Each participant will be enrolled in Spanish Language Classes during their time in Quito. After introductory testing, each student will be placed in classes that reflect their appropriate level of learning. U.S. college credit will be earned for these courses. Students come to Ecuador with varying degrees of fluency in Spanish. Consequently, after initial placement testing, students are placed in classes that will correspond to their level of proficiency. Courses will introduce the students to the sounds and structure of the Spanish language through listening, speaking, reading and writing. Courses will provide the basis to understand and communicate Spanish effectively. Spanish Courses Offered: 101, 102, 201, 250, 310, 320, 400

HISTORY, POLITICS, AND CULTURE OF ECUADOR This course provides an overview of the history, politics, and culture of Ecuador, along with the relationship between various factors. The course includes guest speakers from local organizations and visits to community groups, along with lectures and readings. Open only to students who participate in the Ecuador Semester Program.

An integrative cross-cultural experience designed to help the student understand and form his or her Christian worldview, cross-cultural engagement, and understanding of diverse social and cultural contexts. A 1-hour per week course requires the attendance of all students. The goal and emphasis of this course are to provide students with a set of tools to utilize in interacting with people in work, community, or educational settings. Community development interventions in this course are understood as activities to facilitate, strengthen, and improve less-advantaged communities, empower residents to define and participate in the development process, and interact in larger social, political, and economic systems on behalf of the community.

This course will examine the dynamics of personal development in student's lives, focusing on spiritual growth. Biblical principles that govern the character and conduct of Christians will be addressed. Students will employ analytical tools and reflection skills to develop a greater self-awareness. From this foundation they will explore the process of spiritual formation and establish an initial life-plan for the regular practice of spiritual disciplines.

The goal of this course is to understand the nature of a worldview and the function of faith and reason in developing a worldview. To define and analyze eight basic worldviews (Christian theism, deism, naturalism, nihilism, existentialism, Eastern pantheism, New Age spirituality and postmodernism). To explore and critique six major world religious traditions: Judaism, Christianity, Taoism & Confucianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. To offer an internal critique of each worldview and an evaluation from the standpoint of historic Christianity.

This course is designed to examine the principles and practices of communicating from one culture to another. Focus for the course lies in differing perceptions, ways of thinking, values, non-verbal expressions, language expression and subgroups within a culture as they relate to the media and the message. Furthermore, students will have opportunity to discuss strategies for practical application that will address these issues and integrate Christian values.

Introductory course designed to provide a broad survey of biological principles and is primarily designed to provide meaningful and adequate exposure to biology for the non-science major. It will also help to prepare students for further study in the biological sciences. Because Ecuador is rich in biodiversity, it is an ideal place to survey biological principles. These principles will include the nature of science, discussion of origins, ecology, cell biology, genetics, zoology and human anatomy, as well as an overview of their effects on daily life. While there is no laboratory class required for this course, a hands-on lab component and field experience will be included.

An introduction to the authorship and contents of the Old Testament books. Special attention will be given to important persons, places and events, as well as to key chapters in the Old Testament revelation, with special emphasis on developing an informed process of biblical interpretation.

Social Entrepreneurship is an emerging and rapidly changing business field that examines the practice of identifying, starting, and growing successful mission-driven for-profit or nonprofit ventures, that is, organizations that strive to advance social change through innovative solutions. This course is designed to provide a socially relevant academic experience in order to help students gain in-depth insights into economic and social value creation across sectors including social justice, poverty alleviation, energy, health, and sustainability. Through case studies, lectures, and classroom dialogue, students will learn to think strategically and act opportunistically with a socially-conscious business mindset. Topics will include problem/opportunity assessment, acquiring the necessary resources to grow a social enterprise, including leadership and management styles, and the tradeoffs between social and financial returns on investment. Students will also gain exposure to various social organizational models that are making tangible and potentially scalable progress in serving the poor.

Evaluation of your work is based on many factors. These include but are not limited to: participation, written assignments, and examinations. A "C" grade indicates adequate performance, a "B" grade indicates good, competent and complete work, and an "A" grade indicates creative excellence that is integrative and exceeds requirements.