Travel & Tourism Study Abroad Programs in Central America

Study abroad in the highlands of central Costa Rica, in the charming city of Heredia. Immerse yourself in the Costa Rican lifestyle while taking classes at the modern Latin University. Courses include Spanish for all levels, electives, certificate courses in English and Spanish, and internships. Costa Rica is a premier destination for study abroad due to its extensive national park system, beautiful landscapes, friendly locals, and clearly-spoken Spanish. The Arcos Learning Abroad program provides an all-inclusive study abroad experience with cultural activities on weekdays, excursions on weekends, on-site directors, carefully vetted homestays, tuition, and much more. Arcos invites you to step through the arch and into a life-changing experience abroad. Costa Rica awaits!

Spend the summer in the lively capital of San José, Costa Rica, with AIFS Abroad! You’ll earn up to 10 credits while studying at Veritas University. Courses are taught in English and Spanish—no previous Spanish language study is required. Program options include Spanish Language and Latin American Culture, Spanish for Health Care Professionals and Health Care Electives, and Spanish Language, Liberal Arts, and Environmental Sciences. Live in a homestay within walking distance of the campus, where you will have your own bedroom. Your host family will provide a weekly laundry wash and daily breakfast and dinner. Cultural and social activities will include: • Walking tours of San José • Costa Rican cooking classes • Visits to local museums and historical sites An optional, 2-day excursion to the great Arenal Volcano and hot springs spa is also available.

Explore the high biodiversity of the tropical cloud forest of Monteverde, where conservation initiatives, environmental education, ecotourism, and the local community live together to preserve this unique place threatened by climate change. Students interested in environmental and natural sciences will learn valuable skills through hands-on experience courses. The high biodiversity of the tropics comes with the ecological processes that shape tropical communities and affect how human activities harm the environment. Students may also learn Spanish and interact with the local community in their native language. During the last weeks of the program, students carry out independent research projects where they apply the knowledge gained through the program courses.

Do your international internship with Maximo Nivel - get international work experience in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Peru. - Education (K-12) - Special Education - Micro-Business - Hospitality & Tourism - Human Rights - Medical Please take note of these qualifications: - Interns should be fluent in English. - Spanish language skills are only required for Micro-Business and Medical internships. - Interns should be enrolled or have completed a Bachelor's Degree in a related discipline. - Medical interns must present proof of their medical training. Since 2003, Maximo Nivel has been a leader in educational travel and study abroad. Our work-study-travel programs host more than 4,000 people per year. We are a professional, ethical, and hard-working organization that is completely dedicated to providing a great experience to every participant, student, traveler, and client! Every day, we strive to set ourselves apart and provide the best internship, education, and cultural experiences in Latin America along with top-notch client service and great home base facilities. Live it!

CIS Abroad Study and Intern Abroad programs are some of the most affordable, comprehensive program packages available. We also don't cut any corners by offering everything you would expect from an overseas program: tuition, housing, support, insurance, excursions, social and cultural activities, and airport pick-up – all considered the core of our package. Some programs also include all or most meals, extensive off-site orientations/excursions, transportation passes, and more. Whether you want to study for a year, semester, or summer, intern for a month to a year, or take an intensive foreign language course for a couple of weeks, CIS Abroad has the perfect program for you at the best value! "You're Going Places with CIS Abroad!"

Earn CEUs abroad while advancing your cultural competence in speech-language pathology! Therapy Abroad’s international CEU workshops are immersive, accredited programs for SLPs seeking to deepen their understanding of cultural and linguistic diversity. Held in global locations like Belize, Ireland, Costa Rica, and Thailand, these 7–10 day experiences combine hands-on learning, reflective practice, and expert-led workshops. Topics include bilingual assessment, cultural humility, and equitable service delivery. Participants gain practical tools for working with multilingual clients, connect with like-minded professionals, and engage directly with local communities. Designed for practicing SLPs, grad students, and faculty, these workshops meet ASHA standards and are ideal for those working in diverse or underserved settings. Join us to grow your practice, earn CEUs, and reimagine what inclusive care can look like—abroad and at home.

San José, the capital of Costa Rica, blends urban life and natural beauty with more than 800 miles of coastline and acres of lush rainforests lying just a short drive from this diverse metropolitan center. Study a wide range of subjects with CEA CAPA’s partner university: Veritas University. It boasts a large international student body and diverse curriculum including international business, intensive and medical Spanish language, environmental sciences, and health sciences. Courses are available in both Spanish and English. Get the most out of your time in Costa Rica by taking advantage of the numerous cultural and learning opportunities CEA CAPA provides. Whether you enjoy concerts, sports, cooking classes, language exchanges, or something entirely different, our resident staff will get you involved in the local culture. Interested in going abroad with CEA CAPA? Contact us to get started!

Located in the central valley of Costa Rica, San José is a vibrant urban center in the heart of a serene and beautiful nation. Three volcanoes surround the city, and quaint villages, farms, and coffee plantations dot the hillsides. Though the metropolitan area is home to 36% of the nation’s population, one can easily explore the smaller central area of the city and discover its neighborhood markets and local restaurants. Cultural opportunities, including theater, music, cinema, and dance, are also abundant in San José. Students can visit the Museo Nacional, the Museo de Oro Precolombino with its sparkling collection of pre-Columbian gold, or the Museo de Jade, boasting the world’s largest collection of jade.

Are you a student or young professional looking to enhance your career prospects through international work experience and hands-on learning? At Intern Abroad HQ, we help students and young professionals turn career aspirations into reality. We organize affordable internships in 20 destinations across 24 career fields that are tailored to meet each individual’s academic, professional, or personal requirements. With over 200 internship programs across Europe, Asia, Africa, Central America and South America to choose from, and options to intern from 2 weeks to 6 months either full-time or part-time, in-country or virtually, we facilitate career-enhancing experiences that work for you, not just the host organization. Intern Abroad HQ is proudly brought to you by the team behind International Volunteer HQ. We have collectively supported over 120,000 program participants since 2007 and are the only B Corp certified provider in our field.

Develop your theories of development, service and ethical community engagement on this study abroad program in Costa Rica. This country knows of its natural beauty, diverse environment, and protective national policies yet it is also host to many efforts aimed at impacting relevant United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. You will study how environmental issues, pollution, and tourism impacts the local environment. This is an opportunity to put theory into practice while you immerse yourself in the culture of the local community in Costa Rica.

Toucan Education Programs (TOUCAN) is a social enterprise that collaborates with mission-driven colleges and universities to create custom, faculty-directed education abroad programs. We offer ethical, experiential, and intercultural learning opportunities that align with institutional goals of service, global awareness, and community engagement. As an active member of The Forum on Education Abroad, TOUCAN ensures that each program meets the Standards of Good Practice, prioritizing safe, ethical, and sustainable outcomes for all involved. Our dedicated team works closely with faculty directors and administrators, allowing educators to focus on academic content and student mentorship while we manage all logistical aspects for smooth program operation. Belize serves as an ideal "living laboratory," offering rich cultural diversity for impactful experiential and intercultural learning. Faculty can utilize Toucan’s Intercultural Learning Co-Curriculum (ILC) to enhance students' intercultural development. TOUCAN is committed to faculty success through community-engaged learning and rigorous adherence to best practices in health, safety, and security.

Tico Lingo offers the most comprehensive and expertly designed Spanish immersion program in Costa Rica. Our native Spanish professors help students focus on enhancing oral communication and integrating listening and writing techniques to help them achieve true proficiency in the Spanish language. Located in the heart of Costa Rica's Central Valley, in the vibrant city of Heredia, Tico Lingo guarantees significant progress in your language abilities. Our mission is to create a fun, interactive, and engaging learning environment that fosters an understanding of Costa Rican culture and the Spanish language. With our Homestay program, you'll live with nearby families and get to experience the Costa Rican way of life firsthand. We also offer on-site activities like yoga, dance, cooking, and conversational classes, as well as weekend adventure tours! We're young, we're connected, and we're passionate about creating the perfect environment for you to learn Spanish in Costa Rica. We're committed to sparking cultural exchanges on a global level and connecting people from all over the world. So, join the conversation and start learning Spanish with us today!

Feed your love for the outdoors or gain the necessary skills to jumpstart your career in the outdoor industry. Earn seven internationally-recognized certifications, 10 academic credits, and complete an in-depth study of Outward Bound Costa Rica’s educational model to make you a desirable instructor or guide for various organizations around the world. From learning to set up belay systems and guiding rafts down whitewater rapids, to providing wilderness medical care, this course has you covered! This is a 65-day course divided into seven distinct phases: Multi-Element Leadership Training Wilderness First Responder Medical Course Surf Instructor Training Whitewater River Guide Training Waterfront Lifeguarding Technical Ropes Rescue Scuba Diving Top graduates of this Outdoor Leader Semester program may be offered a paid internship as a Field Instructor Intern for Outward Bound Costa Rica’s summer high season, with the possibility of staying on as a year-round instructor. *Please note that, for the health and safety of our participants, OBCR has made program adjustments to these courses. Please visit our website to view our COVID-19 considerations.*

Operation Wallacea is a research and environmental organisation, working alongside university and college academics to build long-term datasets to put towards various conservation management goals. We recruit volunteers to help out with the data collection and train them in the skills and background that are needed to help effectively. There's also the option to complete dissertations or senior theses at our sites. The Honduras project has both a terrestrial component, based in Cusuco National Park, and a marine component, based on the islands of Utila and Tela. One of Operation Wallacea's oldest sites, there are a large number of ongoing projects, all centred around monitoring the biodiversity change in a highly endangered environment. Volunteers can get involved with everything from herpetofauna surveys to invertebrate surveys, bats, small mammals, coral, and fish, among many other things. There's also the option of doing a canopy access experience.

Spend a semester off the beaten path in Costa Rica’s lush rainforests, towering volcanoes, rushing waterfalls, and a laid-back culture embodied by the national motto: “Pura Vida.” Study conservation, development, and innovative strategies for sustainability, with the country’s many national parks, farms, and tropical ecosystems as your classrooms. Finish the semester by designing and conducting an in-depth research project, collecting data in the field, and presenting your results to peers and key community stakeholders. SFS students live and study at the Center for Sustainable Development Studies. The center is an active organic farm overlooking the vibrant Central Valley, where green is the predominant color as far as the eye can see. Dorms and classrooms intermingle with orchards and gardens, with our center dog, Hera, keeping watch over it all. The friendly town of Atenas is a 10-minute cab ride away, offering restaurants, shops, parks, and cultural events.