Spring Break in Costa Rica
Apply NowCosta Rica | Understanding Self and Other
Dates: March 6 – March 13, 2027
Location: La Fortuna, Manuel Antonio, and Cartago, Costa Rica
Cost: $4,350
Included: airfare, accommodations, in-country transportation, meals, program events and activities, and study abroad fee
Application deadline: October 15th
Deposit: $575 November 1st (non-refundable)
Final payment deadline: $3,775 with spring tuition and fees deadline
Course information: INT 101 – Understanding Self and Other
Requirements: In order to attend a Faculty-Led Study Abroad Program, students must have a 2.5 or higher GPA. Questions regarding this policy may be directed to Bryan Johnson (johnson_mb@mercer.edu).
During this Spring semester, students in this INT 101 section will learn how to be good travelers by studying methods of travel that not only do not harm the tourist destination but could actually benefit it. After writing papers about ecotourism, volun-tourism, and cultural tourism, we will travel to Costa Rica for one week to see these methods of travel in action.
During the week-long trip to Costa Rica, the group will visit Arenal National Park and Volcano, Proyecto Asis Wildlife Rescue Center, Manuel Antonio National Park, Agroecológica La Flor, and the village of the indigenous community of Maleku.
For more information about this program please contact Professor Laura Bell (bell_lp@mercer.edu) or the Study Abroad Office (studyabroad@mercer.edu, 478-301-4444).
See more about last year’s program and student testimonials in the video below and this article.
What You'll Do
During this one-week program, students will:
- visit Arenal National Park & Volcano
- visit Catarata Fortuna
- travel to the indigenous community of Maleku
- visit Proyecto Asis Wildlife Rescue Center
- participate in a Costa Rican cooking class
- visit Manuel Antonio National Park
- participate in a canopy tour with ziplining
- volunteer at Finca Agroecológica La Flor
- participate in a Yoga class
*These activities are subject to change based on availability when booking.
Application Process
To apply: Please click on the “Apply Now” button in the overview section and fill out all of the information requested.
Application deadline: October 15th
Decision date: October 16th
Deposit: $575 (non-refundable) due by November 1st to hold your place in the program.
Final payment deadline: $3,775 by spring tuition and fees spring deadline
Academics
INT 101: Understanding Self and Other Through Travel
4 credit hours
Course Description
Students will examine representations of the self and its relationship to others as imagined
within the four domains of natural science, social science, humanities, and the arts. Students will explore and reflect on conceptions of selfhood, their relationships with others, the moral and ethical values that guide them, and the influences that shape the formation of identities. As a Writing Instruction course, substantial attention will be given to developing skills in writing.
For this section of INT 101 specifically, we will be investigating how travel teaches us about
Others with backgrounds unlike ours but also how we learn about Ourselves. Through our texts and recordings, we will discover how others who began traveling alone discovered new,
unexpected things and how this changed the trajecto1y of their lives. Even though they begin as Outsiders, we will learn how they became a member of a community in another world.
Budget
What is included in the program fee:
- Airfare
- Meals
- Lodging
- Transportation in country
- Entry fees and required activities
- Study Abroad application fee
- International Insurance
What is not included in the program fee:
- Tuition*
- Souvenirs
- Transportation to the ATL airport
*Tuition is dependent upon your current enrollment and your colleges tuition fees for the semester of your program. If you are enrolled as a traditional undergrad on the Macon campus, the 4 credits for this program will go towards your overall 12-18 credits for the semester and will not create an increase in tuition cost as long as your overall amount of credits (including this 4 credit course) does not go over 18 credits.
Scholarships
Scholarship opportunities:
*Please contact Bryan Johnson, the Assistant Director of Global Education, before applying to the asterisked scholarship opportunities at johnson_mb@mercer.edu.