As part of the long-term vision in Augustana鈥檚 strategic plan , Augustana is excited to announce that the university will offer a semester-long study abroad program in Central America with a physical location in Costa Rica, set to open by the spring of 2023.
Starting a campus in Costa Rica would capitalize on existing interest as one of Augustana鈥檚 top semester-length study abroad destinations. The university is in the process of locating a physical location for classes and housing, staff, transportation and other logistics that come with laying down roots in another country.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a new challenge and a lot of work, but it鈥檚 something we鈥檝e been dreaming about for a long time,鈥 said Ben Iverson, Augustana alumnus and director of international programs & enrollment. 鈥淚 think everybody in the International Programs Office (IPO) is just really excited to see this come together and see the first group of students go.鈥
To help support the initiative, Augustana secured a leadership gift from alumni Micah 鈥04 and Jaclyn (Sutton) Aberson 鈥05. The Abersons have had transformative study away experiences themselves, therefore, they are passionate about funding experiential learning opportunities like the ones that would take place in Costa Rica.
鈥淚 think that there鈥檚 great potential to do some pretty remarkable things in that country, both by way of education and training Augustana students, but also engaging the people of Costa Rica with an educational opportunity that鈥檚 different and apart from what they otherwise perhaps have access to,鈥 said Micah, executive vice president for Sanford Health, who oversees a large part of the organization operationally.
Augustana has a long and rich history of study abroad. Before COVID-19 impacted the globe, 53% of AU鈥檚 2019 graduates studied away 鈥 nearly five times the national average. As the world reopens, Augustana is positioning itself to come out stronger, with even more opportunities for students to study away. If all goes as planned in Academic Year 2021-22, the university will have up to 16 courses taught by around 30 faculty members with more than 225 students participating across the globe.
For more information about Augustana鈥檚 International Programs Office, visit .
