• USFQ_uPage

    Universidad San Francisco de Quito
    Quito, Ecuador

    Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) is a private liberal arts university located in Quito, Ecuador. In addition to the main campus located in Cumbayá, USFQ has a satellite campus and research station in the Galápagos Islands and a biological field station “Tiputini Biodiversity Station” in the Amazon basin.

    We believe in freedom as a fundamental human characteristic, and in training students to become well-rounded “world citizens”, leaders and entrepreneurs. As a research-centric university, USFQ has the highest number of PhDs in the country; a strength we leverage across all subjects.

    USFQ is truly an International University and is a leader in the region. Ranked #1 University in Ecuador and #51 in Latin America (2018 QS University Rankings). We currently have over 9,000 students enrolled of which 1,000 are international students. We have over 100 Bilateral Partnerships for Research and Exchange, as well participate as members of prestigious International Networks, for example Berklee School of Music, Paul Bocuse, Global Liberal Arts Alliance, Hemispheric University Consortium and now, The Association for the Pacific Rim. Our faculty members represent 30 countries and 5 continents. We have both ABBET and AMBA accreditation.

    Click here for university website.

    VSE Season 1, 2025-26

    Courses offered by Universidad San Francisco de Quito


    Application Deadline

    Students must submit an application to the VSE Central Office before:
    Jul 21, 2025 12:00 noon Hong Kong Time (UTC+8)



    Academic Requirements

    Before applying, please make sure you have fulfilled the course offering university's academic requirements listed below:

    1. GPA 2.5 or above

    For more details, please contact the VSE coordinator at Universidad San Francisco de Quito.



    English Language Proficiency Requirements

    Before applying, please make sure you have fulfilled the course offering university's English language proficiency requirements listed below:

    A minimum of four semesters of college-level Spanish and/or English is recommended if the Language of Instruction is not Spanish or English in home universities.

    For more details, please contact the VSE coordinator at Universidad San Francisco de Quito.


    Course Information

    Course information posted on this page are provided by the course offering university and may be changed or updated anytime without prior notice.

    Click on the course titles to reveal full course details:

    Number of Credits3
    Offering DepartmentCollege of Communication and Contemporary Arts
    Course TeacherScheidegger Amy Lynne
    Language of InstructionEnglish
    First Day of ClassOct 20, 2025
    Last Day of ClassDec 14, 2025
    Course ComponentTutorial
    Mode of TeachingAsynchronous
    Meeting TimeMon-Fri
    Time ZoneUTC−05
    Course Description This course aims to familiarize students with the basic tools of drawing, allowing them to develop the fundamental skills of perception through linear, volumetric and geometric figures that facilitate the understanding of specific studies and exercises, for instance still life and landscape.
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    Este curso tiene como finalidad familiarizar al estudiante con las herramientas básicas del dibujo y desarrollar las habilidades fundamentales de percepción a través de ejercicios lineales y volumétricos, en base a ejercicios concretos, por ejemplo, el bodegón y el paisaje.
    Course Outlinehttps://estudusfqedu-my.sharepoint.com/personal/vcastelo_usfq_edu_ec/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx?ga=1&id=%2Fpersonal%2Fvcastelo%5Fusfq%5Fedu%5Fec%2FDocuments%2FDocuments%2FAPRU%2FAPRU%20FALL%202025%2FART1101E%20DRAWING%201%20Amy%20Scheidegger%20202410%2EPDF&parent=%2Fpersonal%2Fvcastelo%5Fusfq%5Fedu%5Fec%2FDocuments%2FDocuments%2FAPRU%2FAPRU%20FALL%202025
    Course Prerequisites/RestrictionsRecommended minimum of four semesters of college-level English
    Points to Note for StudentsStudents will use D2L to follow the class: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:3783ed11-d905-4dc4-b929-51257ea7c495?viewer%21megaVerb=group-discover
    Fees to be Borne by StudentsN/A
    Number of Credits3
    Offering DepartmentCollege of Social Sciences and Humanities
    Course TeacherEnrique Wong
    Language of InstructionEnglish
    First Day of ClassAug 18, 2025
    Last Day of ClassOct 12, 2025
    Course ComponentTutorial
    Mode of TeachingAsynchronous
    Meeting TimeMon-Fri
    Time ZoneUTC−05
    Course Description Although The Catcher in the Rye is probably the best known of J.D. Salinger’s works, he is also famous for other pieces of short fiction that somehow shed some light on the life of this secretive and elusive author. Franny and Zooey, and Nine Stories bring to life magnificent characters that together with Holden Caulfield form the moral universe of this evanescent author. Through the analysis of selected works, J.D. Salinger: Life and Fiction will establish a parallel between fiction characters and the real life of one of the most intriguing and influential literary legends in 20th century American Literature.
    Course Outlinehttps://estudusfqedu-my.sharepoint.com/personal/vcastelo_usfq_edu_ec/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx?ga=1&id=%2Fpersonal%2Fvcastelo%5Fusfq%5Fedu%5Fec%2FDocuments%2FDocuments%2FAPRU%2FAPRU%20FALL%202025%2FLIT3085E%20J%2ED%2E%20SALINGER%20LIFE%20%26%20FICTION%20Enrique%20Wong%20202410%2EPDF&parent=%2Fpersonal%2Fvcastelo%5Fusfq%5Fedu%5Fec%2FDocuments%2FDocuments%2FAPRU%2FAPRU%20FALL%202025
    Course Prerequisites/RestrictionsRecommended minimum of four semesters of college-level English
    Points to Note for StudentsStudents will use D2L to follow the class: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:3783ed11-d905-4dc4-b929-51257ea7c495?viewer%21megaVerb=group-discover
    Fees to be Borne by StudentsN/A
    Number of Credits3
    Offering DepartmentCollege of Social Sciences and Humanities
    Course TeacherEnrique Wong
    Language of InstructionEnglish
    First Day of ClassOct 20, 2025
    Last Day of ClassDec 14, 2025
    Course ComponentTutorial
    Mode of TeachingAsynchronous
    Meeting TimeMon-Fri
    Time ZoneUTC−05
    Course Description Although William Faulkner is known for the complexity of his novels about the human condition, his short stories also stand out for their psychological depth, innovative use of language, and portrayal of the American South. Through reading, writing, and discussion, this course will explore how Faulkner, through his short stories set in the fictional county of Yoknapatawpha, helps us understand a regional culture that transcends the geographical framework of his native South.
    Course Outlinehttps://estudusfqedu-my.sharepoint.com/personal/vcastelo_usfq_edu_ec/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx?ga=1&id=%2Fpersonal%2Fvcastelo%5Fusfq%5Fedu%5Fec%2FDocuments%2FDocuments%2FAPRU%2FAPRU%20FALL%202025%2FLIT3093E%20FAULKNER%20IN%20HIS%20STORIES%20Enrique%20Wong%20202520%2Epdf&parent=%2Fpersonal%2Fvcastelo%5Fusfq%5Fedu%5Fec%2FDocuments%2FDocuments%2FAPRU%2FAPRU%20FALL%202025
    Course Prerequisites/RestrictionsRecommended minimum of four semesters of college-level English
    Points to Note for StudentsStudents will use D2L to follow the class: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:3783ed11-d905-4dc4-b929-51257ea7c495?viewer%21megaVerb=group-discover
    Fees to be Borne by StudentsN/A
    Number of Credits3
    Offering DepartmentCollege of Social Sciences and Humanities
    Course TeacherAlexandra Astudillo
    Language of InstructionSpanish
    First Day of ClassAug 18, 2025
    Last Day of ClassOct 12, 2025
    Course ComponentTutorial
    Mode of TeachingAsynchronous
    Meeting TimeMon-Fri
    Time ZoneUTC−05
    Course Description El curso del Siglo de Oro es la propuesta de un viaje a través de dos períodos de la literatura española: el Renacimiento y el Barroco. Abarca casi dos siglos de la historia española de 1500 a 1680, periodo en el que a través de tres lenguajes estéticos: la narrativa, la poesía y el teatro podremos descubrir las maneras en que la sensibilidad humana dialoga con los contextos político, económico, cultural y estético. A principios del siglo XVI la literatura española demuestra un reconocimiento del poder creciente de España y de las estrategias de la monarquía para lograr el estatus de imperio. Los textos que participan en el proyecto de crear una literatura castellana nacional intentan influir y validar las realidades políticas y religiosas de su tiempo. Al mismo tiempo expresan ansiedad sobre la heterogeneidad que se encuentran dentro de las fronteras movedizas de España. La identidad nacional y la autoridad de las jerarquías de poder parecen depender de un centro puro: definiciones de feminidad y masculinidad esenciales, una doctrina de fe universal, la “limpieza de sangre” y del cuerpo de la nación y la lógica de un sistema social fundado en la sangre y en el linaje. Sin embargo, a lo largo del siglo XVI y la primera mitad del siglo XVII la pureza nacional se presenta como un ideal imposible, desafiada por una multiplicidad de voces periféricas posibilitadas y diseminadas por la escritura y la tecnología de la imprenta. En este curso estudiaremos algunos ejemplos de la narrativa, poesía y teatro del Renacimiento y del Barroco que permiten apreciar desde la literatura las variadas maneras en que los artistas tratan de responder a la pregunta sobre qué es ser español en el nuevo contexto nacional y mundial. Mediante estos textos exploraremos cómo varias formas de escritura crean y cuestionan definiciones de identidades individuales y nacionales en una época en que se colonizó América.
    Course Outlinehttps://estudusfqedu-my.sharepoint.com/personal/vcastelo_usfq_edu_ec/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx?ga=1&id=%2Fpersonal%2Fvcastelo%5Fusfq%5Fedu%5Fec%2FDocuments%2FDocuments%2FAPRU%2FAPRU%20FALL%202025%2FLIT3504%20SIGLO%20DE%20ORO%20ESPA%C3%91OL%20A%2E%20Astudillo%20202410%2EPDF&parent=%2Fpersonal%2Fvcastelo%5Fusfq%5Fedu%5Fec%2FDocuments%2FDocuments%2FAPRU%2FAPRU%20FALL%202025
    Course Prerequisites/RestrictionsRecommended minimum of four semesters of college-level Spanish
    Points to Note for StudentsStudents will use D2L to follow the class: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:3783ed11-d905-4dc4-b929-51257ea7c495?viewer%21megaVerb=group-discover
    Fees to be Borne by StudentsN/A
    Number of Credits3
    Offering DepartmentCollege of Music
    Course TeacherBianchini Gianni
    Language of InstructionEnglish
    First Day of ClassAug 18, 2025
    Last Day of ClassDec 18, 2025
    Course ComponentLecture
    Mode of TeachingSynchronous
    Meeting TimeTue & Thu 1000-1120
    Time ZoneUTC−05
    Course Description The Evolution of Jazz is a course which consists mainly of lectures by the teacher and audio recordings of jazz pieces that showcase the genre's different stages throughout history. This course is compulsory for students of contemporary music performance, and it is optional for students of other majors.
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    La Evolución del Jazz es una clase en Inglés, que consiste principalmente en conferencias a cargo del profesor y audios de las grabaciones de jazz acerca de todo el proceso histórico de este género musical. Este curso es obligatorio para los estudiantes de ejecución de música contemporánea y es opcional para los estudiantes de otras carreras.
    Course Outlinehttps://estudusfqedu-my.sharepoint.com/personal/vcastelo_usfq_edu_ec/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx?ga=1&id=%2Fpersonal%2Fvcastelo%5Fusfq%5Fedu%5Fec%2FDocuments%2FDocuments%2FAPRU%2FAPRU%20FALL%202025%2FMUS4100E%20Evolution%20of%20Jazz%20G%2E%20Bianchini%20202320%2EPDF&parent=%2Fpersonal%2Fvcastelo%5Fusfq%5Fedu%5Fec%2FDocuments%2FDocuments%2FAPRU%2FAPRU%20FALL%202025
    Course Prerequisites/RestrictionsRecommended minimum of four semesters of college-level English
    Points to Note for StudentsStudents will use D2L to follow the class: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:3783ed11-d905-4dc4-b929-51257ea7c495?viewer%21megaVerb=group-discover
    Fees to be Borne by StudentsN/A
    Number of Credits3
    Offering DepartmentCollege of Social Sciences and Humanities
    Course TeacherCecilia Conde
    Language of InstructionEnglish
    First Day of ClassAug 18, 2025
    Last Day of ClassOct 12, 2025
    Course ComponentTutorial
    Mode of TeachingAsynchronous
    Meeting TimeMon-Fri
    Time ZoneUTC−05
    Course Description In this course, that is open to undergraduates of all majors, the following topics are explored at an introductory level: (a) the nature, implications, and consequences of human conflict; (b) the main current theories regarding its causes; (c) so-called ‘strategies’, that are the ways in which we humans address conflict (avoidance, confrotation, yielding, management and/or resolution); (d) escalation of conflct; (e) the tendency for escalation to become irreversible; (f) the main processes for de-escalation, management and resolution, including pre-negotiation and direct negotiation between or among the parties; (g) reconciliation between or among parties that were previously in conflict; and (h) various forms of impartial third-party intervention.
    **********
    En este curso, que está dirigido a estudiantes de pregrado de todas las carreras,  se exploran, a nivel de introducción: (a) la naturaleza, las implicaciones y las consecuencias del conflicto humano; (b) las principales teorías vigentes sobre sus causas; (c) las denominadas ‘estrategias’, que son las maneras en que los humanos encaramos el conflicto (evitamiento, confrontación, cesión, manejo y/o resolución); (d) los procesos de escalamiento del conflicto; (e) la tendencia del escalamiento a volverse irreversible; (f) los principales procesos de des-escalamiento manejo y/o resolución, incluidas la prenegociación y la negociación directa entre las partes; (g) la reconciliación entre personas o grupos que estuvieron previamente en conflicto, y (h) diversas formas de intervención por terceras partes imparciales.
    Course Outlinehttps://estudusfqedu-my.sharepoint.com/personal/vcastelo_usfq_edu_ec/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx?ga=1&id=%2Fpersonal%2Fvcastelo%5Fusfq%5Fedu%5Fec%2FDocuments%2FDocuments%2FAPRU%2FAPRU%20FALL%202025%2FPSI2000E%20Conflict%20and%20Its%20Resolution%20Cecilia%20Conde%20202410%2EPDF&parent=%2Fpersonal%2Fvcastelo%5Fusfq%5Fedu%5Fec%2FDocuments%2FDocuments%2FAPRU%2FAPRU%20FALL%202025
    Course Prerequisites/RestrictionsRecommended minimum of four semesters of college-level English
    Points to Note for StudentsStudents will use D2L to follow the class: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:3783ed11-d905-4dc4-b929-51257ea7c495?viewer%21megaVerb=group-discover
    Fees to be Borne by StudentsN/A


    Before Making an Application

    Make sure you have thoroughly read the information on this page and the Season page before making an application. If you have a question, email us at [email protected] or contact the VSE Coordinators at your home university or course offering university.