Students and Study Abroad Advisors Love Online Courses!
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Last year, CIEE announced a partnership with Arizona State University (ASU) to offer all students on CIEE Study Abroad programs over 3,000 fully accredited ASU online courses, taught by the same faculty who teach the course in-person at ASU, at no additional cost.
Students can enroll in thousands of courses in engineering, computer science, technology, science, business, entrepreneurship, healthcare, education, social sciences, environmental science, ecology, sustainability, and much more during their study abroad programs at all 45 CIEE international locations.
The spring ’25 semester was the first chance for students to take advantage of this bold initiative. Below is feedback from university study abroad advisors and students which is overwhelmingly positive.
Study Abroad Advisors Attend Online Curriculum Workshops at ASU
In January 2025, ASU hosted CIEE and 14 partner institutions for a workshop entitled, Overcoming Curricular Barriers with Online Learning. Attendees learned directly from EdPlus and Dreamscape how students can leverage online courses to study abroad in the location that best meets their academic goals.
The workshop showed advisors how ASU’s 3,000 online courses were developed using gold standard curriculum design techniques. ASU online courses meet the same academic quality standards as all ASU courses whether delivered in-person or online.
“After the workshop, I was happily disappointed with [my initial skepticism] and convinced that integrating online learning into study abroad programs offer significant benefits,” said Levi Brautigan, Associate Director, Office of Education Abroad, Villanova University.
“We often hear that much of student learning during study abroad programs occurs outside the classroom so why not offer an option for the student to free up time during their day to take advantage of their host city and do their learning when it best suits their schedule and learning style,” he said.
More reflections from workshop participants can be found on our website.
Student Feedback on Benefits of Study Abroad Online Courses
In spring ’25, students from 43 different colleges and universities attended CIEE programs in 25 different international locations and enrolled in 91 online classes. Students rated the courses and instructors equal to or better than in-person classes.
The variety of student majors was astounding and demonstrated the power of online courses to enable all students to study abroad in the location best for them and enroll in the courses they need most. A selection of academic majors include:
- Business Majors – Accounting, Business Administration, Business Management, Business Marketing, Finance, International Business, Marketing
- STEM Majors – Biology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Computer and Information Science, Kinesiology, Mechanical Engineering, Neuroscience, Nursing, Physics, Pre-medicine
- Social Sciences and Humanities – Art History, Economics, English Literature, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology
In the video below, University of Pittsburgh Mechanical Engineering student Myles Winegrad explains how important course selection was in his choice to study abroad.
"If I wasn't able to take an engineering elective and a tech elective here [in Florence], I don't think I would have come abroad, to be honest,” he said.
Student course evaluations confirm strong student satisfaction, with 87% of CIEE students taking an ASU course online recommending the course, and 92% finding the content level appropriate.
Students consistently praise the ASU online courses for their clear structure and supportive professors. As one student shared, “This course was incredible! I learned so much and it was so interesting and engaging!”
We extend our sincere appreciation to our university partners who are helping to open doors to study abroad by breaking down the barriers of cost, curriculum, and culture.
In a special way, we extend deep gratitude to ASU for their bold, collaborative leadership in this ground-breaking partnership to expand access to international education.
Together, we are changing lives.