For a brief overview of the Custom Programs
division, take a look at what we do!

 

our purpose + goals

ISA Custom Programs administers faculty-led and partnership programs in many academic fields. Our staff will work with you to design a program that complements your academic objectives and facilitates a culturally engaging experience for students. We help you handle all pre-departure and on-site arrangements, enabling you to focus on teaching.

The goal of ISA Custom Programs is to design, implement, and support study abroad programs based on your university’s curricular objectives. CP offers programs during:

Spring Break // Maymester // Summer // Semester // J-Term // Academic year

By utilizing ISA’s existing infrastructure, U.S. universities have the flexibility to expand their program offerings while maintaining full oversight of curriculum.

history

For twenty-five years, International Studies Abroad [ISA] has helped students explore and learn about their world. ISA currently offers study abroad programs in 40+ cities across 22 countries: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, England, France, India, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Morocco, Northern Ireland, Panama, Peru, South Africa, South Korea, and Spain.

ISA's mission is to provide high quality education abroad opportunities to American and Canadian college students at an affordable price. We recognize that we play an important role in the worldwide effort of international educators to increase individuals' awareness of cultures and societies outside of their own national boundaries. Our programs are designed to maximize our participants' learning abroad, and we strive to provide all of our students with support and expert guidance before, during and after their time abroad.

ISA is a Global Partner of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, and supports NAFSA's efforts to advance international education and exchange. ISA is a member of the Forum on Education Abroad, and has been recognized and certified by the Quality Improvement Program [QUIP] .

In 1998 ISA administered our first custom program. Since then, a full-time staff of three in ISA Custom Programs has grown to seven and we have collaborated with more than 65 U.S. universities to successfully develop and administer more than 200 faculty-led programs.

 

focus on academics

The ISA Academic Affairs department maintains and enforces rigorous academic standards for all ISA programs. Our experienced staff members oversee curriculum oversight, and their firsthand experience in academia is bolstered by two staff members who hold doctoral degrees, and a third doctoral candidate. ISA Academic Affairs works closely with faculty and study abroad staff at U.S. universities as well as with faculty from our host institutions abroad. ISA is proud of a strong academic record internationally, partnering only with accredited universities abroad.

The Academic Guide

The ISA Academic Guide is a resource made exclusively for university faculty and study abroad advisors that provides in-depth academic information about ISA programs. The guide contains information on each city in which ISA maintains a program, including details about ISA's international partner institutions and academic accreditation, as well as information on language placement exams, an overview of the processing of transcripts and examples of intercultural activities available to students at each program site.

The Guide also provides sample documents for each ISA program, such as pre-registration forms for enrollment in host university courses, host university transcripts, and ISA transcript cover letters.

Getting access to the guide

To obtain a username and password for access to the Academic Guide, please email academicguide@studiesabroad.com, including your name and the email address where you would like account information sent.