Study Abroad in Ecuador

Program Description

Purpose of Program

Learn about and live the culture of Latin America in general and Ecuador in particular.  Take courses in Spanish language, civilization, literature and culture or in related fields of interest:  volcanology (climb snow-capped volcanoes), geology, economics, communications, biology, international relations, etc. Visit indigenous villages to learn first hand about descendants of pre-Inca and Inca civilizations.  Visit the world famous Galapagos Islands.  Spend time at the USFQ operated Tiputini Biodiversity Station, in Ecuador's rain forest.

Details of Program

A program established between Virginia Tech (VT) and the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador (USFQ), provides for the exchange of undergraduate and graduate students between the two institutions. Virginia Tech students are invited to apply for the exchange for the fall or spring semester, or for the academic year at USFQ.

1. Students pay Virginia Tech tuition and fees when studying at the USFQ.

2. The cost of room and board is paid to the host institution.  VT students stay with Ecuadorian host families who are carefully selected by the USFQ.

3. Candidates for the exchange first will be screened and selected by the home institution, and then must be approved for admission as special non-degree students by the host university.

4. All participants in the exchange must be in good standing at their home institution. They must have completed at least one year of full-time study at the home institution. They must meet academic and other standards mutually set by both universities: a minimum overall QCA of 2.75, although both institutions reserve the right to make exceptions to the QCA expectations on an individual basis.

5. Exchange students must satisfy the language proficiency requirement for admission to the program. Tech students are expected to have completed at least one semester of 2000-level coursework in Spanish or to have equivalent proficiency in all Spanish language skills.  Exceptions may be considered.

6. Academic credit earned at the U.S.F.Q. may be transferred to Virginia Tech in accordance with procedures determined by Tech. Only coursework completed with a grade of “C” or better will be accepted for transfer to Virginia Tech.  Grades do not transfer, only credits.

7. Upon completion of the prescribed period of exchange at the host institution, the exchange student is expected to return to the home institution.

8. Virginia Tech students have sole responsibility for: passport and visa, insurance coverage, any required or recommended inoculations and medication, travel arrangements, textbooks, clothing, personal expenses, debts incurred during the course of the exchange, and local transportation costs in Ecuador.

Costs

In addition to paying Virginia Tech tuition, Tech students can anticipate the following approximate expenses, which may vary:

1.  $   150          Tech administrative and service fee

2.  $1,800           Room and board (two meals a day) & laundry

3.  $   800           Round-trip airfare D.C. – Quito

4.  $   100            Books, per semester

5.  $2,500            Personal expenses, per semester

________________

    $ 5,350                                    TOTAL

Additional costs are likely to include:  passport, visa, immunizations, and airport departure taxes, etc.

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 Elizabeth C. Calvera
Department of Foreign Languages & Literatures
332 Major Williams Hall
phone: 540-231-7927 e-mail: ecalvera@vt.edu  

Last updated October 2005