The Program

The IES Quito Area Studies and Language Program focuses on Ecuador's ecological and ethnic diversity, and the challenges of development.  IES courses are taught in Spanish by native Spanish-speaking faculty from IES partner institutions.  Field study is incorporated into all coursework, and internships and service learning are an integral part of the curriculum.  Four semesters of college-level Spanish language or the equivalent are required for this program. 

The Academics

Students must take 15-19 credit hours. All courses at IES and partner universities are taught in Spanish.

You are required to take one core course at IES (3 credits) and a Spanish language course (4 credits).  IES core courses are offered in Anthropology/Sociology, Environmental Studies, or Political Economics.

You will select the remainder of your courses from area studies at IES, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE), or Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLASCO) (3 credits each).  You also have the option to participate in internships or service learning activities with concurrent seminars (3 credits each).  Ecuador: Quito (IES) Course Equivalents. If you would like to take a course that not on this list, you havr to get it approved. Complete instructions for this process can be found under Getting Academic Credit on the navigation bar on the left of the Study Abroad Homepage.

Throughout your stay, IES Quito will stimulate you intellectually, encourage you to move beyond your comfort zone, and provide you with opportunities to socialize with fellow students and Ecuadorians. If you want to get more involved by volunteering with a local organization, IES staff can provide you with contacts.

IES Quito locates housing that reflects typical Ecuadorian student accommodations. You have the opportunity to live with Ecuadorian hosts in a private home in Quito; all accommodations are screened and approved by the IES Quito staff. In your homestay, you will receive three meals daily; depending on your schedule, lunch during the week may be brown bag.

Field trips are one of the most exciting and distinctive features of the IES Quito program. Each semester the IES Quito staff arranges trips that balance your urge to explore with opportunities to learn from experienced guides. Some are requirements of the program; others are optional.

IES Quito offers field trips in and outside of Quito, the costs of which are included in the price of the program. IES also offers optional subsidized field trips. Destinations may include the Amazon basin, the coastal plain, the highlands, and the famous Galápagos Islands, home of unique wildlife that inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.