IFSA-Designed Study Abroad Programs
Four Reasons to Choose an IFSA-Designed Study Abroad Program
IFSA gives you two distinct options for study abroad. You can choose an IFSA Partnership program, where we help you become a visiting student at one of many universities we work with in 18 countries. Or you can select an IFSA-Designed program, where you join other IFSA students and take classes at an IFSA Program Center.
Here’s why you should consider an IFSA-Designed program as you start your search.
1 | High-quality international education with high value.
Faculty for IFSA-Designed programs are rigorously recruited local professors and professionals, experienced in their fields. Small class sizes encourage discussion and invite questions. We collaborate with U.S. schools to make sure curriculum aligns with your needs. IFSA-taught classes are also approved by Butler University and meet AACRAO standards, giving you confidence in the credits you earn, along with seamless credit transfer that saves time and hassle.
Save thousands of dollars with a high-quality IFSA-Designed Program.
Like all IFSA study abroad programs, IFSA-Designed programs also include support from our on-site staff, tutoring if needed, curated cultural activities and excursions, and quality housing.
Finally, IFSA-Designed programs are designed to cost less without sacrificing academic rigor or cultural experience. In England, for example, you could save at least 20 percent by choosing IFSA London instead of King’s College London or University of Westminster.
2 | Active learning that takes you beyond the classroom.
Many of the classes you’ll take with an IFSA-Designed program are designed to get you out of the classroom for interactive and hands-on learning. This brings concepts and facts you’ve covered in readings and lectures to life and builds skills you’ll need in the workplace.
Some programs, like IFSA Career Accelerators®, include learning through meaningful, collaborative projects with real companies and organizations. Experiences like these help you build professional skills that stand out to employers and graduate schools.
I worked directly with a tech startup and contributed to a project that mattered outside of school. My understanding of career paths widened, learning about roles and industries I had never considered.
—Brian H., University of Michigan | IFSA Tech Career Accelerator
3 | Unique classes and global learning experiences.
Many IFSA-Designed classes provide unique lenses that advance learning in specialized areas, leveraging distinctive cultural and regional resources you can’t find on your home campus. The core class for IFSA Mérida: One Health, for example, allows students to study several biodiverse ecosystems in a conveniently small geographic area, vividly showcasing the links between animal, human, and environmental health.
Likewise, the Animal Population Health class in the IFSA Buenos Aires: Preveterinary Medicine program takes students inside veterinary schools and practices, ranches, and centers for horse racing and polo, in a nation where livestock is a big deal, economically and culturally. It’s immersion that’s illuminating, and even transformative.
To ensure these programs align with curriculum for a given major, we work closely with leading U.S. universities. This often means students can study abroad without worrying about falling behind and opens doors for students who are traditionally kept on campus by strict academic requirements.
4 | Intercultural agility and global skills that equip you for the future.
Intercultural skills are not an afterthought. Designing our own programs from the ground up allows us to weave cultural skill-building into academics and extracurricular learning. You’re never just a tourist. By considering, reflecting, discussing, and comparing, you gain adaptability, empathy, and critical thinking—skills that will take you far whatever your goals are.
I loved that the [excursions] were geared to the culture and the city. Everything felt intentional.
—S., Duke University | University of Auckland
Studying psychology in an international context challenged me to think beyond my own cultural perspective and better understand how culture, history, and social systems influence human behavior.
—Jasmine C., Oregon State University | IFSA Buenos Aires: Psychology & Neuroscience
IFSA-Designed and IFSA Partnership: See the Difference
| Program Details | IFSA-Designed | IFSA Partnership |
|---|---|---|
| Ideal student | • Students in popular majors • Students who have few study-abroad options, including STEM and quarter-system school students | • Students who want to attend university abroad as a visiting student |
| Classes | • Choose from a selection of IFSA classes, taught at our program centers by local faculty with emphasis on local perspective • Small student-to-faculty ratio • Taught in English | • Choose from classes for visiting students • Class size ranges from large lectures to smaller group tutorials • Taught in English or the local language |
| Extras | • IFSA support and health/safety/wellbeing services • Curated activities and excursions • Quality housing | • IFSA support and health/safety/wellbeing services • Curated activities and excursions • Quality housing |
| Cost | • Designed to be more affordable while upholding quality | • Varies widely; can be up to twice as expensive |
| GPA | 2.0 minimum | Varies |
Find Your IFSA-Designed Program
Connect with an IFSA Enrollment Counselor to learn more.