University of Costa Rica
The University of Costa Rica (in Spanish, Universidad de Costa Rica, abbreviated UCR) is a public university in the Republic of Costa Rica, in Central America. Its main campus is located in San Pedro, in the province of San José. It is the oldest, largest, and most prestigious institution of higher learning in Costa Rica. Aproximetely 40 000 students attend it throughout the year.
History
The first university in Costa Rica was the University of St. Thomas (Universidad de Santo Tomás), established in 1843. That institution maintained close ties with the Roman Catholic Church and was closed in 1888 by the progressive and mildly anti-clerical government of President Bernardo Soto Alfaro as part of a campaign to modernize public education. The schools of law, agronomy, fine arts, and pharmacy continued to operate independently, but Costa Rica had no university proper until 1940, when the modern UCR was established during the reformist left-leaning administration of then President Dr. Rafael Angel Calderon Guardia. Its current president for the term 2004-2008 is Dr. Yamileth Gonzalez Garcia (Ph.D. Catholic University of Leuven (Louvain), Belgium),see picture below.
File:President Yamileth Gonzalez Garcia.jpg
Organization
The UCR is divided into several Faculties (Spanish for departments) and Schools which may teach several carreers:
- Engineering [1]
- Agricultural and Food Sciences [8]
- Plant Science
- Animal Science
- Food Science [9]
- Agricultural Economics
- Arts
- Performing Arts (Drama)
- Music
- Painting, Engraving and Sculpture [10]
- Sciences [11]
- Medicine [16]
- Microbiology [21]
- Dentistry
- Pharmacology [22]
- Languages and Letters [23]
- Linguistics, Literature and Phylology [24]
- Phylosophy
- Modern Languages
- Social Sciences [25]
- Law [32]
- Educational Sciences [33]
- Economic Sciences
It manages 26 research institutes:
Central American Population Studies Center(CCP), Electro-Chemical Energy Research Center(CELEQ), Agronomical Research Center(CIA), Molecular and Cellular Biology Research Center(CIBCM), Environmental Pollution Research Center(CICA), Research Center on Nuclear and Molecular Sciences(CICANUM), Center for Research and Training on Public Management(CICAP), Center for Research on Materials Science & Engineering(CICIMA), Center for Research on Agribusiness(CIEDA), Center for Research on Sustainable Development(CIEDES), Center on Women Studies(CIEM), Research Center on Microscopic Structures(CIEMIC), Research Center on Tropical Diseases(CIET), Research Center on Geophysics(CIGEFI), Research Center on Seed Science(CIGRAS), Center for Central Americal Historical Studies(CIHAC), Research Center on Abnormal Hemoglobins and Related Ailments(CIHATA), Center of Studies on Latin American Identity and Culture(CIICLA), Research Center on Sea Sciences(CIMAR), Research Center on Mathematics and Metha-mathematics(CIMM), Research Center on Pure and Applied Mathematics(CIMPA), Research Center on Animal Nutrition(CINA), Center on Space Research(CINESPA), Research Center on Plant Protection(CIPROC), Research Center on Natural Products(CIPRONA), National Research Center on Food Science(CITA).
Other projects managed include one rainforest research station (Alberto Manuel Brenes Station), one agricultural research station (Fabio Baudrit Station), one botanical garden focused on orchid conservation (Lankester Botanical Garden), a planetarium, two radio stations, one weekly newspaper, one t.v station, 28 scientific journals and seven regional sub-campuses (pictured below: main entrance, main campus in San Pedro).
File:University of Costa Rica-Main entrance.jpg
Events
The school calendar, as in the rest of Costa Rica, runs from February to December. The school year is divided into two semesters, plus one additional summer term that may be mandatory or not according to the career.
Semana U is an event held in the middle of the first semester and involves the participation of the different student organizations. There are many concerts, talks, expositions, etc.
Applying
Costa Rican applicants to the UCR must take an admission test. This test is similar to the SAT in the US. The score of this test is used along with the grades from the student's last years in high school to determine his/her admission score, which is later used to determine admission to a specific major, and financial aid.
Undergraduate admission is highly selective. Having an acceptance rate of approximately 30%. However, being admitted to the university doesn't assure admission to the chosen major. Usually, the best 80-150 applicants are admitted, depending on the school.
International applicants must revalidate their high school certificate and grades from their country of origin at the Ministry of Education in order to apply and take the admission test. Graduate school applicants must revalidate their undergraduate certificate too.
Transportation
An internal free shuttle move students around its main campus and satellite areas (fincas) including the research city, a cluster of laboratories and research centers detached from the main campus by a river and several neighborhoods. Transportation to San Jose dowtown and neighbouring counties(cantones)is readily available either as part of subsidized transportation routes or thanks to San Jose's inexpensive bus and railway lines.