Ecuador » PUCE » Academic Programs

ACADEMIC PROGRAM

Located in the middle of Quito, the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE) is at the cultural, political, and economic center of the city. A traditional university long known for its role in higher education, the PUCE offers an excellent Spanish language program for foreigners and a selection of courses that help illustrate the people and cultures of Ecuador. Students with at least two years of college-level Spanish who wish to concentrate on building Spanish language ability are encouraged to consider the PUCE. Students with higher levels of Spanish proficiency may also integrate into regular classes with Ecuadorian students. Students are encouraged to participate for an academic year, but semester options are available.

The Spanish language program at the PUCE consists of a multi-level modular program that offers courses from beginning Spanish to a very advanced level. Students meet for three and a half hours every weekday morning for five weeks in each module for a total of approximately 90 contact hours. (Upper division language courses in Oregon generally meet for 30 contact hours each term.) Participants will usually complete two modules in the fall program, and three modules in the spring program.

Host University Description: Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador

The PUCE is a comprehensive university located in the center of urban Quito. It enrolls approximately 8,000 students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Founded in 1946, the PUCE has grown to 15 academic units that include 47 different majors. The schools include law; economics; language, literature and communication; architecture and the arts; natural sciences; human sciences, engineering, administrative sciences and education.

In addition to its teaching and development missions, the PUCE is host to several research groups and institutes. Among those are the Bioethics Interdisciplinary Group, the Human Genetics Team, the Yasuni Scientific Station, and the Zoological Museum.

Host University Website:

For general information on the PUCE, its academic units and services, please consult: http://www.puce.edu.ec.

Registration and Credits:

Students participating in this program will be registered at their home university in Oregon and will receive home campus credits for courses taken at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador. Students’ course work will be reviewed and evaluated by appropriate academic departments at their home institutions. Students must keep detailed records of course outlines, reading lists, exam results, and other work completed to facilitate accurate evaluation by their home university academic departments.

Students are advised to consult with their academic advisor about their plans to study in the Ecuador program. Students wishing to earn major or minor credits for courses taken at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador are strongly advised to be in frequent communication with their advisor to determine what’s possible.

Because of the nature of this program, courses and credits are applied after completion of the program.

The PUCE offers courses through its many facultades (schools) which include human sciences, engineering, exact sciences, philosophical sciences, and communication, linguistics and literatures. Students at the UO and OSU may refer to course equivalency lists for courses that have been previously taken by program participants from those institutions. Students from other OUS institutions should consult with their international program advisors for information about equivalences on their campuses. Courses that do not appear on these equivalency sheets will need to be submitted for approval on your campus for credit.

Academic Calendar:

Approximate dates for 2007-08 are as follows (dates for 2008-09 will be similar):

• Fall semester: August 22 to January 31
• Spring semester: January 4 to June 30
• Fall term option (language courses only): August 22-Dec. 23

Students participating in the fall semester program are registered for fall and winter terms in Oregon, and students opting for the spring semester program are registered for winter and spring terms.