sessions for a total of 80 hours (5 credits) on the 12-week program or 160 hours (10 credits) on the 16-week/17-week program. Please note that the extra week in the 17-week spring semester option is a mid-semester break therefore courses are held for the same duration as 16-week program. Each level lasts for 4 weeks. Students will be placed into the appropriate level depending on a written test taken on-line prior to departure and an oral test taken upon arrival in San José. All courses are subject to a minimum enrollment of 5 students. There is a maximum of 10 students per language class.
| Spanish language courses | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Spanish 101 (5)/Spanish 102 (5) |
| Course Title: | Elementary Spanish I/Elementary Spanish II |
| Course Description: | |
| Students with no previous Spanish study or with only one semester in college usually place at these levels. Focus is on functional uses of the language as well as grammar, lexicon and cultural themes. Included are introductions, giving and receiving information, writing letters, indicative, past perfect and preterit tenses, expressing like and dislikes and imperative forms of "tu" and "usted". | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Spanish 201 (5)/Spanish 202 (5) |
| Course Title: | Intermediate Spanish I/Intermediate Spanish II |
| Course Description: | |
| Students who have studied Spanish throughout high school and continued with one semester in college, or students who have two to four semesters in college, usually place into these levels. It concentrates on overall communicative skills: perfect tenses, preterit versus imperfect, telling stories, the future and the conditional, the imperative uses of the subjunctive mood, and transmission of messages (verb tenses). | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Spanish 301 (5)/Spanish 302 (5) |
| Course Title: | Advanced Spanish I/Advanced Spanish II |
| Course Description: | |
| Students with at least six semesters of college Spanish, experience living in a Spanish-speaking country or Spanish study on a regular basis since elementary school usually place at these levels. Grammar work is to refine and develop communicative skills: the impersonal "se", adjectives, nouns and verbs, indicative and subjunctive tenses, spelling and accents, arguments/debates, expressing degrees of possibilities, cause, consequence and mode of action, formal and informal letters. | |
Elective Courses (taught in English)
These courses will be taught during the 12-week program only. Students selecting the 16-week/17-week program will either begin with Spanish language for the first 4 weeks or will continue with Spanish language for the last 4 weeks. American course numbers are listed first followed by the Veritas course numbers.
| Elective Courses Taught in English | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Art 310/ART 2100 (3) |
| Course Title: | Art Fundamentals: Theory and Practice |
| Course Description: | |
| This course is designed for the beginner to help the student find personal meaning in works of art and develop a better understanding of the nature and validity of art (line, shape, volume, light, space, time, motion, color, and texture). Students will learn about the essentials of art through experience and experimentation. Emphasis is on the diversity of form and content in artwork. Upon completion, students should understand the basics of art materials used and have a basic overview of the history of art and how art represents its society, especially, Latin American culture. The class meets for 48 contact hours. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Business 350/GEB 3350 (3) |
| Course Title: | International Business |
| Course Description: | |
| An overview of cultural environment of international business and the institutions which affect business today. The Latin American perspective with regard to the U.S., Asia and Europe is examined: NAFTA, Mercosur, the EC and other common market areas and agreements. The class meets for 48 contact hours. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Economics 340/ECON 3403 (3) |
| Course Title: | International Economics in Latin America |
| Course Description: | |
| Examines Latin American policies that affect the international economy, with attention to trade barriers, economic nationalism and regionalism, international political economy, exchange market intervention and international transmission of economic perturbations. The class meets for 48 contact hours. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Ecotourism 350/GEB 3500 (4) |
| Course Title: | Ecotourism: The Costa Rica Case |
| Course Description: | |
| The course offers the chance to analyze this dynamic process from different socio-economic perspectives. Discussion of the economic importance of ecotourism for the Costa Rican national economy, the stimulation of grassroots, community ecotourism projects, and the role of ecotourism in securing environmental protection. The advances and limitations of ecotourism will be explored. The class meets for 60 contact hours. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Environmental Science 390/ENV 3190 (4) |
| Course Title: | Tropical Marine Biology |
| Course Description: | |
| The course studies the balance between ecosystems and human stress and demands on the constant changing marine environment. All field trips are mandatory. Certified Divers may pay a $100 fee in order to complete 2 immersions in each field trip (4 immersions total). The class meets for 60 contact hours. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Environmental Science 304/ENV 4040 (4) |
| Course Title: | Environmental Awareness and Sustainable Development |
| Course Description: | |
| An overview of the actual world problems in natural resources management and conservation, and its effects on sustainable development efforts in tropical countries. Current issues that condition the possibility for development such as poverty, global warming, deforestation and potable water will be analyzed. The class meets for 60 contact hours. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Environmental Science 305/ENV 3005 (4) |
| Course Title: | Environmental Impact and Social Development |
| Course Description: | |
| The study of major environmental problems and issues confronting modern society. Students will examine ecosystems, population patterns and dynamics; use and misuse of resources; population and environmental quality; environmental citizenship and economic incentives and Costa Rican initiatives in eco-tourism. The class meets for 60 contact hours. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Environmental Science 344/ENV 3044 (4) |
| Course Title: | Tropical Ecology |
| Course Description: | |
| Students learn about the interactions between earth and land and how these interactions or processes affect our life and the stability of the planet. Emphasis is given to the study of the most relevant tropical ecosystems such as: tropical rain forest, cloud forests, coral reefs and mangroves. Field trips to selected environments will provide on site examples of some of the issues learned through class work and readings. All field trips are mandatory. The class meets for 60 contact hours. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Film 340/CTV 3400 (4) |
| Course Title: | Documentary Production Process |
| Course Description: | |
| Focus on the logistical and creative responsibilities of producing a short documentary. Students work closely with each other, assuming the roles of producers, writers, directors and editors in the process of development and execution of documentaries. Students learn the primary elements to creating a short documentary and exploit the cultural and environmental elements that filming locations can offer. The final project involves working collaboratively on producing an engaging documentary that may not exceed 6 minutes screen time. The class meets for 60 contact hours. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | International Relations 345/POL3450 (3) |
| Course Title: | International Relations in Latin America |
| Course Description: | |
| Analysis of the aspects of the Economic Integration, globalization and conditions for a successful integration between economies and the effects of free trade in the region as well as the effects of protectionism. There will be a special treatment on foreign investments and joint ventures in the Latin America. The class meets for 48 contact hours. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Photography 330/PHOT 2130 (3) |
| Course Title: | Cultural Photography |
| Course Description: | |
| Through practical exercises and field trips, students apply the theoretical information provided in lectures to consciously explore Costa Rican culture. The focus of the projects is the creation of photographic images in black and white. The class meets for 48 contact hours. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Political Science 350/POL 2500 (3) |
| Course Title: | Human Rights in Latin America |
| Course Description: | |
| A particular emphasis will be given to the case of Costa Rica, giving the students an opportunity to explore the development of human rights in the following areas: women’s rights, children’s rights, HIV/AIDS, the CAFTA agreement and labour rights, indigenous groups and human rights, disability and age issues, and the prison environment. The class meets for 48 contact hours. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Social Science 329/HIS 3293 (4) |
| Course Title: | Costa Rican Health Care System and Tropical Medicine |
| Course Description: | |
| Costa Rica´s health care system is unique due to the fact that it is socialized and has achieved excellent health indicators. The course focuses on the history and development of the public health care system within the context of the Costa Rican sociopolitical and economical situation. It also gives a strong emphasis on how the system actually works and points out not only the strongholds of the systems, but also its weak points. A third objective, of fundamental importance in order to understand this system, is the study of Costa Rica as a tropical country. Students learn about the prevention and transmission of relevant tropical diseases. The class meets for 60 contact hours. | |
Elective Courses (taught in Spanish)
These courses will be taught during the 12-week program only. Students selecting the 16-week/17-week program will either begin with Spanish language for the first 4 weeks or will continue with Spanish language for the last 4 weeks. Please note that the extra week in the 17-week spring semester option is a mid-semester break; therefore, courses are held for the same duration as for the 16-week program.
| Elective Courses Taught in Spanish | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Literature 330/SPN 3020 (3) |
| Course Title: | Lecturas Selectas de la Literatura Latinoamericana / Select Readings: Latin American Literature |
| Course Description: | |
| This survey course provides a panorama of outstanding classi¬cal and contemporary works, authors, genres or major literary currents in Latin America. Taught in Spanish. The class meets for 48 contact hours.Prerequisite: AIFS students must have at least two years of college-level Spanish and must pass a placement test for the advanced level in order to take regular University courses. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Translation 307/SPN 3070 (3) |
| Course Title: | Introducción a la Traducción / Introduction to English-Spanish Translation |
| Course Description: | |
| This class provides the theoretical and practical tools used in the English-Spanish translation process. Students learn to translate texts of intermediate to advanced language while maintaining the style and intention of the author of the source text. The class meets for 48 contact hours. Prerequisite: AIFS students must have at least two years of college-level Spanish and must pass a placement test for the advanced level in order to take regular University courses. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Literature 339/SPN 4390 (3) |
| Course Title: | El Cine y la Literature Latinoamericana / Latin American Cinema and Literature |
| Course Description: | |
| This survey course examines film production relating to Latin American literature. Taught in Spanish. The class meets for 48 contact hours.Prerequisite: AIFS students must have at least two years of college-level Spanish and must pass a placement test for the advanced level in order to take regular University courses. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Linguistics 352/SPN 3520 (3) |
| Course Title: | Dialectología Latinoamericana / Latin American Dialectology |
| Course Description: | |
| This course explores the social history of language as a way of understanding the linguistic mechanics that operate in different social contexts of speech. Focus is placed on the varying dialects of different Latin American countries, examining the morphology, phonology and lexicography of cultural elements. Students will also look at ways in which dialects are used strategically to enrich the use of Spanish language. Taught in Spanish. The class meets for 48 contact hours.Prerequisite: AIFS students must have at least two years of college-level Spanish and must pass a placement test for the advanced level in order to take regular University courses. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Literature 311/SPN 4110 (3) |
| Course Title: | Escritoras Contemporaneas Costarricenses / Contemporary Costa Rican Female Writers |
| Course Description: | |
| This course focuses primarily on the feminine literature of Costa Rica. Themes of different texts and their relationship with national identity are analyzed. Taught in Spanish. The class meets for 48 contact hours.Prerequisite: AIFS students must have at least two years of college-level Spanish and must pass a placement test for the advanced level in order to take regular University courses | |
