Study international development in Ecuador—a country with a blend of indigenous and Spanish colonial influences—while improving your Spanish language skills. The program includes a six-week internship or research project with a grassroots organization focused on entrepreneurship, health, human rights, or sustainability.
Location | Quito and other locations |
---|---|
Term | Fall Semester, Spring Semester |
Housing | Homestay |
Credit Type | Resident Credit |
Sponsor | Learning Abroad Center |
GPA | 2.5 |
---|---|
Student Type | UofM Students, Non UofM Students |
Student Year | Juniors, Seniors |
Language | Minimum 4 semesters of college-level Spanish (SPAN 1004), or equivalent proficiency |
Learning from experience is the core of Minnesota Studies in International Development (MSID). The program puts you in direct contact with the social and economic realities of actual communities and people working within them to address complex problems. Through classes, field trips, and an extended internship or research placement, MSID strives to establish a continual dialogue linking experience with theory and critical analysis. Learn more about the mission and educational philosophy at MSID Philosophy.
Few countries as small as Ecuador contain such remarkable geographic and biological diversity. Geographically, it ranges from coastal deserts to temperate mountain valleys to Amazon forests. Culturally and racially, its population includes a mix of indigenous, Spanish, and African elements. The program is based in Quito, an Andean city that houses a remarkable combination of colonial and modern, rich and poor. Internship sites are scattered within a three-hour radius of Quito. For help deciding between Spanish language options, consult the Spanish Language Programs Comparison Chart (PDF).
For help deciding between Spanish language options, consult the Spanish Language Programs Comparison Chart (PDF).
August Pre-Session & Fall 2021: Due to COVID 19, homestays may not be possible. In that case, you will be housed in shared apartments with other program participants. Apartments are fully furnished and include cooking facilities. You will be responsible for providing your own meals throughout the program.
You will live with a homestay family throughout your time in Ecuador. Students who choose an internship or research placement outside of Quito will have a second homestay placement.
Homestay families provide breakfast and dinner daily; you will be responsible for providing your own lunches. Host families can typically accommodate a variety of dietary needs, but if you have severe food allergies and/or restrictions, contact the program team prior to applying.
Homestays are an integral component of the learning experience and often a highlight for participants. Your family provides not only housing and most meals but also a vital connection to Ecuadorian culture. Nearly all families have hosted program participants before and have been chosen for their genuine interest in sharing Ecuadorian life with an MSID program participant. Students who choose an internship or research placement outside of Quito will have a second homestay placement. You can choose an individual or shared homestay, depending on your preference.
Although excursions change from semester to semester, students can expect to visit a variety of sites that may include local markets, development agencies, and other areas of interest around Quito.
Ground transportation from the Mariscal Sucre International Airport (airport code: UIO) into Quito is provided by our partner organization and the cost is included in the program fee. The transportation schedule aligns with the group flight arrival time. Our partner organization comes to the airport once to collect everyone.
Therefore, you can either book a ticket on the coordinated group flight, or book a flight independently that arrives prior to the group flight's arrival. If you arrive late and miss the group, you may be responsible for arranging and paying for your own transportation into the city.
For immigration purposes, you should purchase a round-trip ticket, since you must be able to show your entry and exit dates from Ecuador.
A team of dedicated Ecuadorian staff based in Quito work to ensure that your MSID experience is safe, academically enriching, and rewarding.
Pictured above, 1st row: Solange Paez (Secretary), Verónica Catuacuamba (Accountant), Dolores López and José Suárez (Program Directors), Emilia Castelo and Natalia Céspedes (Academic Coordinators), Janet Barros (Research Assistant).
2nd row: David González (Messenger), Carlos Travez (Researcher), Vicente Pintado (Janitor), Danilo Mastínez (Research Assistant), Franklin de la Cruz (Researcher).
José Suárez is Executive Director of Fundación Cimas del Ecuador, a development-focused nonprofit organization in Quito. Dr. Suárez received his MPH and PhD degrees in public health from the University of Minnesota. A physician and epidemiologist with extensive community experience, he has authored research studies and books about health and environment in Ecuador, participated in many international and national committees, and served as a consultant to the Pan American Health Organization and Ecuador’s Ministry of Health. In addition to his extensive experience working with North American students and academic programs—including MSID since 1989—Dr. Suárez has taught at the University of Washington, Evergreen State University, and the Medical School of the Universidad Central del Ecuador.
Dolóres López is President of Fundación Cimas. She studied Anthropology at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE) and holds a bachelor's degree from Evergreen State College and a master’s degree in Social Science and Ecuadorian Studies from the Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO) in Quito. She is currently a PhD candidate in the Latin American Cultural Studies Doctoral Program at the Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar in Quito. She has conducted research on social and cultural population issues; gained practical experience in working in indigenous and peasant communities; and organized local, national, and international conferences. In recent years she has been deeply involved in intercultural research projects and actively participates in community-based processes to identify alternatives for development. She has worked with US students and study abroad programs for many years, including MSID since 1989.
All MSID courses are taught by Ecuadorian faculty who are experts in their fields.
Learning Abroad Center programs are:
Program Type | Field Study, Study Abroad Center |
---|---|
Program Level | 3000–4000 level courses |
Courseload |
You are required to take 16 credits for fall or spring semester. Add 4 credits for optional language pre-session. |
Spend 7 weeks engaged in coursework in Quito, followed by 6 weeks working as an intern or conducting a research project with a local grassroots organization. MSID students enroll in 4 required courses, including to an internship or research project:
The Intensive Spanish in Ecuador program is offered in August and in January for students interested in strengthening their language study prior to the start of the semester. One language course is taught over 3 weeks and awards 4 or 5 undergraduate credits. Intermediate and advanced Spanish are offered.
The internship or research experience is the cornerstone of the MSID program. Your placement will be with an organization engaged in grassroots work related to your chosen international development theme.
During the classroom phase, the on-site staff will review your interests and attempt to place you with an organization whose goals match your objectives. Most requests within a general field can be accommodated, but adjustments may be made based on availability. You will work at least 25 hours each week. Details about the internship and research process are in the Program Handbook.
See a description of past internship and research placements. The chart below will help you differentiate between an internship and a research placement.
Theme | Internship example | Research example |
---|---|---|
Entrepreneurship | Meet with micro loan applicants and review loan application materials | Analyze the loan repayment rate at a microfinance organization |
Health | Provide support to health care professionals in a small regional hospital or clinic | Survey the hospital’s education and outreach plan to address local health disparities |
Human Rights | Provide support to an organization that provides job skill training for women | Analyze the wage gap between men and women in various sectors of the local economy |
Sustainability | Participate in an agroforestry project in collaboration with an organization that focuses on sustainability | Compare and contrast local and national research on the environmental impact of agroforestry programs |
The semester courses and syllabi are outlined below; all courses are taught by local faculty. Students will select one course option from each of the four headings below for a total of 16 credits. Your selections will be indicated on your Academic Information form found on your confirmation checklist.
Through the coursework and the internship or research project, you will develop a comprehensive understanding of the complex and diverse nature of international development in Ecuador.
All students will be enrolled in this interdisciplinary course, designed to provide context to your time in Ecuador.
This course will begin with a historical review from the European conquest, moving to independence and the construction of a nation state, and finally the republican era until today. Main events and characteristics from each timeframe will be highlighted. Students will discuss the “discovery of America” from the Ecuadorian and South American context, and the process and impact of conquering this continent. History and politics will come together when discussing the 20th century. Topics such as liberal revolution, plutocracy, the uprising known as the Juliana Revolution, the populist velasquista phenomenon, dictatorships, and the return to democracy will all be examined. The current state will be analyzed based on identifying the main elements that shape the country's cultural diversity, its nationalities and peoples.
Spanish Department equivalent: SPAN 3510
Syllabus for Historical & Political Context of Ecuador (PDF)
This course begins with 20 hours of common discussion on international development. From there, the course will be divided into the below themes. This theme will focus your studies and prepare you for your internship or research project.
This course will critically analyze theories of development, and the impact of development models throughout the world, but specifically Latin America and Ecuador. Students will address development theories, assumptions of development, and alternatives to development through the lens of social services. This course starts by investigating the concept of globalization within international development and its prevalence in Latin America, and in particular Ecuador. Students will then identify the impacts of development on the Ecuadorian economy, specifically focusing on the concept of social entrepreneurship which is recognized in the Ecuadorian constitution. They will study the history of this specific form of entrepreneurship, its relationship with local development, and as an alternate form of distribution and production of goods and services.
Spanish Department equivalent: Elective without a Critical Analysis prerequisite
This course will critically analyze theories of development, and the impact of development models throughout the world, but specifically Latin America and Ecuador. Students will address development theories, assumptions of development, and alternatives to development through the lens of social services. This course starts by investigating the concept of globalization within international development and its prevalence in Latin America, and in particular Ecuador. Students will then begin to address social, economic, cultural and environmental determinants of health as a mechanism for understanding the main health problems in Ecuador. There is an emphasis throughout the course on contrasting Western thinking and medicine with Andean world views and Ancestral Medicine, in an effort to build intercultural health processes, in order to improve the health conditions of diverse cultural groups.
Spanish Department equivalent: Elective without a Critical Analysis prerequisite
Syllabus for Public Health & Traditional Andean Medicine (PDF)
This course will critically analyze theories of development, and the impact of development models throughout the world, but specifically Latin America and Ecuador. Students will address development theories, assumptions of development, and alternatives to development through the lens of social services. This course starts by investigating the concept of globalization within international development and its prevalence in Latin America, and in particular Ecuador. Students will then focus on the critical analysis of social problems, rights and empowerment. The concept of social exclusion (discrimination, inequality, inequity, poverty) will be discussed, how development has led to social inclusion or exclusion, and how human rights and policies have contributed. The course will focus on the priority care groups—children and adolescents, women, older adults, and people with disabilities—and the policies, programs, and services for them in Ecuador today.
Spanish Department equivalent: Elective without a Critical Analysis prerequisite
This course will critically analyze theories of development, and the impact of development models throughout the world, but specifically Latin America and Ecuador. Students will address development theories, assumptions of development, and alternatives to development through the lens of social services. This course starts by investigating the concept of globalization within international development and its prevalence in Latin America, and in particular Ecuador. Students will then identify the impacts of development on environmental challenges in Ecuador, and the relationship between environment, use and management of natural resources, and local communities. Examination of cases that involve people's rights over the environment, food sovereignty, water management, climate change, sustainable development and local alternatives for natural resource management and conservation will be studied.
Spanish Department equivalent: Elective without a Critical Analysis prerequisite
Syllabus for Environmental Challenges from the Andes to the Amazon (PDF)
Choose one course from the two options below, based on prerequisites and your language level.
Focus on practical skills while emphasizing conversation and vocabulary building.
Prerequisite: Four or more semesters of college Spanish (or equivalent)
Liberal education requirement fulfilled: Writing Intensive
UofM Spanish department equivalent: SPAN 3011W
Introduction to Latin American Cultures, is an intensive writing course designed to develop and strengthen the understanding and management of language skills acquired in previous courses and to develop knowledge about various cultures in Latin America and Ecuador.
Prerequisites: Five or more semesters of college Spanish, including an advanced composition and communication course (or equivalent, native-speaker status)
Liberal education requirements fulfilled: Writing Intensive, Literature core
UofM Spanish department equivalent: SPAN 3510 or SPAN 3920. See Spanish Studies adviser for additional information.
After completing the three courses above, you will spend six weeks with a local organization completing an internship or research project. Your placement will correspond with the theme you chose in the International Development course.
This course provides a cross-cultural experience of working on various development issues with a regional nonprofit organization. The course focuses on guiding students to understand their own identity as they integrate theory with reality by participation in local development sites. Students are prepared for entering into their community work through discussions on stakeholder and agency analysis, culture specific gender and diversity context, and power and privilege. The students are urged to play an active role in their internships by providing suggestions, solutions, discussing alternatives and investigating all areas of their internship placement to garner a holistic experience on the realities of development work. Through practical internship experiences as well as readings, discussions, and written assignments, students will deepen their understanding of the host-country cultural context, development work from an international perspective, and critically examine their own worldview.
This course will introduce the MSID student to: various research concepts and practices; experience decisions involved in research regarding selection of topic and title for their study, developing statements of problems and choice of research questions, appropriate research design; issues related to research ethics and; develop their skills in choosing data collection instruments and analysis of the data they collect for their research. It does this by introducing various topics in the research cycle and providing a forum in which students can share with one another their research experience at each stage of the process.
Spanish Department equivalent: Elective with a Critical Analysis prerequisite
This course is offered at no additional cost on programs six weeks or longer. The Learning Abroad Center will email out registration instructions, or you may contact a program team member.
As an MSID student, you can complete a research project or participate in an internship for six weeks. In either option, you will be placed with a local organization related to the theme you chose for the International Development course (Entrepreneurship, Health, Human Services, Sustainability).
Internships involve participation in and observation of the daily activities of a local agency. You will put into practice the theories you learned in the classroom.
Below are examples of the types of internships students have done in the past:
As an MSID student, you can complete a research project or participate in an internship for six weeks. In either option, you will be placed with a local organization related to the theme you chose for the International Development course (Entrepreneurship, Health, Human Services, Sustainability).
A research project involves a systematic investigation of a specific topic, question, hypothesis, or theory. You will conduct research under the guidance of a project supervisor from the MSID program and a local organization.
Below are examples of past students' research projects, or possibilities for future research:
The governments of the United States and MSID countries have laws protecting human subjects of research. Due to the timeline for gaining the necessary permissions for doing research with human subjects, such research cannot be conducted while abroad on LAC program. However, there are still a wide variety of projects, that include interaction with people, that are available. See more information on options for Undergraduate Research Abroad.
The Learning Abroad Center offers a number of programs (including all MSID programs) that include research opportunities and are eligible for the Learning Abroad Center’s International UROP scholarship of $2,500 (available to UofM students only). Learn more about IUROP funding.
Select one of the four themes for your International Development course. This theme will focus your studies and prepare you for your internship or research project.
Entrepreneurship looks different in each cultural context. Examine the history, development, challenges, opportunities, and role of business and microfinance in the economic and social development of the local community. The theme includes an analysis of informal sector enterprises, the role of social entrepreneurship, and an overview of key aspects of microfinance.
Examine health care systems, the management and prevention of disease, and the philosophical approaches to health care, including the role of traditional medicine, through this theme. Specific topics for discussion may include holistic health, women’s and children’s health, public health, animal health, and rural vs. urban health care facilities.
Understand how human rights are legislated and regulated at the policy level, as well as how they are implemented at the grass roots level. In particular, this theme will consider the impact on the most vulnerable members of society, including women, children, indigenous groups, people with disabilities, and homeless, migrant, and elderly populations.
Investigate the relationship between environmental and natural resources challenges and the local community. This theme may cover critical issues, biodiversity, sustainable food and water sources, responsible agricultural practices, design practices, natural resource utilization and management, climate change, wildlife management, and sustainable development.
Program Term | App Open Date | Deadline* |
---|---|---|
August Language Pre-session 2021 | Dec 18 | May 1 |
August Session 2021 | Aug 1 – 25 | |
Arrival date | Aug 1 | |
Last day of program | Aug 25 | |
Departure date | Aug 26 | |
Alternative departure date | Aug 27 | |
Fall 2021 | Dec 18 | May 1 |
MSID Ecuador —Standard | Aug 29 – Dec 11 | |
MSID Ecuador —Plus Pre-session | Aug 1 – Dec 11 | |
Pre-session arrival date | Aug 1 | |
Pre-session last day | Aug 25 | |
Fall arrival date | Aug 29 | |
Classroom phase ends | Oct 22 | |
Internship/Research phase begins | Oct 25 | |
Final seminar begins | Dec 6 | |
Last day of program | Dec 10 | |
Departure date | Dec 11 | |
Winter Break Language Pre-session 2021-22 | May 1 | Oct 15 |
January Session 2020-21 | Dec 27 – Jan 15 | |
Arrival date | Dec 27 | |
Last day of program | Jan 14 | |
Departure date | Jan 15 | |
Spring 2022 | May 1 | Oct 15 |
MSID Ecuador —Standard | Jan 16 – May 7 | |
MSID Ecuador —Plus Pre-session | Dec 27 – May 7 | |
Pre-session arrival date | Dec 27 | |
Pre-session departure date | Jan 15 | |
Spring arrival date | Jan 16 | |
Classroom phase ends | Mar 11 | |
Spring break period | Mar 12 – 18 | |
Internship/Research begins | Mar 21 | |
Internship/Research phase ends | Apr 29 | |
Final seminar begins | May 2 | |
Last day of program | May 6 | |
Departure day | May 7 | |
Alternative departure day | May 8 |
Late applications are considered on a case-by-case basis. If the deadline has passed, contact Molly Micheels to inquire about applying late.
Information about a group flight will be sent out after the application deadline. Before purchasing alternate flights, please consult with Learning Abroad Center staff to coordinate with the scheduled group flight.
See below for tentative dates and times for your in-person session. You will be notified of the official date and time via email. Participants will receive applicable orientation materials via email approximately 1 week prior to the in-person session.
Term Abroad | Date/Time | Location |
---|---|---|
Spring 2021 | TBD | Virtual session |
Be aware: All programs require a $50 application fee. This fee will be charged to your student account upon submission of an online application.
To complete the online application for this program, you will need to select or provide the following information on the online application:
Center Name | TC Learning Abroad Ctr |
---|---|
Education Abroad Term | See Program Dates for term options |
Program Name | MSID Ecuador |
Track Name | See Program Dates for track options |
Country | Ecuador |
Use your University of Minnesota internet ID and password to log into the Education Abroad application system. Your student account will be charged a $50 application fee for each application you submit.
Once you submit your application, Learning Abroad Center staff will create a University of Minnesota student internet account for you. You will use this account to access the Education Abroad Application System, and other University of Minnesota services. You will be charged a $50 application fee for each application you submit.
Our staff will contact you within 2–3 business days with your internet account information, and additional application instructions.
All students, both UofM and Non-UofM should use this apply button if applying for a program Fall 2021 or beyond (academic year, winter break etc.). You will be charged a $50 application fee for each application you submit.
Additional Items Required for non-UofM Students:
Detailed descriptions and instructions for submitting each checklist item are included on the application checklist assigned to you.
If you do not meet the GPA requirement for this program you will be required to submit two additional application items- the Low GPA Essay and Special Circumstances Recommendation. Both items will be added to your checklist after you start your application, and you will be notified when they have been added.
After your application checklist is complete, your application is reviewed by our program team. You will be notified of an acceptance decision by email. If accepted, you will be assigned an acceptance checklist, which you will complete to confirm your participation in the program. If you decide not to continue with the application process, log into the online application system and submit a Cancel Request.
You will need a valid passport in order to enter Ecuador. Your passport must be valid for six months beyond your anticipated return date. If you have not already obtained your passport, apply for one immediately. Information about applying for a passport can be found on the US Department of State's website.
US citizens on the MSID-Ecuador program are not required to obtain a student visa. Non-US citizens should check with the host country embassy to determine any special regulations pertaining entry into that country.
All MSID-Ecuador students who are US citizens will enter Ecuador on a tourist visa, which is granted upon arrival, and valid for 90 days. Therefore, it is not necessary to apply for a visa in advance.
Once in Ecuador, students will work with the staff at our partner organization to complete paperwork for an extension of their visa. The extension fee is already included in the program fee.
We are working with our partner organization in Quito to confirm the requirements for the extension paperwork. Students will receive more specific instructions about the process via email.
The Learning Abroad Center will also provide a letter confirming the visa process, which students should carry with them as they travel to Ecuador, in case they are questioned by airline or immigration officials.
Please note that visa regulations are subject to change without prior notification, depending on current Ecuadorian immigration policies.
For further information or questions about this program, send an email to
Molly Micheels or call at 612.624.3949.