Study abroad organization
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Study abroad organizations, also referred to as study abroad providers, are organizations that facilitate or administer study abroad programs. Such programs are often designed for undergraduate university students seeking to pursue educational opportunities in a foreign country, though there may be some options for postgraduate, high school, or continuing education students as well. Commonly, these organizations work in partnership with accredited institutions of higher education. They typically oversee the enrollment of their students in classes abroad and award academic credit transferable to students' higher education institutions in their home country.
Many study abroad organizations focus on a particular academic field or a specific region of the world. AustraLean, for example, is an organization that exclusively manages academic programs in Australia and the Oceania region.[1] Likewise, The Center for Cross-Cultural Study administers university-level programs specifically in Spanish-speaking locations and virtually all of its available courses are taught in Spanish. [2]
In some instances, study abroad organizations administer their own classes in a foreign location for the students enrolled in their academic programs. Others may assist students with course selection and direct enrollment at a foreign university. Often, organizations offer the option for students to enroll in a combination of courses at independent academic centers and local universities in a location overseas. In all situations, these organizations usually provide additional services such as health insurance, cultural travel excursions, housing, and some meals.
Some examples of study abroad organizations include the following:
- AustraLearn, administers university enrollment programs in Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific region [3]
- The Center for Cross-Cultural Study (CC-CS), administers independent academic programs in Seville, Spain and university enrollment programs in Alicante, Spain and Córdoba, Argentina [4]
- Institute for Shipboard Education, manages the multi-country Semester at Sea program [5]
- The School for Field Studies (SFS), oversees field-based environmental research programs in Kenya, Latin America, Australia, and the Caribbean [6]
- Amizade Global Service-Learning Consortium, administers multiple short-term service-learning academic programs in Europe, Africa, and the Americas as well as semester-long programs in Bolivia [7]
