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...

At USFQ, 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 and expectations. Teaching styles may vary from professors who mainly use lectures as their method of presentation to those who foster participation, debates, and practical work. Readings and assignments will be indicated in the syllabus, although you are expected to work more independently and explore outside resources on your own. Ecuador requires six years of secondary education before entry...

COMMUNICATIONS: USFQ releases academic and registration information on a rolling basis, so you can expect to receive many emails from us before your program begins. The emails will include information about registration, the online language exam, course lists, orientation information, etc. We recommend organizing your emails so that you can easily reference the messages you will receive about the program. PREDEPARTURE REGISTRATION: Registering for courses at USFQ is a 3-step process. Each step is done online on the USFQ website, and they must be done in order. They are: Register as a student...

Please note that community-based learning placement options for the Spring 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 apply to...

Ecuadorians enjoy a variety of sports, especially soccer, volleyball, basketball, and tennis. Sailing, rafting, bird-watching, and fishing are popular activities in certain regions. You can easily purchase sporting equipment in Ecuador, but sporting equipment is typically more expensive than what you may be used to. You can rent other equipment, such as bicycles and camping equipment.