Academic Credit:
SA Tamarindo

Learn Spanish and Earn College or University Credit in Playa Tamarindo

All students at our Spanish immersion program in Tamarindo have the ability to earn academic credit for Spanish courses in Costa Rica.

The undergraduate credit for your Spanish classes at Playa Tamarindo are offered through Brookhaven College in Dallas, Texas. This institution is accredited by SACS, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

These are undergraduate Spanish credits for degree seeking college and university students wanting to fulfill their home institution's Spanish requirements.

Obtaining advance approval from your home institution is necessary, as each district, college, university, or state has its own policies regarding the types of Spanish course credit it will accept.

You can earn academic credit in Tamarindo, Costa Rica for the Spanish courses listed below. The list of Spanish classes includes the Spanish course name, Spanish course number, and the amount of academic Spanish credit each Spanish course is worth. You can contact us if or your home University or College would like to receive a complete Spanish course description for any one or more of the Spanish courses below.

Every Spanish course has a minimum number of Spanish course hours that must be completed at the Spanish school in Tamarindo, Costa Rica..

You must attend Spanish classes for 60 contact hours to earn 4 units.. Beginning Spanish II would be one particular course where 60 contact hours would be required to earn 3 units

You must attend Spanish classes for 48 hours if you want to earn 3 academic units. Intermediate Spanish I would be one particular Spanish course where 48 contact hours would be required to earn 3 units.

Spanish students that want to take multiple courses during one program must sign up for the sufficient number of weeks that will allow you to cover the amount of Spanish contact hours required to earn the necessary amount of Spanish units for each Spanish course in Costa Rica.

The standard Spanish group course at our Tamarindo Spanish school in Costa Rica provides 4 Spanish hours per day (Monday-Friday). A one week course will provide you with 20 Spanish contact hours. Therefore a 3 week standard Spanish course will provide with 60 contact hours which will allow you to gain enough contact hours to earn 3 or 4 Spanish units.

The intensive Spanish group course at the Spanish school in Playa Tamarindo, Costa Rica provides 6 Spanish hours per day (Monday-Friday). A one week course provides 30 Spanish contact hours. Therefore a 2 week intensive Spanish course will provide 60 contact hours which will allow you to gain enough contact hours to earn 3 or 4 Spanish units.

Spanish Course Credit Calculator for the Spanish School in Tamarindo

* Note that the amount of units earned may not equate to the exact number of classes you need for this number of weeks. Be sure that the number of contact hours you are taking will cover the courses that you need.

Spanish Academic Credit Pricing for the Spanish Courses in Tamarindo

The cost of the academic Spanish credit for the Spanish Immersion program in Tamarindo is determined by your home residence. The three criteria below will determine the exact cost for each Spanish unit for your study abroad program in Tamarindo, Costa Rica.

1. Students that live in Dallas county:Check with us for pricing.
2. Those who reside in Texas but not in Dallas County: Check with us for pricing.
3. Students who do not meet either of the first two criteria: $115 per unit for the out of state price.

The cost for the academic credit is a separate cost from the cost of your Spanish program at the Spanish school in Tamarindo. The academic credit fee is paid directly to Brookhaven College when you apply for the Spanish course.

Spanish Students who want to receive academic credit for their Spanish Immersion program in Playa Tamarindo cover each of the following steps in the given order:

Summer Program Outline

For the summer of 2007 we have two five week sessions with the following start dates: Session 1 - June 5th and Session 2 - July 10th. Students can choose to attend either session or both, depending on how many credits they need to receive. The sessions are broken down into two classes per five week period. This means that students can complete both Beginning Spanish I & II or Intermediate Spanish I & II in just five weeks. You can complete all four in a ten week period. Beginning Spanish I & II are four credit hours each. Intermediate Spanish I & II are three credit hours each.

Students needing Beginning Spanish I & II will attend classes for 120 hours. This is broken down into six hours of class a day for the first two weeks, followed by 4 hours of class a day for the final three weeks. Students needing Intermediate Spanish I & II will attend classes for 100 hours. This will be broken down into four hours of class a day for five weeks.

All books and materials are included in the price of the program. Also, all college credits are included in the price of the program. Students will need to apply for admission into Brookhaven College before the start date of the programs. Once accepted, students will be enrolled in the college. During the program students will be graded on their attendance, classroom participation, written assignments, homework, oral ability, weekly test scores and final course essay. Upon successful completion of the program, grades will be posted and transcripts will be sent out.

Lodging Options

This summer we are offering students three different lodging options; Home stay, School stay and Luxury Condo. Each option offers students very different experiences as well as different prices. We believe by having these options, students will be able to choose the one that is best for them and their needs.

The home stay option is for those students who would like to experience more of the culture of Costa Rica by living with a local family. This is the most intensive option and will help students to practice their ability to speak Spanish. When living with a family students have no choice but to speak the language with their hosts. The houses are clean and well kept, but rustic by our standards. Breakfast and dinner are included in this option, as well as laundry service.

The school stay option is for those students who want the convenience of being near the school and the beach, as well as within walking distance to everything in town. The school has three fully furnished two bedroom apartments with living room, kitchen and air conditioning. Each bedroom has three beds and students are assigned roommates by gender. If students come down as a group, they can be put into the same apartments. Breakfast at a local restaurant is included with this option.

The luxury condo option is for those students who want to stay in one of the nicest places in all of Tamarindo. La Colina Condos is far and away the best condo complex in the area. Each condo has a full bath, air conditioning, full kitchen, living area and balcony. No meals are included in this option. There is a restaurant, bar, swimming pool and deck with plenty of hammocks. The best thing about the place is its amazing views of the Pacific Ocean and coastline. Sitting up on a slight hill overlooking the town, it has the best sunsets around. The occupancy of each single condo is three people. If there are groups of six we also have two penthouse condos available that are at the top of the building and have the best views.

Steps to earn credit for Spanish Courses in Tamarindo, Costa Rica

1. Contact your home college or university to check if your home institution will accept transfer Spanish credit from Brookhaven College in Dallas, Texas. Once you have found the appropriate department, make sure they will accept this credit for transfer for the Spanish course or Spanish classes you need. You must gain pre-approval, preferably in writing along with the appropriate administrator’s signature.

2. Once your pre-approval is given for credit transfer you need to register for the Tamarindo Spanish Program through Spanish Abroad. Be sure that the Spanish course that you are registering for in Playa Tamarindo will allow you to have enough contact hours to meet the requirements in order to gain the number of units for the Spanish course you want transferred from Costa Rica.

3. Online student application – Please go to the following web address, https://www1.dcccd.edu/stuapp/ . When you are at the website you will need to ‘Create your Account’. You will find this under the sub category ‘Account Information’. Click on the ‘create your account’ link, follow the instructions and fill out all the fields. Once you have filled in all of the required fields click the ‘Create Account and Continue’ button. You will now be at the DCCCD Admissions Application Form. Follow the instructions and fill out the form completely. Once you have completed the application, you will need to send your transcripts and a copy of your ID to the Brookhaven Office of Admissions.

4. You will then be sent the Registration form. You will need to fill this out and send it back to Brookhaven. At the same time you will also need to send the payment for the units. You can pay by personal check or by credit card. This will enroll you in the specific courses you desire.

5. Attend and complete the SA-Tamarindo Spanish immersion program at the Spanish School in Costa Rica. You must be in class for the minimum number of hours you are trying to receive. You must satisfactorily complete all class work and homework, and you must pass all tests. You will also need to complete a one page paper in Spanish for each course you are trying to receive academic Spanish credit. This will be due on your last day of Spanish classes in Costa Rica
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6. Upon returning from your Spanish courses in Costa Rica you will need to go back on the Brookhaven web site and request a transcript. Once the grades are posted, official college transcripts will be sent out to your home university or college.