After First Year Abroad
What comes after First Year Abroad? It’s up to you!
CIEE First Year Abroad students can choose from a wide variety of courses, from highly transferable intro-level courses to foundational courses in sciences, humanities, and more.
After your CIEE First Year Abroad program, you can:
Transfer to a First Year Abroad College Partner
CIEE partners with globally minded colleges and universities across the U.S. to help students study abroad first, then continue their academic journey on campus. Our College Partners have already reviewed your First Year Abroad courses to their course catalog, making your transfer process smoother and more straightforward. First Year Abroad College Partners provide you with a guaranteed pathway to college, as long as you meet their academic conditions.
Transfer to any college or university
First Year Abroad is designed to align with U.S. college curricula, maximizing credit transferability and making it easier to continue your studies wherever you choose.
Plus, having international experience as a transfer student can give you an edge in the admissions process. Colleges often value transfer students who have a strong academic record and a clear sense of direction – and studying abroad shows both. You’ve earned college credit while gaining a unique and enriching global experience.
A Guide to CIEE’s College Partners
Our College Partners are accredited higher education institutions that make it easy to transition from your first semester or year abroad back to a U.S. campus. They value the global perspective you bring and have already evaluated First Year Abroad courses to help ensure your credits transfer smoothly.
By transferring to a College Partner, you’ll:
- Know exactly how your FYA core courses abroad will transfer
- Receive extended support from CIEE both abroad and in the U.S.
- Potentially save on college application costs and fees
Returning to college after an incredible experience abroad can feel overwhelming. Our College Partners work closely with us to ease the transition and help you stay on the right academic path.
How it Works
1
Apply to a College Partner
Submit your application through the College Partner’s admission portal by their application deadline. Choose the semester you’d like to start after completing your First Year Abroad program.
2
Submit Required Documents
This may include your high school transcript, letters of recommendation, mid-semester grades, and other materials.
3
Send Your Official Transcript
After completing your First Year Abroad program, request your official transcript from Tulane University for CIEE in-person courses and ASU for online courses to be sent directly to the College Partner.
4
Continue Your College Journey
Begin your studies at your new institution and build on the experiences and credits you earned abroad!
Note: You may complete the College Partner’s college application even before starting your First Year Abroad program. However, you must be a confirmed CIEE First Year Abroad participant before submitting that application.
College Partners
American University of Rome
Rome, Italy | Private | 800 undergraduate students
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ | Public | 142,000 undergraduate students
Belmont University
Nashville, TN | Private | 7,300 undergraduate students
Dean College
Franklin, MA | Private | 1,200 undergraduate students
George Washington University
Washington, DC | Private | 11,500 undergraduate students
Goucher College
Baltimore, MD | Private | 1,000 undergraduate students
University of Illinois Chicago
Chicago, IL | Public | 22,500 undergraduate students
Kentucky Wesleyan College
Owensboro, KY | Private | 800 undergraduate students
Loyola University New Orleans
New Orleans, LA | Private | 3,200 undergraduate students
Molloy University
Rockville Centre, NY | Private | 3,200 undergraduate
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA | Public | 21,500 undergraduate students
Siena College
Loudonville, NY | Private | 3,400 undergraduate
Susquehanna University
Selinsgrove, PA | Private | 2,200 undergraduate students
University of Utah Asia Campus
Incheon, South Korea | Public | 700 undergraduate students
Frequently Asked Questions
CIEE First Year Abroad (FYA) is an opportunity for you to start your college experience in one of 7 global destinations. Taking general education courses abroad, you can earn 12-13 college credits per semester. These credits are provided by Dean College, the academic home institution and school of record for FYA.
Our college partners want you to bring your global mindset to their institution to finish your undergraduate degree!
These institutions have already evaluated our FYA courses for potential credit transfers. This means that before applying, you can already know how your courses completed abroad will transfer to your new institution.
College partners may provide you with an application fee waiver so you can apply to your new institution with no out-of-pocket expense.
Every college or university has its own transfer credit policy. It’s important to become familiar with your prospective transfer institution’s transfer credit policy. This policy is generally listed on the institution’s admissions or registrar website.
College partners have decided how the FYA courses will transfer to their institution already. This means that if you pick the right courses, you can already know that they will transfer to your new institution.
College partners are colleges and universities that have a strong commitment to international and global education. When comparing students applying for college, they value the unique experience that FYA students have in starting their academic journey abroad.
Research shows that students who study abroad have higher GPAs, higher graduation rates, and higher job placement rates than their peers who don’t study abroad.
After your FYA, you can attend any college or university, even if they are not listed as a College Partner.
You would have to research that institution’s process for applying as a transfer student and provide them with your official transcript from Dean College, the academic home institution and school of record for FYA.
First Year Abroad Blogs
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Becoming a CIEE College Partner
Interested in becoming a CIEE First Year Abroad College Partner?
Contact Lisa Chestney Leeke, Director of First Year Abroad Partnerships, at lleeke@ciee.org or sign up for a college partner webinar.