Costa Rica: Social Work

Overview 

Spend spring break in Costa Rica! Work with local service learning projects in beautiful San Jose while gaining academic credit.

Highlights and Excursions

• Explore a volcano and hot springs as a group.
• Take a tour of San Jose and stop at the National Museum, National Theater, Plaza de la Democracia and National Park.
• Visit a toucan ranch.
• Take a trip to Tortuga Island and relax on the beach.

Good to Know

• This program requires a $500 deposit. This is part of the program fee that is outlined in the Student Budget Worksheet. If you have any questions, please reach out to the program directors.

Info Sessions

• August 7th at 12pm. Join using Teams

Living Arrangements 

Students will stay in homestays with local families and be provided with breakfast and dinner each day.

Program Dates 

March 8, 2025-March 15, 2025

Academics  

Students will earn a total of 3 credit hours. 

• International Social Work 3203

Cost  

The program fee for this program includes: Student accommodations, some meals, excursions, transportation to all program related activities, flights to and from Costa Rica, welcome and farewell dinner, and international health insurance.

In addition to the program fee, students should plan for 3 credit hours of tuition*, administrative fee, and out-of-pocket costs. Below is the student budget worksheet for this program, which outlines these costs.  

Undergraduate Student Budget Worksheet 2025 

Items that are not related to the program (ie. additional entertainment, souvenirs, extra travel, contingency funds) are not included in the cost estimates provided and should be budgeted for separately.  

*Note: 

• If you are nominated to this program, you will be required to pay a deposit to confirm your participation. The deposit is a down payment on the total costs to be billed by OHIO and is determined by the total cost of the program. 
• For programs completed over winter-break and spring break, the credit-hours associated with the program are part of the spring semester. Students taking between 12 to 20 hours, including those associated with the program, will not incur additional tuition costs for the spring semester. Students taking less than 12 or more than 20 campus credits for the spring term will see their tuition charge adjusted accordingly.  

Looking for Funding Opportunities? 

More information on financial aid and scholarships can be found on our funding pages.

Eligibility and Requirements 

This program is open to OHIO undergraduate students in the Social Work or Pre- Social Work majors with a minimum 2.5 GPA. Preference will be given to branch campus students. 

Students who will be on probation at any point during the program for a conduct offense that took place less than a calendar year from the program start date may not study abroad. Read the entire conduct policy.  

This program accepts NON-OHIO students. For more information about this process visit the Non-OHIO student page.   

Participants must have a at least a high school diploma or the equivalent (e.g. GED) by the start date of the program to be considered for eligibility.  Students enrolled in College Credit Plus (CC+) are not eligible for study away programs.

Application Requirements 

As part of the application, interested individuals will need to submit: 

• Reference names
• DARS
• Personal statement: in 500 words or less, why would you like to participate on this program, and what do you hope to gain from this experience?

Entry and Exit Requirements 

U.S. citizens are required to have a valid U.S. passport when traveling outside of the United States. If you plan to study or travel abroad in the next year,  apply for your passport  now. Some countries also require a visa to legally enter or reside in the country. 

U.S. citizens  will not  need a visa or other special document to enter the country for the length of this program. Please also note that visa requirements may vary if you plan to stay in the country longer than the program dates or travel to other countries during or after the program. Please familiarize yourself with these recommendations and requirements prior to applying to this program. 

For more specific visa related information, please visit OGO’s  Visa Information Page 

Information for  Non-U.S. citizens 

Resources 

• Health and Safety 
• Accessibility Requests and Accommodations