International Programs

During the years, the university has offered Spanish programs for American students through an agreement with Northern Arizona University. New international developments in American universities has led Universidad Fidélitas to creating new short-term programs, which are described in this catalog.

This catalog describes the two-week, faculty-led, study abroad programs offered at Universidad Fidélitas in Costa Rica. Each program has several components: an academic component which is the abroad, hands-on experience in several fields, like health sciences, STEM technology, tropical ecology, climate change, tropical medicine and school teaching, counseling and leadership, depending of the program being offered. Each program also offers a language component, by which American students can acquire or improve their Spanish skills, particularly related to their major fields. The cultural component of each program is composed of living with a Costa Rican family and learning about the culture. Finally, some leisure time is included in each program.

Separate documents present the syllabus and the general schedule of such programs. The programs described here could be considered as stand-alone study abroad programs or could be articulated with a regular class offered at the American university or college. Each syllabus has been created with the intention of facilitating such articulation as faculty may also consider the Costa Rica program as the practicum part of their classes. In such cases, faculty are free to edit the syllabus to facilitate the articulation with their objectives.

One important note about the programs is that there is no minimum Spanish language command required, as students will always be with an assistant-translator while in their clinical/ field trip/ school/ language activities / meetings. Presentations by local experts will be in English.

Tropical regions host a large part of the world’s biodiversity. Actually, Costa Rica hosts 5% of the world´s biodiversity while at the same time its health care system has been recognized as one of the best in the world. By participating in this program, students will increase their understanding of that biodiversity and how it is affected by climate change as well as public policy on health care and health care delivery models to respond to climate change.

NURSING/PEDIATRIC NURSING PROGRAM

Description of the Program/Course:
In this course students will explore the population health needs and the health services delivery system in both Costa Rica, with emphasis in nursing and pediatric nursing, community services within the Primary Health Care System in Costa Rica. Students will compare and contrast issues and professional roles that impact nursing services in the U.S. and Costa Rica.

This course is designed to enhance the student’s understanding of the global dimensions of nursing practice and health care. Basic analysis of the role of nurses includes historical contexts, philosophy, levels of care, roles of providers/managers/consumers, and the delivery system.

Tropical regions host a large part of the world’s biodiversity. By participating in this program, students will increase their understanding of that biodiversity and how it is affected by man-made events, like farming, eco-tourism and project development.

In this program participants will have the opportunity to visit and experience a wide variety of ecosystems in three conservation areas of Costa Rica.

An advantage of this program, as compared with many others programs in tropical ecology is that it also provides the opportunity for students to discuss a series of social issues related to tropical ecology conservation, like the effects of farming, eco-tourism and project development.

TROPICAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION ISSUES IN COSTA RICA

Description of the program/course:
This is a two-week program for undergraduate education students majoring in any school teaching field, counseling or leadership who are interested in becoming engaged in professional teaching, counseling and administration or leadership services as they are provided by public schools for children in Costa Rica.

SCHOOL TEACHING, COUNSELING & LEADERSHIP IN COSTA RICA

Description of the program/course:
This is a two-week program for undergraduate education students majoring in any school teaching field, counseling or leadership who are interested in becoming engaged in professional teaching, counseling and administration or leadership services as they are provided by public schools for children in Costa Rica.

Why Costa Rica?
Costa Rica is small yet big as it host 5% of the world´s biodiversity and more than 300 multinational tech companies, besides being home of six of the twenty world´s largest medical devices companies and having one of the six blue zones of the world.

1.More than 300 multinational companies in services industry, medical devices, a esthetics, optics, automotive, electronic components, tele eco and clean tech, electronic assemblies, distribution, textiles, food industry, digital technologies and bio –tech companies (CINDE, FDI agency).

2. #1 Education System in Latin America (World Economic Forum Report 2017-2018)

3. STEM fact: #1 in Math and Science education in Latin America (World Economic Forum Report 2017-2018)

4. #1 in Innovation Efficiency (Global Competitiveness report 2017)

5. #1 in English proficiency in Latin America (World Economic Forum Report 2017-2018)

6. Costa Rica abolished the army in 1948.

7. #2 in Democracy Index and political stability in Latin America

8. San José is the # 1 safest city in Latin America (The Economist, Intelligent Unit 2017)

9. 99.43% of national electricity coverage.

10. San José – Heredia are # 1 cities in LATAM in Manufacturing, and Business and Financial Services; and top 5 in Transportation and Communications (The World´s Most Competitive Cities 2017, Conway)

*As citied by Costa Rican Foreign Direct Investment, agency, CINDE (cinde.org)