Center for International Education

The 2010/11 Communication Arts Study Abroad program in Ecuador runs for four weeks, December 27, 2010-January 22, 2011, and is based at the Centro de Estudios Interamericanos in Cuenca, Ecuador, a colonial Spanish city of 400,000 people nestled high in the Andes mountains and enjoying  spring-like temperatures year round. The program is designed to provide serious college students in Communication Arts or other related disciplines as well as other interested adults with an opportunity to study and experience the culture of Latin America.  

 CLASS: The course number is CMAT 399: Communication Arts Study Abroad in Ecuador. Pre-requisites: Permission of Instructor. Recommended experience: CMAT 297 – Communication Research, CMAT 300 – Intercultural Communication,  and courses related to culture (e.g. Anthropology, Human Geography, Sociology, and foreign languages).  Students attend classes  Monday through Friday mornings for four hours each day. Attendance is strictly required. Classes are taught in English by the program director. The theme of the course is “How is communication manifested in the linguistic, interpersonal, group, organizational, and  mass media contexts in Ecuador?” Participants will be exposed to various readings, classroom discussions, field trips, cultural visitations, and a service project to foster an experience unique to this country. Students will be assessed using quizzes, tests, journals, and blogs. A final paper on a research topic of interest will also be assigned.       

HOST INSTITUTION: Founded in 1992, in recognition of the 500th anniversary of the meeting of the Old and New Worlds, the Centers for Interamerican Studies (CEDEI) is a not-for-profit institution of higher learning, dedicated to the study of American languages and cultures. It is accredited by the Ministry of Education of Ecuador and co-sponsors programs with several colleges and universities in the United States.

EXCURSIONS: The Intersession program will begin with an overnight stay in Ecuador's largest city, Guayaquil. Students will then wind their way by bus through the magnificent Andes on their way to the Valley of Paute where they will spend two days and nights for orientation and exploration. Once in Cuenca students will make several local field trips including the fascinating Incan ruins at Inga Pirca, and the breathtaking El Cajas national park, at over 10,000 feet above sea level. Finally, students will end the program with four nights on the Pacific coast. Unlike the indigenous Andean experience of the highlands, this final portion of the program will introduce students to Ecuador's tropical Pacific coast with an environmental studies experience.

HOUSING: During their stay in Cuenca, students may choose to live with an Ecuadorian family experiencing the hospitality of Latin American culture firsthand. This group of families has been housing students since 1985, and has been central to the Intersession program's success. Most students keep in touch with their Ecuadorian families throughout the years, and many return to visit. Local families are screened so that at least someone in the household speaks English. Students who wish to stay at a local hostel may select this option. In order to simulate the cultural lifestyle of Ecuador, students who opt for the hostel will be required to have lunch with the program director and invited locals on a daily basis. During the extensive in-country travel hotel accommodations will be provided.

COST: Tuition and fees for the 2011 Intersession in Ecuador are estimated to be $3950. A final cost will be determined in fall 2010.  The price will include all tuition, round-trip airfare, room and board in Cuenca, in-country travel and lodging during the lengthy excursions, and extensive travel assistance provided by the Centro de Estudios Interamericanos.

APPLY NOW!

 Admission is competitive and enrollment is limited.  Students will be admitted on a rolling basis until the program is full.  Once the program is full, accepted students will be placed on a waiting list. 

The application deadline is September 27, 2010.

In addition to the application form, interested students should submit the following directly to the program director:

 - An unofficial transcript demonstrating overall Grade Point Average of 2.0 or higher;

- A 1 page double-spaced essay answering the question: "How will my participation in the Communication Arts Study Abroad in Ecuador Program contribute significantly to my academic career and influence future plans?"

-  And a completed faculty recommendation form from a faculty member who knows the student well.  Recommendation form available here.