Heredia, Costa Rica (USAC) Academics
Semester & Academic Year
Courses
No prior Spanish language is required for any term, some courses may require Spanish but those will be noted.You will enroll in Spanish language courses at the appropriate level and can choose elective courses in environmental and Latin American studies. Elective courses may be taught in English or Spanish. Course availability is subject to student interest and enrollment.
Internships:
Qualified students may apply for internships during their time abroad. These internships are designed to complement the academic program. As a result, interns receive credit (a maximum of three) but no financial compensation. The schedule and number of work hours will be determined by the schedule of USAC courses. USAC will attempt to place students in their field of interest, but it is not guaranteed. You finalize your internship placement after you are onsite in Costa Rica and final say will be made by the internship sponsor. Students need to have a GPA of 3.0 and be in junior standing by the time the program begins. Students are placed in a Spanish-speaking environment and must be able to communicate at an advanced language level. In certain circumstances, relevant work experience may be required. Past placements have included a Biodiversity Park outside of Heredia, UNA's History Museum, a downtown Heredia hotel, etc. Students should complete the necessary internship materials prior to arrival in Heredia. A refundable $200 fee is charged and returned upon successful completion of the internship.
Whether or not an internship will come back as internship credit for your major will vary. Students are encouraged to contact their academic advisors to discuss what completing an internship abroad will do for them.
Service-Learning may be available. See the USAC website for information on volunteer opportunities, and the UWEC Center for Service Learning for details on project proposals and approval
Credits & Courseload
Credits you take in Costa Rica are equivalent to UWEC credits. You may enroll in 12-18 credits per semester, with most students choosing 12-15.UW-Eau Claire Equivalencies
Click below for a list of courses and how they come back to UW-Eau Claire. The Spanish course offerings change very little from year to year but the electives may change.2019-2020 course equivalencies (for fall 2019, spring 2020)
2020-2021 course equivalencies (for fall 2020, spring 2021)
Grade Conversion
Grades are assigned by USAC professors. Courses in the program are graded on the U.S. A-F grading scale. The grades reported on your USAC grade report are the same grades that will appear on your UW-Eau Claire transcript.UWEC students abroad are not allowed to take classes pass/fail. Grades from Costa Rica are figured into your UWEC GPA and posted to your UWEC transcript.