Costa Rica (ACM Field Research Program) Program Description

The Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) Field Research in the Environment, Social Sciences & Humanities

• ACM in Costa Rica is a program for advanced independent work in the natural and social sciences and the humanities.
• Students design and conduct supervised research projects. During the first four weeks, students take an orientation course combining the intensive study of Spanish and Costa Rican culture while preparing a detailed research proposal based on a wide variety of possible projects.
• Research opportunities exist in the areas of tropical biology and ecology; the social sciences, such as economics, political science, sociology, and public health; archeology and cultural anthropology; and literature and the arts.
• Each student works at a carefully selected field site during March and April under the supervision of a project adviser who provides professional advising on research methodology and the practical problems of operating in the field. During a month-long period in San Jose at the end of the semester, students complete research papers and formally present their results.
• In San Jose, housing is in homestays with Costa Rican families. Although housing arrangements differ widely during fieldwork at research sites in various parts of the country, many students are placed with families who speak only Spanish during this phase of the program.
• Eligibility: Coursework in the proposed research discipline. Minimum of 3 semesters of Spanish or the equivalent. Preference given to students with strong backgrounds in Spanish. Familiarity with statistics and field work methodology strongly recommended.