Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Field Ecology and Environmental Science in Costa Rica

The Costa Rica program is full and is no longer accepting applications at this time. To view other program options, visit 2024 PCC Study Abroad Programs.

Overview

Study ecosystems, the human impact on the environment, and sustainability in a large variety of life zone sites in ecologically diverse Costa Rica. Together these courses will offer students the opportunity to experience and reflect on the natural history of native flora and fauna across several different types of ecosystems, such as wet tropical forests, dry forests, cloud forests, mangrove forests, and coastal habitats.

Program highlights include:

• Forest night hike
• Tour of family-run coffee farm
• Hands-on experience with turtle conservation and beach ecology
• Snorkeling
• Visit the Arenal Volcano

Program Dates: August 7 – September 1, 2024

• Courses start at PCC prior to program travel dates.
• Departure from US no later than August 6, 2024.

Visit the Course Google Site below to learn more about the program location, course projects, and itinerary. Learn more in the Intro Video put together by instructor Mark!

Academics

PCC study abroad programs are courses offered for PCC credit. Highlights for this course include:

• Instructors: Sandy Neps (sandy.neps@pcc.edu) and Mark Fisher (mark.fisher3@pcc.edu)
• Location: Costa Rica
• Course: BI200B Principles of Ecology: Field Biology (4 credits) and ESR 171 Environmental Science (4 credits).
• Credits: 8
• Prerequisites: WR 115, RD 115 and MTH 20 or equivalent placement test scores.
• Program Type: Split Course (course starts at PCC in Portland prior to program travel dates)

Timeline

The PCC study abroad application timeline includes the following steps:

• September: Program application opens
• February 15 (Extended to February 22, 2024): Application deadline
• February 22 (Extended to February 26, 2024): $500 non-refundable program deposit deadline, which secures your place in the program (the deposit goes toward your total program fee and can be submitted after you are conditionally accepted to your program)
• March: Programs confirmed to travel, pending course enrollment (Passport applications can take up to 3 months to process, so plan accordingly. You should have your passport by March 1.) Visit Passport for information on how to apply for or renew your passport.
• April – June: Travel preparation, Pre-Departure Orientation sessions, course registration, and summer term payment (includes course tuition and the remainder of the program fee, which will be charged to your student account and are due at the summer term payment due date)

Program Cost

Here is a summary of the overall costs and financial responsibilities for participating in a study abroad program through PCC.

Study Abroad Program Estimated Cost Sheet

Total Cost = PCC Tuition + Program Fee + Additional Costs

Financial Resources

Most students use a combination of the following options to cover the cost of studying abroad with PCC:

• Financial Aid
• Scholarships
• Personal Fundraising
• Personal savings

Visit Funding Your Study Abroad Experience for more information on developing a funding plan for your study abroad experience.

Eligibility Requirements

To participate in a PCC study abroad program, you must meet the following requirements:

• Be 18 years of age or older by program start date.
• Maintain good academic and disciplinary standing.
• Complete the prerequisite course(s) for the study abroad program prior to the program start date.
• Watch our Information Session videos or meet individually with an Ed Abroad Advisor.
• Possess qualities of independence, self-reliance, and maturity necessary for studying abroad.
• Develop the willingness and ability to embrace the challenges of studying abroad.