Join faculty and students from the Walker College of Business in and exploration of sustainability practices in Costa Rica. Costa Rica, famous for it's "Pura Vida" approach to life and home to 500,000 different animal species will be the destination for a short-term faculty led program over spring break, 2026. We will be partnering with the Monteverde Institute to study sustainable business practices in agriculture, small businesses, and tourism. The program runs from March 7 to March 14 and includes time in San Jose, the Monteverde cloud forest, Puntarenas, and the Pacific coast. During the week-long travel portion of this program, students will engage in hands-on learning at the Monteverde Institute, a non-profit educational organization located in the Monteverde cloud forest. Excursions to nature preserves and businesses modeling sustainable practices will enrich the experience. Participating students will receive 3 hours of academic credit. The program is open to both graduate and undergraduate students from across campus.
Courses
BUS 4055 – Sustainable Business in Costa Rica – 3 credit hours Prereqs: 84 earned hours or permission of the instructor.
MBA 5020 – International Seminar on Costa Rica – 3 credit hours
Credits (3 credit hours)
BUS 4055 - This course counts as an IB elective (major, approved, required or other), sustainable business minor elective, COB elective or upper level elective and fulfills the Global Issues requirement.
MBA 5020 - This 3 semester hour course fulfills the international requirement for the MBA program and is an elective for the international business and sustainable business concentration. It is also an elective for the MSADA sustainable business concentration.
Cost
Program Cost: $3,999 (tentative)- Includes all air travel (domestic and international) all lodging, allowances for all meals(except during travel to/from Costa Rica), ground transportation and entrance fees.
Additional Costs: $300.00 Includes, personal expenses, passport, vaccinations, etc.
Application Instructions
Contact the program leader to express your interest.
To apply, click on the program link: https://appstate.via-trm.com/program_brochure/27837 (APPLICATION WILL OPEN IN AUGUST)
Go to the "Term Information" tab and click "Apply Now" under FLEAP Spring 2026.
Complete, sign, and submit the application form online.
Pay the $300 deposit and follow payment guidelines.
Remember, you will need to register for the course in addition to completing this application.
Application Deadline: December 1st. Applications will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis.
Program Leader
Meredith Church Pipes
Global & Civic Engagement Specialist
Walker College of Business
churchmm@appstate.edu
Meredith Pipes is the Global and Civic Engagement Specialist for the Walker College of Business. In this role, she promotes international opportunities, supports diversity initiatives and serves as a sustainability champion for the college. Her experiences abroad have profoundly shaped her understanding of the world and she loves seeing students broaden their perspectives through interactions with new ideas, new places and people different from themselves. Meredith earned a Master's degree in Latin America Studies from the University of Kansas.
