Semester at Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Location
Ecuador: Quito
Description
Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) is the first private liberal arts university in Latin America. Located in the valley of Cumbaya, just twenty minutes from downtown Quito and twenty minutes from nearby indigenous Andean communities, the campus offers a tranquil, community feeling to its 900 international and 5500 Ecuadorian students. Ecuador's largest library, a Galapagos campus, Tiputini Biodiversity station in the Amazon, local community service program, Ethnical Diversity Academic Program covering all 14 different indigenous cultures, excursions, and student support services and activities make it an ideal choice for a student interested in exploring Ecuador's ethnic and natural biodiversity from a comfortable home base.
USFQ offers excellent courses for students studying Spanish as a second language, though it's recommended to have at least two years of college level Spanish before coming. Students live in Quito with carefully screened homestay families so they can still enjoy the best of the big city. Service opportunities can be coordinated in nearby communities.
Highlights
Ecuador is one of those rare destinations in the world that seems to have the unique combination of natural beauty, intriguing history, and vibrant culture. Nestled along the Equator in the northwest corner of the South American continent, much of the country still remains wild and uncharted. It is home to the highest active volcano in the world, pristine Pacific beaches, and virgin tropical rainforests as well as ancient Incan history now echoed through the lively Ecuadorian culture. Ecuador is marked by its diversity. Within a territory of 120,000 square miles, one can travel from sea level to 12,000 feet of altitude within a six-hour drive, visit a fishing town and see a highland village within the same day.