Zoology & Wildlife Sciences Study Abroad Programs in Costa Rica

I think this is a great program for a specific type of person, who wants a little more of a specific program than many others, as well as providing more guidance. I was very drawn to it because of the specific ecology focus that I didn't see many other places.

Specifically the Monteverde site is super great! It’s a supper nice campus that is immersed in nature which I love. There are also a ton of resources around campus to make us feel at home. It’s also super amazing that we have food provided for us!

Altogether, I had a great time. We got to see so much and I believe the pacing of the program was great, spending the right amount of time at each location. La Fortuna was my favorite! Traveling in a large group brought up trouble with waiting on students, health issues, etc. but I still think they were able to make the most of it. Having a flexible schedule and being open to adjustments definitely helps. Our guide Rodrigo and our bus drivers were the best!

I really enjoyed this experience. My review is based off of a free trip less expenses such as food and transportation, as I received scholarships for this course. I do know that many students paid upwards of $7,000 on this study abroad trip, which I do find to be a bit much. Considering we were staying in $80 / night hotels with non-working lights, mediocre amenities, and bad air conditioning and bedding coupled with the scarcity of included meals, the figure should have been more around $3,000 without airfare cost. I do not understand how the cost was so high for what was received. I also found living in the dorms with random Costa Rican people to be fun, but a bit restrictive. The morning meals were literally eggs, a piece of bread, and really bad coffee. I was also staying in a really small bunk bed which was uncomfortable. Staying in an affordable hotel would have been better. Next time I recommend the school book out Ester’s Place which is closer to the tech campus and run by a lovely lady who has many rooms available in her home hotel. She also had a much better breakfast and the cost was only $65 / night per person. I stayed here my first night flying in on the 12th and wish I could have gone back but due to restrictions I was not allowed. My family of four at the time in 2019 went on an all inclusive cruise to Italy, Spain, and France for under $10,000 with included meals, drinks , stay, etc. So this trip being $7,000 + for just ONE PERSON is a bit crazy. Regardless, the activities were awesome and for me, price was not an issue as stated before. So, my review without price factored was it was amazing. Great tour guide Rodrigo was so knowledgeable and a very nice guy. He took us to authentic places and not just generic touristy places. I enjoyed seeing the stark contrast in sustainability initiatives between exotic resorts, quasi-governmental organizations, and design firms. I truly did get a wonderful experience with understanding how firms work and the metric process used to gather sustainability info, as well as how to tell if a company may be kind of BS-ing the situation with their sustainability initiatives, or holding themselves accountable. I loved the zip line tour and the coffee and cocoa bean tour. The history tours around the towns was cool, but truly was not necessary. I feel we could have just had an informational PDF sent to us instead of touring these relatively boring historical landmarks. Activities are always more fun than learning about history. I think it would have been much more effective to fly into Liberia, tour the beach and Penninsula Papagayo’s HOA office, then make our way back to San Jose and visit firms, then fly out of SJO. The amount of time driving was frustrating. Or, instead, we would just fly into SJO and tour the Caribbean side of things and skip the western side of Costa Rica altogether. This way the time could be allocated more effectively. I also wish the professors would have split us into groups so we could have gotten to know everyone. There were certain folks I never really got to have conversations with because the groups would naturally clique and we never had forced exposure to each other. Overall it was a wonderful trip and, with a few adjustments I know the next one will be awesome as well!

Coming to TTU Costa Rica was an amazing experience and allowed me to try lots of new and unique things. Rodrigo was the absolute best and the entire trip wouldn't have been half as great and smooth without him! Gonna miss him back in the states, thank you so much for an amazing time!

The field trips are AMAZING. They are what make this program so so fun and exciting. The academics are rigorous, yet they also find a way to incorporate these incredible field trips while still making them academic. Each field trip was perfect and so unique to each other. They were timed incredibly, the food was great, everything was great. - Bungalows are very nice, beds are comfy - Hangout spaces are incredible, rec room, library, field. - Food is good - Nature is amazing - ALL staff are so nice and welcoming

The professors were the highlight of my experience along with the field trips. I really enjoyed classes and all the knowledge I gained during my time here. I personally think I am going to be doing another CIEE abroad experience before I graduate college next spring. I loved being here and I would do it all over again if it were possible.

Studying in Barcelona had been a dream! I took classes in Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation, and Spanish Art and Cultural Heritage at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. My 7 weeks in that paradise were filled with exploration, inspiration, and so much fun. From amazing people to the delicious cuisine, and stunning architecture to the colorful culture, Spain should be at the top of the must-visit countries list. My favorite activity, besides spending my day at the beach, was wandering around the city without a map and being amazed by the beauty hidden in every corner of Barcelona. Thanks to the Spanish Art and Cultural Heritage class, I learned even more about this impressive history and culture. CIS helped me through every step of adapting to studying and living in Barcelona. They planned fun events for us, such as various tours in famous parts of Barcelona, beach picnic and volleyball, wine tasting, tours to towns in Spain, and cooking classes. I stayed at Aparto Pallars, which is conveniently located near the metro station, from which you can take the metro anywhere. I'm so grateful for this experience, and I'm definitely willing to go back to Barcelona or any other program with CIS!

The dogs and dolphin program in Costa Rica was the best program to go on! I highly recommend this program if you want to gain more knowledge about dogs and more experiences with exotics such as dolphins

Our program was a nice split of medical and research experiences we got to be very active and get a little dirty while learning a lot. We got to basically camp in a cabin, which I found so fun! I'm going to miss Costa Rica and all the people I met here so much!

The dogs and dolphins program offered amazing hands on opportunities that you can't get in the States. This program is special as you truly get out of it what you put in. This program brings you to places you will never see simply traveling and teaches you things you can't always get in class.

I would be more than happy to recommend this particular study abroad program in Costa Rica to a friend. The staff in this location were very very supportive and kind and the care to make the program interesting and engaging was perceivable.

The ecology & conservation program would be a great growth experience for anybody interested in nature even tangibly. It was very well organized and the staff was very responsive to all the needs and accommodations

I have had a great experience in Monteverde with CIEE. The housing and campus are comfortable and the staff are very friendly. I have learned so much in the classes and our professors are extremely knowledgeable.

There are so many perks that come with the education. The field trips are extremely fun and already paid for, the facilities and buildings are extremely nice, the food is great, it is super beautiful, it is a good balance of academics and free time. They offer a lot of opportunities like the van into town several times a week which is super helpful, as it is expensive to get a taxi into town. I would have rarely gone into town if transport wasn't provided. I met some really great people here that I feel I will be connected to after the program, including the professors who were extremely warm and kind. I feel like I had a large family during study abroad, the campus isolation can be hard at times, but it makes the community really close. It feels like all of the staff really care about your experience and well-being. This is the most fun and packed semester I've ever had.

I had the most amazing experience here in Monteverde with CIEE. Though it was definitely more remote (in terms of access to other towns/markets/etc.) than I expected, the wildlife more than made up for it.

All the activities were thoroughly planned out and I learned a lot during my stay. The professors were willing to cater to our own interests in learning and dive deeper into topics that interested us specifically.

I have done 2 CIEE programs (one was Barcelona summer 2023 and now in Monteverde, Costa Rica) and both have been amazing: the staff are great, the organized trips are so amazing, the academics are good, etc

It was an amazing experience that I got even more out of than I expected! The campus is very beautiful and well maintained, I especially loved every field trip, I feel that I learned so much on these trips. I also liked the ability to independently travel off campus and the transportation to Santa Elena. I felt supported by the staff, and felt happy that many spent the time to get to know us. I felt very connected to the other students and I learned a lot about the topics I came here to learn about, and I gained a new perspective on everything and feel inspired by the support and encouragement given by my instructors. I liked the workload amount that allowed me to learn a lot but also allowed me time to experience the country. I liked the events that were put on for students such as the Halloween masquerade. I think it was a great experience and would recommend it to anyone! I'm sad that I have to leave and hope to return one day.

This was one of the most valuable experiences in terms of classes and life experiences as well. It was really well run and I felt like most things went smoothly which made the experience that much better.