ULACIT is proud to work with these study abroad programs

International Studies Abroad	International Network for Educational Exchange

Academic Cultural Exchange Program- ACE Program
Costa Rica

About ULACIT

The Latin American University of Science and Technology -ULACIT- is a private non-profit institution, with campuses in Costa Rica and Panama. It is dedicated to the cultivation of liberally educated professionals and embodies its founding principles in the diversity of the college community and its commitment to the common good, intellectual openness, and international character.

On the Costa Rican campus, nearly four thousand students are enrolled in the following undergraduate and graduate level programs:

The Purpose of a Study-Abroad Program

ULACIT recommends its study abroad program for its ability to provide students with general knowledge of the larger world, some understanding of the array of individual cultures that constitute it, their interdependence, and the place of one’s own culture among them. It allows for deeper understanding of a foreign culture, including the skills to negotiate the challenges of life there as a speaker of its native tongue. It fosters personal growth through reflection on assumptions, values, and moral choices. It is active and experiential, putting a premium on competence- on putting what one has learned into effective practice. It provides the best context in which to learn and appreciate the need for multidisciplinarity- for looking at things comparatively, in context, and in their full complexity. ULACIT encourages a full engagement with and immersion in the host culture. Less than 1% of Americans benefit from an international educational opportunity in Latin America: take full advantage of your time abroad in Costa Rica through the ACE Program at ULACIT.

About the ACE Program

The Academic Cultural Exchange (ACE) Program encompasses the study of the Spanish language and of courses in various disciplines with an emphasis on Latin American studies. The Program also includes travel to natural, historic and cultural destinations within the country, as a basis for further instruction.

Spanish-Language Program

This program offers courses at the low, intermediate and advanced levels which emphasize a communicative approach to learning the four basic language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Furthermore, courses reinforce pronunciation skills, grammar structures, vocabulary and idiomatic expressions in efforts to provide a comprehensive learning experience.

Spanish I: By the end of this course, students will be able to use the present and past tense of the indicative form. They will know how to respond to a situation with a family, in a restaurant, or at the bank. Greetings and response to commands are reviewed thoroughly.

Spanish II: When students have completed this course, they will have a better command of the different grammatical structures and will be capable of getting involved in conversations on non-specialized subjects and of expressing his opinion.

Spanish III: This course will allow students to describe and narrate using their own words as well as be able to defend their ideas in a conversation or in writing with valid arguments about the subject with accurate vocabulary.

Elective Course Program

Courses are tailor-made to suit the interests and needs of students. The regular course offering includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Transfer of Credit

ULACIT is officially recognized by the government and is a founding member of SINAES, the only national accreditation agency. A certificate of study and transcript is always awarded; ACE students successfully fulfilling course requirements will receive college credit. Please note that the transfer of credits to programs hosted in the United States is sought on an individual basis and, if required, students should request authorization from their respective institutions prior to enrolling in the ACE Program.

ULACIT was established and authorized by CONESUP to award credentials on June 15, 1988. ULACIT is listed in the World Higher Education Database of 2002; PIER Central American Update (NAFSA/AACRAO), 1996; and World List of Universities and Other Institutions of Higher Education, 23rd ed. (International Association of Universities); among many others.

Tour and Travel Program

The ACE Program includes the following destinations; other options are available upon demand. The standard Tour and Travel Program includes expeditions to the Tortuguero Canals, Arenal Volcano, Savegre Refuge, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio National Parks, the Guanacaste Peninsula, and the La Marta Wildlife Refuge.

Arenal Volcano & Tabacón Spa

The Arenal Volcano, the only volcano in Costa Rica that has been active since 1968, produces huge ash columns and explosions on a daily basis. You can witness the glowing red lava for yourself, take a canopy tour, or try horseback riding,
whitewater rafting, and mountain biking around the Arenal Lagoon. Spelunking is also an option in the nearby Venado Caves. If you would rather relax, then the hot springs at the Tabacón Spa are supreme.

Tortuguero Canals

This area is the most important nesting ground for the green sea turtle in the Western Caribbean. During the summer months (July - September), thousands of turtles come ashore along these world-famous beaches to lay their eggs. Often called "Costa Rica's Amazon", Tortuguero is a navigable network of lakes and channels that crosses this National Park and allows a great diversity of fauna and flora to be observed close at hand. It is possible to observe iguana basking in trees, monkeys and sloths in the forest canopy, and the raphia palm with the largest leaves of any plant.

Savegre Biological Reserve

A part of La Amistad National Park, Savegre is located in the Talamanca mountains in the midst of a precious ecosystem, a deep cloud forest filled with massive oaks and other native species. The woods serve as a sanctuary for a large number of mammals and innumerable species of insects, amphibians, amazing plants and colorful birds- a paradise for birdwatchers. The area is frequently visited by ecotourists from around the world who come to enjoy the large diversity of plant life, including oak and laurel trees, orchids and bromeliads. The animal life includes more than one hundred seventy species of birds - including the magnificent Quetzals and tucans.

Guanacaste

The province of Guanacaste covers most of Nicoya Peninsula on Costa Rica's northwest. It has over 200 miles of coastline with more that seventy different beaches, several of Costa Rica's famous national parks, spectacular lakes and volcanoes, great fishing and diving spots. In fact, over one third of all national parks and wildlife reserves existing in Costa Rica are in Guanacaste, including turtle nesting sites, refuges for migrating birds, spectacular caves and the largest protected tropical dry forest in the world.

La Marta Wildlife Refuge

The ULACIT Foundation runs the first private biological reserve in Costa Rica, La Marta Wildlife Refuge, a slice of the Costa Rican rainforest of approximately 3200 acres. The refuge is located in the northern sector of the Talamanca mountain range, just about two hours east from San José by car. A tour through the most beautiful scenery of the Orosi Valley and the Rio Macho Dam, with an optional stop at the Lankester Orchid Gardens, is a totally rewarding experience. This protected area borders the Amistad Biosphere Reserve, an international conservation area supervised by UNESCO, which constitutes the most extensive tropical rainforest region in Central America.

Social Service Program

A student volunteer program is available to those who are willing to contribute to the development of low-income communities in the areas surrounding La Marta Wildlife Refuge. Such volunteer work involves training leaders in sustainable development and environmental conservation practices. Other services required at the Refuge also include the following:

Homestay Program

Students accepted in the ACE Program are lodged with native families carefully screened by the Office of International Education at ULACIT. Students will have a private bedroom, two meals a day and laundry services during the full length of the Program. In assigning host families, special consideration is awarded to each the interests and needs of each student. The homestay program allows each participant to continue practicing Spanish outside of the classroom while learning about Costa Rican culture.

Services for ACE Students

ULACIT makes its top-of-the-line facilities available to students in the ACE Program, including computer labs with access to the Internet and multimedia equipment, cafeteria, library, dental clinic, and other services such as money exchange, copier, mail, and fax. Furthermore, an international student advisor is always on call to assist and advise students with every aspect of their study abroad experience.

Colleges which have participated in the ACE Program

Testimonies from students of El Camino Community College of California

For me, this experience has been perfect. I have found many friends. I like to walk the streets of San José and talk to the people who work in the stores. I lived with a wonderful family. The trips with our group were fun. I loved the turtles and the monkeys and I cannot believe how warm the ocean water is. I don’t want to leave this country so, I am staying another week. How lucky I am! Heather Marsden

Seriously, your course has been one of the best courses I have ever taken. In your class, Spanish was very interesting. I feel I have improved in all aspects of the language. Not only have I improved, but also I have acquired a love for the language and a very strong wish to learn it well. Nate Hilger

They told me that studying abroad and living with a foreign family was going to change my life. That was so true. I never thought I could learn so much. Not only did I learn another language but also I learned how to live differently. And that was because my Costa Rican family taught me that a person does not need a lot of money or a lot of things to live happily. To live a good life you only need a big heart and a lot of love. If a person has a heart to live, to learn and to give, that person is really living. That is why I say "Costa Rica is PURA VIDA!" Yessenia Curiel

Sample Programs

Two Week program including:

Four Week program including:

Twelve Week program including:

About Costa Rica

Covering only 0.03% of the surface of our planet, Costa Rica has approximately 6% of the world's biodiversity. In addition, Costa Rica is characterized by impressive scenic beauty, a consolidated system of protected areas, social and political stability, high educational levels, and efficient infrastructure and services.

Costa Rica is proud of having one of the oldest and most stable democracies in Latin America and of being the only country in the world (other than Iceland) without an army. This has allowed the country to achieve positive indicators in health and education, while remaining a neutral country with a tradition of non-violence.

The country's strategic position, in the heart of the western hemisphere, the Government's positive attitude towards foreign investment, its infrastructure, access to international markets, and the quality and cost of labor, make Costa Rica an ideal place to establish commercial operations.

Policies

Refund Policy

50% of the deposit is refundable if cancellation is done 45 days before departure. After this period, the deposit is non-refundable. The other payments may be refunded as follows: 100% refund for cancellations 32 days before departure; 75% refund, 22 days before departure; 50% refund, 16 days before departure.

No refund for cancellations after the 15 day-limit before departure will be awarded.

Click here to download ACE Program brochure

For more information, please contact:

Contact Person:	Illeana Castillo
Phone:	(506) 523-4041
Fax:	(506) 523-4028
Email:	icastillo@ulacit.ac.cr