MSID—International Development in Ecuador

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Faculty & Staff

A team of dedicated Ecuadorian staff based in Quito work to ensure that your MSID experience is safe, academically enriching, and rewarding. All MSID courses are taught by Ecuadorian faculty who are experts in their fields.

José Suárez

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

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 received her PhD degree 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 in relation with ancestral medicine, the use of pesticides in agriculture and cut flowers for exportation 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.

Choose one course from each Course Type for a total of 4 courses and 16 credits. Refer to the main Academics tab for more detailed information about available courses.

As an MSID student, you can complete a research project or participate in an internship for 6 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 that you could do:

Entrepreneurship

• Assist in providing technical and financial support to a network of credit unions by doing field visits, attending workshops with administrators and meeting with organization employees and members.
• Help an organization to empower women by offering economic workshops, classes, and services
• Assist with microcredit lending at an organization that offers fair credit practices to indigenous people and other rural populations
• Work with an organization that promotes local and rural businesses such as eco-tourism, small jam and dairy factories, and the sale of artisan products
• Work with a community-based small business that works towards the development of tourism in the indigenous communities of Cotacachi

Health

• Assist in a rural hospital that provides medical services to indigenous communities. Schedule and shadow appointments, take vital signs, and accompany staff on wellness and immunization visits.
• Conduct nutrition outreach within a rural, indigenous community. Take height/weight measurements of schoolchildren, evaluate school food programs, and attend public nutrition education events.
• Work with technology development in a genetics lab at a university in Quito.
• Learn about ancestral and alternative medicine by shadowing practitioners as therapies and treatments are being delivered. 
• Work in a non-profit clinic run by the indigenous federation of Imbabura, home to practitioners of traditional Andean medicine
• Work in a non-profit hospital that provides culturally sensitive medicine to the people most in need of treatment.
• Collect information regarding medical plant remedies that were compiled into a book used for training midwives.
• Shadow health promotion activities such as vaccination and vision tests, as well as wellness checks for infant and elderly populations in a local clinic.
• Work with a social worker in a hospital dedicated to adolescent mothers and help women learn life skills.
• Help a small public hospital in Quito develop ways to improve services to women.

Human Rights

• Work with children at an organization that offers legal, social, and psychological support to victims of domestic and sexual abuse and their families.
• Work with an organization that manages community, cultural, and natural resources.
• Develop basic services such as potable water, electricity, and daycare centers in the community in an area where gender roles are changing due to migration.
• Work in a boys shelter with poverty and problems of the Quechua majority.
• Work with communal businesses and cooperatives to institute a development model used in other parts of the world.
• Create, promote, and sustain a basketball team by establishing a club, teaching rules, and regular training.
• Support immigrants and refugees through communication with other advocacy organizations, financial services, and community outreach.

Sustainability

• Become involved in an environmental conservation project in the Amazon region.
• Design and implement a rainwater collection system for domestic and agricultural use.
• Help to foster sustainable development among an indigenous community in the Amazon by developing a local association for vanilla production.
• Assist with reforestation and educational efforts at an ecological reserve. Plant and harvest crops, create organic compost and work with local school children.
• Work at a sustainable agriculture reserve. Assist with planting and harvesting coffee and chocolate, clearing trails, and raising animals.
• Work with indigenous traditions to progress toward sustainable development of water supply in a community.
• Work on an agro-ecological farm performing basic farm operations, selling products at the local market, and attending community meetings.
• Assist in the production and sale of cacao, including field work, product development, and administrative tasks.

As an MSID student, you can complete a research project or participate in an internship for 6 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:

Entrepreneurship

• Analyze the economic and social activities of surrounding communities to increase sustainable development that aligns with Ecuador's social economy

Health

• Monitor the daily feeding of children at a local after-school program and identify the factors that contribute to malnutrition
• Learn how an organization of Kichwa women use medicinal plants in the practice of ancestral medicine

Human Rights

• Determine the principal barriers that prevent women from attaining higher levels of participation and influence in the public sphere

Sustainability

• Investigate the initiatives and strategies that can help achieve higher levels of food sovereignty
• Study the cultural impact of oil exploitation on indigenous communities of the Amazon

Human Subjects 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 a Learning Abroad Center 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.

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

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.

Health

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.

Human Rights

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.

Sustainability

Investigate the relationship between environmental and natural resource 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 Dates

Orientation Dates & Locations

Application Open Date: May 1, 2024
Application Deadline: October 15, 2024

Application Open Date: May 1, 2024
Application Deadline: October 15, 2024

Application Open Date: Dec 1, 2023
Application Deadline: May 1, 2024

Application Open Date: Dec 1, 2023
Application Deadline: May 1, 2024

Fees

Billing & Payments

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Cancellation Policy

• Spring 2025—Standard
• Spring 2025—Standard plus Intensive Spanish

• Fall 2024—Standard
• Fall 2024—Standard plus Intensive Spanish

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Passport

You will need a valid passport in order to enter Ecuador. Your passport must be valid for 6 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.

Visas

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.

Country-Specific Instructions

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, you will work with the staff at our partner organization to complete paperwork for an extension of your visa. The extension fee is already included in the program fee. You will receive specific instructions about the requirements for the extension paperwork process via email.

The Learning Abroad Center will also provide a letter confirming the visa process, which you should carry with you as they travel to Ecuador, in case you are questioned by airline or immigration officials.

Note that visa regulations are subject to change without prior notification, depending on current Ecuadorian immigration policies.

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