Costa Rica: Nursing

This program will not be running in Summer 2025. We tentative plan to offer the experience in Summer 2026.

Overview 

Students travel to Costa Rica, where they will travel throughout the country, experiencing health care in rural and urban settings. Students gain an understanding of social determinants of health and the role of community and family on health care and health outcomes. This program is designed to move beyond the clinical: to recognize the multi-faceted aspects of health.Students will learn more about the Costa Rican Health Care system, learn more about the intercultural contexts that impact patients, and gain understanding of the trans-border health challenges posed by annual group migration. 

Finally, with faculty guidance, students reflect on their experiences in order to integrate what they observe, experience and learn into both their professional and personal lives.

Good to Know

• Some locations will not have access to wi-fi or cellphone services (including local cell phone providers).

Living Arrangements 

Participants will stay in dorm-style housing with 3-4 participants per room.

Program Dates 

This program is not running Summer 2025. 

May 25, 2024 - June 2, 2024

Academics  

Students register for 3 credits of undergraduate or graduate credit. 

• NRSE 3700J Writing for Nurses (3 credits)

Cost  

The program fee for this program includes: Student accommodations, some group meals, excursions, airport pickup, travel to program related activities, materials and international medical health insurance.

In addition to the program fee, students should plan for tuition*, administrative fee, and out-of-pocket costs. Below is the student budget worksheet for this program, which outlines these costs.  

Costs will be indicated when a future iteration is available. 

Items that are not related to the program (ie. additional entertainment, souvenirs, extra travel, contingency funds) are not included in the cost estimates provided and should be budgeted for separately.  

*Note: 

• Non-resident surcharge waived for the credit hours associated with this program.
• If you are nominated to this program, you will be required to pay a deposit to confirm your participation. The deposit is a down payment on the total costs to be billed by OHIO and is determined by the total cost of the program. 

Funding Opportunities 

More information on financial aid and scholarships can be found on our funding pages. 

Eligibility and Requirements 

This program application is open to all OHIO Nursing students with a GPA of 3.0 or above.

All participants are required to pay a non-refundable deposit of $500 (to be credited to student’s program fees) as part of the acceptance process.  

Students must be in good academic and judicial standing.  Minimum GPA 3.0.  Students who will be on probation at any point during the program for a conduct offense that took place less than a calendar year from the program start date may not study abroad. Read the entire conduct policy (opens in a new window).  

This program accepts NON-OHIO students. For more information about this process visit the Non-OHIO student page (opens in a new window).   

Participants must have a at least a high school diploma or the equivalent (e.g. GED) by the start date of the program to be considered for eligibility.  Students enrolled in College Credit Plus (CC+) are not eligible for study away programs.

Entry and Exit Requirements 

U.S. citizens are required to have a valid U.S. passport when traveling outside of the United States. If you plan to study or travel abroad in the next year,  apply for your passport (opens in a new window)  now. Some countries also require a visa to legally enter or reside in the country.

U.S. citizens  will not  need a visa or other special document to enter the country for the length of this program. Please also note that visa requirements may vary if you plan to stay in the country longer than the program dates or travel to other countries during or after the program. Please familiarize yourself with these recommendations and requirements prior to applying to this program. 

For more specific visa related information, please visit OGO’s  Visa Information Page (opens in a new window) 

Information for  Non-U.S. citizens  

Resources 

• Health and Safety (opens in a new window)
• Accessibility Requests and Accommodations  (opens in a new window)