Study abroad with us and we'll immerse you in culture, in ministry, in learning and take you to some dream destinations.
Experiential Learning
Internships and Service
Mission and Ministry
Galapagos Islands
Cultural Activities
Home Stays with Local Families
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.
According to the critic J. Hillis Miller, a literary text “is inhabited by a long chain…of presences, allusions, guests, and ghosts of previous texts.” We will explore the implications of this statement by looking at how mid-nineteenth century American writers have shaped the collective imagination of the nation at large and modern/contemporary authors specifically. We will, for example, trace the influence of Henry David Thoreau on such writers as Annie Dilliard, Wendell Berry, and Jonathan Krakauer. We will listen carefully to the dialogue that took place between American Renaissance writers themselves and to the conversation they began with writers who would succeed them. We will connect the past and present through a series of critical dialogues between Emily Dickinson and Sylvia Plath; Harriet Beecher Stowe and Terrence Malik; Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry James; Edgar Alan Poe and William Faulkner; and Ralph Waldo Emerson and Robert Bellah. The main texts will be from the American Renaissance period, but we will examine essays, short stories, poems, and films from the modern/contemporary period.
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.
Depending on the Opportunity you select, you will need to check with your college or university for exact costs! However, in most cases if you are a student at one of our partner schools a semester in Ecuador will not cost you more than what you are currently paying for school!
If you are not currently enrolled in a college or university and would still like to attend, contact us.
