Universidad para la Cooperación Internacional
University, Graduate school in San José, Costa Rica
The Universidad para la Cooperación Internacional (UCI, University for International Cooperation) is a university founded in Costa Rica in 1994 and authorised by CONESUP. It has offered distance education since 1996 and virtual education since the early 2000s, and its programmes are built around sustainability and regenerative development. Most programmes are virtual, combining online classes with academic support throughout the programme. Since January 2024 UCI has been accredited by the Global Accreditation Council (GAC) for its virtual education system, and its Master's Degree in Project Management has been accredited by the Global Accreditation Center of the Project Management Institute (PMI) since 2009. In 2021 it received the UNESCO Sultan Qaboos Prize for Environmental Conservation.
UCI offers master's degrees, specialisations, professional certificates and short courses, mainly in Spanish. Current master's degrees include:
- Environmental Leadership and Management
- Sustainable Tourism Management
- Management of Sanitary Programs in Food Safety
- Business Law
- Tax Advisory Services
- Project Management (Spanish and English)
Applicants complete the admission form for their programme and submit the required documents. UCI has several scholarship programmes for postgraduate and continuing education, as well as flexible payment plans.
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Graduate programmes
- Master's Degree in Environmental Leadership and Management: 24 months, virtual, in Spanish
- Master's Degree in Sustainable Tourism Management
- Master's Degree in Management of Sanitary Programs in Food Safety: 22 months
- Master's Degree in Business Law: 18-20 months, hybrid
- Master's Degree in Tax Advisory Services: 22 months
- Master's Degree in Project Management: 20 months, in Spanish and English
- Specialization in Planning and Management of Protected Areas: 7 months
- Specialization in Strategic Project Management with AI: 10 weeks
Admission
Master's applicants submit the admission form with these documents, which the Admissions Office then verifies:
- Identity card (Costa Ricans) or passport data page (foreign applicants)
- CV of up to four pages
- University diploma that meets the entry requirement
- Recent passport-type photograph
- Proof of second-language proficiency, if the programme requires it
Applicants with degrees from outside Costa Rica also submit a transcript of grades and must post the apostilled or consular-legalised documents within 90 calendar days of the start of the first course, with an official translation if they are not in Spanish.
Scholarships and financial aid
UCI offers several types of scholarship for postgraduate and continuing education:
- Socioeconomic support scholarships, assessed by the UCI Scholarship Committee
- Academic assistance scholarships, in exchange for help with academic or institutional activities
- Scholarships linked to special programmes and partnerships, such as the Organization of American States (OAS) Academic Scholarship Program
- Scholarships for staff and their families
Other options include institutional discounts and company agreements, flexible payment plans and external loans. Applicants can ask their Professional Development Advisor about scholarships during admission.
Subjects taught
- Business
- Business Administration
- International Business
- Health
- Health Occupations
- Hospitality, Leisure, Tourism and Travel
- Tourism
- Law
- Law
- Sciences
- Environmental Studies
- Food Sciences and Technology