INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS OFFICE

(IAO) Leading health education with innovation and excellence.

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Global Health Programs

Student Exchange Programs

Study Abroad

Programs

Studying abroad is an incredible opportunity—but choosing the right program is essential to ensure it aligns with your academic and personal goals.

Student Exchange Programs:

Short-term study (1–2 semesters) with transferable credits and cultural immersion.

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Clinical Rotations:

Hands-on clinical experience under professional supervision (typically 3–8 weeks).

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Research Programs:

Participation in medical or biomedical research projects with opportunities for academic development.

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Global Health Programs:

Focus on public health and healthcare challenges across diverse communities.

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Study Abroad (Short-Term Programs):

Flexible, year-round programs that combine coursework, clinical exposure, and cultural activities.

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Faculty-Led Custom Programs:

Tailor-made programs designed in collaboration with partner universities, allowing faculty to lead groups of students in customized academic, clinical, and cultural experiences.

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Observerships

Shadowing healthcare professionals to learn about clinical practice without direct patient care.

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Training & Continuing Education:

Specialized courses and workshops for advanced students or healthcare professionals.

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Virtual Mobility Program:

A program that provides students with international academic experiences remotely, often including cultural activities and virtual interaction with.

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Schedule a call
Overseas Academic Programs

Overseas Academic Programs

These opportunities allow you as a USP student to participate in academic experiences abroad through partner institutions and international programs. Studying abroad helps you to enhance your academic development, cultural understanding, and professional skills.

For more information, including eligibility requirements and application procedures, please contact erodriguez@uspsantapaula.com 

Meet our Partners

Why Universidad Santa Paula?

All our undergraduate, graduate and continuing education programs are committed to human development and social responsibility as we focus our efforts and academic strategies to mold independent, innovative, productive and solidary professionals. We are regionally renowned, in Central America and the Caribbean, as a pioneer, specialized and leading university in the most needed areas of health sciences.

Undergraduate

  • Physical Therapy
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Respiratory Therapy
  • Speech Therapy
  • Audiology
  • Pre-hospital Medical Emergency and Rescue

Graduate

  • Health Promotion
  • Emergencies and Rescue Management
  • Physical Therapy with a concentration in Sports Rehabilitation
  • Physical Therapy with a concentration in Neurological Rehabilitation
  • Physical Therapy with a concentration in Functional Rehabilitation of Senior Citizens
  • Early Childhood Stimulation/Intervention
  • Palliative Care and Assistance
  • Audiology
  • Gerontology with emphasis in project management
  • Psycho-oncology

Our competitiveness is governed by 5 values:

Sustainability

A responsibility to meet current needs, without compromising the environmental security of future generations. This balance ensures proper environmental, social, and financial management.

Excellence

Added value offered by a product or service, which makes is special and unique. We define excellence through traits such as creativity, talent, and specialization of human resources.

Innovation

Continual transformation for the sake of improving the service or resource offered to customers. In today’s demanding and changing market, inventing new solutions is not enough; we need to incorporate added value that guarantees that a need is satisfied

Costa Rican Origin

The product or service should be fully developed, patented, and improved within the country.

Social Progress

The employees who work in a company that uses the country brand seal ensure their personal and professional growth, guaranteeing that they will reach their maximum potential and develop all of their abilities while helping the company evolve.

What Essential Costa Rica?

A country brand is a strategy to position and capitalize on the image of a country on the international market. The aim is to boost the country’s reputation through tourism, investment, or the acquisition of products through exports.

We are official members of:

GLOBAL EDU CR
Know more
Schedule a call
This was an experience that changed my life and perspective in many ways. The sense of community and hospitality that was given by USP and Costa Rica in general was something that I Will never forget. I felt as if I was a part of one big family, and I had the opportunity to experience a wonderful culture with wonderful people. I learned many important values about my profession and about life that will stick with me forever. Costa Rica and the USP community will forever hold a special place in my heart. ¡PuraVida!
Samantha Waters
Samantha Waters2nd year PT Student,  East Tennessee State University
My time in Costa Rica was a life-changing experience for my view as a student and a person. The community of the Costa Rican people was extremely welcoming and never made me feel like an outsider. I learned so much from the staff and students that were with us from the Universidad de Santa Paula. It was a refreshing take on healthcare as opposed to what the system is here in the United States. This experience made me fall back in love with my profession of occupational therapy that. I had lost at some point during my schooling.
Makensie Cotter
Makensie Cotter3rd year OT Student,  East Tennessee State University
This was an experience that changed my life and perspective in many ways. The sense of community and hospitality that was given by USP and Costa Rica in general was something that I Will never forget. I felt as if I was a part of one big family, and I had the opportunity to experience a wonderful culture with wonderful people. I learned many important values about my profession and about life that will stick with me forever. Costa Rica and the USP community will forever hold a special place in my heart. ¡PuraVida!
Samantha Waters
Samantha Waters2nd year PT Student,  East Tennessee State University
My time in Costa Rica was a life-changing experience for my view as a student and a person. The community of the Costa Rican people was extremely welcoming and never made me feel like an outsider. I learned so much from the staff and students that were with us from the Universidad de Santa Paula. It was a refreshing take on healthcare as opposed to what the system is here in the United States. This experience made me fall back in love with my profession of occupational therapy that. I had lost at some point during my schooling.
Makensie Cotter
Makensie Cotter3rd year OT Student,  East Tennessee State University
International Affairs Office

What Essential Costa Rica?

A country brand is a strategy to position and capitalize on the image of a country on the international market. The aim is to boost the country’s reputation through tourism, investment, or the acquisition of products through exports.

We are official members of:

GLOBAL EDU CR
Know more

OUR COMPETITIVENESS IS GOVERNED BY 5 VALUES:

SUSTAINABILITY

A responsibility to meet current needs, without compromising the environmental security of future generations. This balance ensures proper environmental, social, and financial management.

EXCELLENCE

Added value offered by a product or service, which makes is special and unique. We define excellence through traits such as creativity, talent, and specialization of human resources.

INNOVATION

Continual transformation for the sake of improving the service or resource offered to customers. In today’s demanding and changing market, inventing new solutions is not enough; we need to incorporate added value that guarantees that a need is satisfied

COSTA RICAN ORIGIN

The product or service should be fully developed, patented, and improved within the country.

SOCIAL PROGRESS

The employees who work in a company that uses the country brand seal ensure their personal and professional growth, guaranteeing that they will reach their maximum potential and develop all of their abilities while helping the company evolve.

Schedule a call

Why Universidad Santa Paula?

All our undergraduate, graduate and continuing education programs are committed to human development and social responsibility as we focus our efforts and academic strategies to mold independent, innovative, productive and solidary professionals. We are regionally renowned, in Central America and the Caribbean, as a pioneer, specialized and leading university in the most needed areas of health sciences.

Undergraduate

  • Physical Therapy
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Respiratory Therapy
  • Speech Therapy
  • Audiology
  • Pre-hospital Medical Emergency and Rescue

Graduate

  • Health Promotion
  • Emergencies and Rescue Management
  • Physical Therapy with a concentration in Sports Rehabilitation
  • Physical Therapy with a concentration in Neurological Rehabilitation
  • Physical Therapy with a concentration in Functional Rehabilitation of Senior Citizens
  • Early Childhood Stimulation/Intervention
  • Palliative Care and Assistance
  • Audiology
  • Gerontology with emphasis in project management
  • Psycho-oncology
This was an experience that changed my life and perspective in many ways. The sense of community and hospitality that was given by USP and Costa Rica in general was something that I Will never forget. I felt as if I was a part of one big family, and I had the opportunity to experience a wonderful culture with wonderful people. I learned many important values about my profession and about life that will stick with me forever. Costa Rica and the USP community will forever hold a special place in my heart. ¡PuraVida!
Samantha Waters
Samantha Waters2nd year PT Student,  East Tennessee State University
My time in Costa Rica was a life-changing experience for my view as a student and a person. The community of the Costa Rican people was extremely welcoming and never made me feel like an outsider. I learned so much from the staff and students that were with us from the Universidad de Santa Paula. It was a refreshing take on healthcare as opposed to what the system is here in the United States. This experience made me fall back in love with my profession of occupational therapy that. I had lost at some point during my schooling.
Makensie Cotter
Makensie Cotter3rd year OT Student,  East Tennessee State University