Housing is offered in private homes in Quito for ASL students and in the Cumbayá Valley near Quito for USFQ Direct Enrollment students. All homestays are located by the IES Abroad staff, in safe areas of the area, and inspected on a regular basis. You will have your own furnished room, and you will be the only IES Abroad student in the home. No two homestay situations are the same! Just as “family” could mean many different things in your home country, Ecuadorian families also are quite diverse. Some families are composed of a set of parents and their children. Other families consist of an...

You are required to enroll in 15-19 credits per semester. Your program offers four ways to earn academic credit: IES Abroad Spanish language course (required, 4 credits) IES Abroad Spanish-taught area studies courses (at least one course is required, 3 credits each) Area studies courses at USFQ (optional, credits vary) Community-based learning seminar and placement (optional, 4 credits) Classes are scheduled five days each week and attendance is required. You must come to class prepared, complete written assignments outside of classes, and complete rigorous assignments at the midterm and end...

You will be required to submit the Course Preregistration Form when it becomes available in your MyIESAbroad account. Preregistration is done on a first-come, first-served basis. Please obtain course approval from your current college or university for all courses you intend to take before your departure, especially if you intend to fulfill specific degree requirements with those courses. When you arrive in Quito, you will consult with the IES Abroad Center Director who will help you finalize your IES Abroad and select courses at partner universities that are appropriate, available, and whose...

To complement your IES Abroad courses, you will have the option of enrolling in courses at our partner universities. We strongly encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity. It will not only be a unique educational experience, but it will also provide the opportunity to add another perspective of student life in Ecuador. You can also improve your Spanish language abilities and meet local students! The classroom atmosphere might be entirely different from what you experience on your home campus. Please keep in mind that you will have to be able to adapt to different classroom structures...

Once in Quito, tutors can be arranged for additional help in any of your classes. If you feel that a tutor would be helpful, please notify the IES Abroad Quito staff. Nearly all your school supplies and Spanish Language books can easily be found in Quito. Your professors can recommend local bookstores where texts can be found. Other course materials will be made available to you on the IES Abroad Moodle platform. You can read more about our academic expectations and requirements in the IES Abroad Academic Policy Guidelines.

Please note that community-based learning placement options for the Spring 2024 semester could be limited and/or virtual. You can participate in a community-based learning placement with an accompanying academic seminar. Through community-based learning, you will gain insight into Ecuadorian culture while directly helping the community as a volunteer at a local organization. The IES Abroad Quito staff has relationships with a number of community-based organizations. The instructor will work with a select group of organizations to develop interesting projects for teams of students. You can...

Volunteering USFQ Dragons Dragons are Ecuadorian students who volunteer to help international students (like you!) get settled at USFQ and immerse in the local student culture. During your orientation in USFQ, you will meet some of the Dragons and will learn more about the program.

As soon as a preliminary program calendar is available, it will appear below. However, this calendar is subject to change. Please do not make independent travel arrangements (including visits from family or friends) before you arrive on-site, receive any calendar updates from the IES Abroad Center staff during orientation, and finalize your course registration. Remember that you will not be excused from academic obligations, including final exams or required IES Abroad events, in order to travel independently. You can easily make personal travel plans once on-site!

In addition to your virtual orientation course, you will participate in on-site orientation sessions when you arrive in Quito. You will participate in a mandatory orientation which begins at the Center and is followed by several days at our partner universities. A complete schedule is distributed upon arrival. On the first day of orientation, you will receive a packet with the following documents: IES Abroad Quito student manual Emergency plan Orientation schedule Semester academic calendar Pledge to speak only Spanish Field trip sign-up form List of important course registration dates Student...

As a direct enrollment program, this option offers you the chance to take a full course load at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito. Because you enroll as a USFQ student, this direct enrollment academic experience is an unfiltered view into the local academic culture. We will provide you many valuable services exclusive to IES Abroad students, including predeparture and on-site advising, housing placement, orientation, and field trips. USFQ was the first institution in Latin America with a liberal arts-based curriculum. A modern and up-to-date institution of higher learning in Ecuador, USFQ...