Full Course Catalog

Below are descriptions of all of our offered courses. For access to any of our syllabi, please email us.

Ecuador Course Catalog | Italy Course Catalog | East Coast Catalog

Ecuador Semester Program

Below is a list of our courses offered at our Ecuador location. The required courses vary depending on the specific track the student is taking.

In this class, students will begin to develop the four basic skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish while learning about Spanish-speaking cultures, in particular Ecuadorian culture.
Students will begin to develop the four basic skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish while learning about Spanish-speaking cultures, in particular Ecuadorian culture, building on concepts that were mastered in Spanish 101.
Students will continue to develop the four basic skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish while learning about Spanish-speaking cultures, in particular Ecuadorian culture. Spanish 201 will be taught in a communicative manner. This approach to language instruction has proven to be highly successful for adult learners. Therefore, the class will be conducted in Spanish, using language is a communicative way through listening and speaking.
Spanish 202/250 is a 3-credit reading, writing and intermediate to advanced grammar course. In
order to increase fluency and grammar accuracy in Spanish, we will utilize authentic readings and
student experience outside of the classroom as they interact with people and culture in Quito. This
course will teach reading strategies and provide advanced reading practice in a variety of genres
which will introduce them to literature in Spanish, increase vocabulary to a more advanced level and prepare students for higher-level Spanish classes. Students will be assigned activities in all four modalities: reading, writing, listening, and speaking, with a focus on analyzing readings. Readings will be from different genres, which will then be the basis for writing and conversation tasks. We will review and learn new major grammar principles and build on those concepts to more advanced structures.
This course is a 3-credit conversation and advanced grammar course. In order to increase fluency and grammar accuracy in Spanish, we will utilize student experience outside of the classroom as they interact with people and cultures in Quito. Students will be assigned activities in all four language modalities: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Assignments will be both formal and informal. We will review major grammar principles and build on those concepts to more advanced structures.
This course is a 3-credit advanced composition course. In order to increase fluency and grammar accuracy in Spanish, we will utilize experience outside of the classroom as they interact with people and cultures in Quito. Students will be assigned activities in all four language modalities: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Readings will be from different genres, which will then be the basis for composition tasks. Assignments will be both formal and informal. We will review major grammar principles and build on those concepts to more advanced structures in both speaking and writing.
Este curso es de nivel avanzado y combina la investigación, la redacción, y el debate a través de temas importantes y complejas presentadas desde la perspectiva ecuatoriana tanto para desarrollar y mejorar el idioma y profundizar el conocimiento histórico y cultural del Ecuador. A la vez, el estudiante tiene el desafío de integrar la fe y la cosmovisión bíblica al considerar estos temas importantes.
Ecuador tiene una diversidad de riqueza histórica, cultural, y natural. La diversidad presenta oportunidades y también desafíos para el desarrollo de la nación. Este curso enfocará en ayudar a los alumnos a entender e interpretar los siguientes temas: 1) Historia del Pueblo Indígena (Antes y Después de Contacto) 2) Historia y Contexto de las Creencias Culturales, Actitudes, y Hechos de Ecuador, particularmente al desarrollar la persistencia de la Tradición Oral. 3) Historia del Arte Ecuatoriano: Estilos, Formas, y Expresión. 4) Estructuras y Figuras Políticas de Ecuador. 5) Historia del Movimiento Misionero/Evangélico en Ecuador.
El curso trata de forma general los aspectos literarios y culturales de américa latina. La literatura latinoamericana fue galardonada por cinco oportunidades con el premio Nobel de Literatura. Se conocerán los aspectos principales de las obras literarias de esos autores representativas de nuestra cultura y desarrollemos lecturas seleccionadas para trabajar con ellas. Este curso afirma conocimientos gramaticales avanzados del idioma español. Los estudiantes conocerán modismos y frases idiomáticas propias del idioma español. A través de los temas de cultural ecuatoriana los estudiantes podrán entender algunos aspectos de la variedad de la cultura y de esta forma relacionarse cómodamente con los ecuatorianos.

Spanish Courses:

This course provides an overview of the history, art, and culture of Ecuador, along with the relationship between various factors. The course includes guest speakers from local organizations and visits to community groups, along with lectures and readings. The one-unit seminar is required for all students. Completing the course for three units is an elective.
An introductory course designed to provide a broad survey of biological principles and is primarily designed to provide meaningful and adequate exposure to biology for the non-science major. It will also help to prepare students for further study in the biological sciences. Because Ecuador is rich in biodiversity, it is an ideal place to survey biological principles. These principles will include the nature of science, discussion of origins, ecology, cell biology, genetics, zoology, and human anatomy, as well as an overview of their effects on daily life. While there is no laboratory class required for this course, a hands-on lab component and field experience will be included.
This course is designed to examine the principles and practices of communicating from one culture to another. The focus for the course lies in differing perceptions, ways of thinking, values, non-verbal expressions, language expression, and subgroups within a culture as they relate to the media and the message. Furthermore, students will have the opportunity to discuss strategies for practical application that will address these issues and integrate Christian values.
This course will examine the dynamics of personal development in student'’ lives, focusing on spiritual growth. Biblical principles that govern the character and conduct of Christians will be addressed. Students will employ analytical tools and reflection skills to develop greater self-awareness. From this foundation, they will explore the process of spiritual formation and establish an initial life plan for the regular practice of spiritual disciplines.
The goal of this course is to understand the nature of a worldview and the function of faith and reason in developing a worldview. To define and analyze eight basic worldviews (Christian theism, deism, naturalism, nihilism, existentialism, Eastern pantheism, New Age spirituality and postmodernism). To explore and critique six major world religious traditions: Judaism, Christianity, Taoism & Confucianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. To offer an internal critique of each worldview and an evaluation from the standpoint of historic Christianity.
Social Entrepreneurship is an emerging and rapidly changing business field that examines the practice of identifying, starting, and growing successful mission-driven for-profit or nonprofit ventures, that is, organizations that strive to advance social change through innovative solutions. This course is designed to provide a socially relevant academic experience in order to help students gain in-depth insights into economic and social value creation across sectors including social justice, poverty alleviation, energy, health, and sustainability. Through case studies, lectures, and classroom dialogue, students will learn to think strategically and act opportunistically with a socially-conscious business mindset. Topics will include problem/opportunity assessment, acquiring the necessary resources to grow a social enterprise, including leadership and management styles, and the tradeoffs between social and financial returns on investment. Students will also gain exposure to various social organizational models that are making tangible and potentially scalable progress in serving the poor.

General Studies Courses

This course offers the student the opportunity to process the international internship experience under the professional supervision of the professor. This course will discuss re-entry components of the international experience and will incorporate a discussion of globalization as it relates to social work and the diversity of the social work profession in other countries. The senior international seminar is held two (2) hours weekly in which students submit their own practice records for critical study and offer constructive feedback to their peers. Emphasis is placed on the integration of students' social work theoretical knowledge and skills as they enter the profession. Students must demonstrate all social work competencies designated by the Council on Social Work Education.
This course provides an educationally directed practicum, introducing the student to agency-based social work practice. The student completes 150 hours in a social service setting, engaging in direct social work practice, under the guidance of a professional social worker. The student begins to integrate theory and practice and demonstrates beginning social work practice behaviors.
This course provides an educationally directed practicum, introducing the student to agency-based social work practice. The student completes 400 hours in a social service setting, engaging in direct social work practice, under the guidance of a professional social worker. The student begins to integrate theory and practice and demonstrates beginning social work practice behaviors.

Social Work Courses

An integrative cross-cultural experience designed to help the student understand and form his or her Christian worldview, cross-cultural engagement, and understanding of diverse social and cultural contexts. A 1-hour per week course requires the attendance of all students. The goal and emphasis of this course are to provide students with a set of tools to utilize in interacting with people in work, community, or educational settings. Community development interventions in this course are understood as activities to facilitate, strengthen, and improve less-advantaged communities, empower residents to define and participate in the development process, and interact in larger social, political, and economic systems on behalf of the community. As part of this course, all students complete a local internship. This course can be taken for one or three credits. Students may request to take the course for more units if needed but must receive approval from L&LI.

Internship Course

Italy Semester Program

All students enroll in Cultural Understanding and then may select an additional three or four courses for a total of 12-16 credits.

Courses

This course is an introduction to the history of Western ideas in the ages of Classicism, early Christianity, the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Enlightenment, Romanticism, Modernism, and Postmodernism. Its design provides students with a more enhanced sense of how historical human thought and events shaped modern Western world views and how a Christian worldview appropriates these ideas. These eras are further examined in light of their aesthetics that reflect the thoughts and feelings of the movements, primarily through philosophy, theology, and literature, while secondarily throughout art, architecture, music, and science. Field trips to classic sites in and around Rome, as well as to Athens and Corinth, are an integral feature.
Learn the value of art through experience! Engage with the ancient ruins of Rome, sacred spaces of worship, the cityscape of Florence, and some of the greatest sculptures and paintings of Western civilization. This course provides an interactive approach to understanding and appreciating art. Choose from three tracks: Drawing and Sketching, Watercolor Painting, or general ArtAppreciation. Each track involves subject and style studies, specific art and architectural assignments, exercises in creative and expressive thinking, exploration of the elements and principles of design, and skill development in a biblical worldview of art analysis and critique. Learn on location with daily site-specific encounters using exercises and projects of Ancient Art through Baroque art. A short supply list of necessary art materials will be provided and will then be the responsibility of the student to obtain before the start of the course.
This course will maximize the experience of living in Europe by developing the student’s cultural intelligence to enable them to function effectively with other cultures. Students will be introduced to survival Italian language learning to help in their daily lives in Rome. Students will also have an introduction to the cultural history of Rome by exploring the daily life of ancient Romans in relation to their language, culture, and religion. Students will be introduced to the historical and cultural context of the Roman world as it affected future developments in Western society. As they live in Rome, students will combine classroom sessions with field trips to the modern city of Rome as well as the ancient sites of Rome and Pompeii.
Required Course
History of Christianity is a survey of the development of the Christian Church from the close of the New Testament period to the present time, with special attention to the role of Rome in the development of Christian thought. The course will provide an examination of the church as an institution and as a people. Thus, while context, dates and names establish the background for historical understanding of the institution of the church, ideas will also be discussed from an explicitly evangelical perspective. Students will therefore gain a historical basis for understanding current ideas and trends in the church and in ministry.
This international business course covers topics such as globalization, trade, the impact of politics and culture on international business, the international monetary system, entry strategies, marketing, supply chains, and the importance of understanding religious and ethical issues when conducting international business. The course recognizes the complexity of cross-cultural understanding/venturing and seeks to deepen the understanding of faith in the global business environment.
Ethics is a branch of learning at the intersection between philosophy, theology, sociology, psychology, history, technology, etc. attempting at answering the questions related to the morality of human reasoning and actions, e.g. what is right and wrong in given situations according to the different subjects involved. The course will expound a“perspectival” approach to ethics by way of tackling it in terms of three inter-related perspectives: Normative, Situational, and Existential. Students will be introduced to ethical systems (both ancient, modern, and contemporary ones) which give priority to one or the other, often at the expense of other perspectives and therefore leading to unbalanced ethical systems. Students will have the opportunity not only to detect strengths and pitfalls of non-Christian ethical systems but also to appreciate the richness and viability of the Christian moral framework.
This course will offer a survey of the life and theology of the Apostle Paul as described by the book of Acts, and the 13 bible books attributed to him. Besides the trinity, no other person in history has made such a large contribution to the growth of the church, the structure of the church, and the development and the systematic presentation of God’s redemptive and life-changing plan made possible by the death and resurrection of Christ and the giving of the Holy Spirit. This course will explore the person and character of Paul and the Christian experience that changed not only his life, the lives of millions who have walked with Jesus after him. Our understanding of Paul and his mission will be enriched by exploring the social, political, religious, economic, and geographical background of Paul’s life and writings. Paul will become our model to follow in service, growth, suffering, rejoicing, persevering, and knowing the all-sufficient grace of God in our lives to accomplish the purposes to which God has called us.
This interactive course will explore our relationship with food from a biblical perspective while discovering Italian food culture. From the first page to the last page of the Bible, food is ever-present. It can be considered a key to appreciating the created life, coming to terms with the life broken by sin, and tasting the life redeemed by Christ. In and with food passes culture and the new culture generated by the Gospel. Food creates community, shapes existence and nourishes the celebration of God. Is it possible to do a biblical theology of food? Is it possible to promote a Christian culture of food that extends beyond the dinner table? Yes! And what better place to engage with this theme than in Italy! Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! (Psalm 34:8)
A study of what Christian Spiritual Formation is and how it is actually transformative in nature. The students will be studying what is involved in the process of becoming more like Christ through reading, discussion, and personal times of prayer and reflection. There will be special emphasis given to understanding the importance of one’s identity being in Christ as a basis for all Spiritual endeavor, as well as discovery of the many things that compete for finding one’s identity in them. There will be significant time spent on the problem of the hidden heart and the part sin plays in this journey.