Central and South America
Social Innovation and Entrepreneurial Leadership in Latin America
Experience the history, culture and business of Latin America through the lens of social innovation and entrepreneurial leadership. During this program, the majority of your time will be spent in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, staying with host families for a truly authentic Costa Rican experience. While in San Jose, you will visit a variety of different companies where you'll learn about entrepreneurial initiatives, social innovation and microfinance, and sustainable business practices. Past visits have included Funcacion Mujer, CINDE, Cafe Los Volcanes, Zollner and Cargill. Included in this program is a walking tour of historic San Jose, a visit to Cartago, the home of many coffee cooperatives; and time spent on either the Caribbean or Pacific coast to see famous Costa Rican sunsets.
“Completing a practicum project in Costa Rica has been life-changing. It was amazing to be immersed in a different culture. I was there to create a fundraising strategy for a nongovernmental organization and was able to help this organization provide aid while personally learning and growing.”
— Jake Kinley, MBA ’19
Who Can Apply
- School of Management undergraduate students (sophomores, juniors and seniors)
- First- and second-year MBA students
Application Deadline
October 15. All applications must be submitted by this date in order to be considered for the following spring's program.
Next Program
The Costa Rica program is an elective credit course that caps off with an experiential learning trip. Undergraduate students who are accepted will be force-registered for a 3 credit course. MBA students who are accepted will be force-registered for a 2 credit course. The class meets during the first half of the spring semester preceding the trip. Travel dates are as follows:
- March 13-21, 2020
