FAQs
About Custom Study Abroad Programs
Questions?
Here are answers to questions most frequently asked about our Custom Programs. If you have a question that's not answered here, we’d love to hear from you. Send us an email or call 1-855-214-9559.
What’s included in a CIEE Custom Program?
Click to OpenEvery program is tailored to suit the needs of your academic goals – so every program is unique. But all programs include on-site orientation, 24/7 emergency support, in-country transportation, accommodations, some meals, classroom space, cultural and theme-related site visits, guest lectures, comprehensive insurance coverage and logistical support from our on-site CIEE staff.
How Do Custom Internship Programs Work?
Click to OpenMany of our custom internship programs are built in 8- or 12-week formats and are centered on a full-time internship placement (approximately 30 hours per week). From there students attend weekly workshops and oftentimes complete online coursework at their home institution. CIEE offers robust placement support throughout the program for both the student and the employer. Interested in part-time internships or service-learning opportunities? No problem!
Is airfare included?
Click to OpenAirfare to and from the United States is not included in your program fee, but flights within your host country and ground transportation are included. Your program fee covers expenses from the time you land at the airport in-country to the time you are dropped off at the airport to fly home.
Are visas provided for students and faculty?
Click to OpenCIEE Custom Programs do not process visas, but we can help students and faculty members obtain invitation letters or other such documentation for countries where visas are needed. We recommend the company Travisa for securing visas.
What is the online predeparture orientation for students?
Click to OpenCIEE’s goal for predeparture orientation is simple – to help students understand more about the program and location and the goals for the program, so they can make the most of their time overseas. During this session, we’ll outline expectations, brief students on safety and health protocols, and answer questions about gear, packing, and more. It’s ideal to hold this orientation within four weeks of departure.
What if I need more academic support?
Click to OpenYou may bring as many faculty members as necessary, or we can provide expert faculty to support you. Generally, programs are led by one or two professors from a college or university, with supplemental classes or lectures taught by CIEE resident staff members.
Our faculty members are ready to share their expertise in a range of fields and are ready to teach language and culture courses to help your students optimize their international experience. All of these components can be customized to suit your needs.
What’s the minimum number of students needed to run a custom program?
Click to OpenWe suggest at least 10 students. In our experience, fewer than 10 can make the program cost-prohibitive because of fixed expenses. We also can accommodate much larger groups.
Who is responsible for teaching classes?
Click to OpenThe vast majority – 90 percent – of our programs are led and taught by an accompanying faculty member from the home institution. Institutions that send students without accompanying faculty are welcome to have our expert CIEE staff members teach courses designed either by the home institution, or CIEE.
Can students receive credit for CIEE Custom Programs?
Click to OpenThis depends on the institution, but typically, yes. If your institution is sending a faculty member to teach the course, then your institution can transfer the credits. If CIEE staff members are teaching the course, we’ll provide a top-quality, rigorous academic and cultural experience for every student, and we’ll collaborate to design one that meets your institution’s requirements for time spent abroad.
What types of housing options are available for students and faculty?
Click to OpenEvery location is different. Depending on the location, we offer hotel, hostel, homestay, furnished apartments and/or dorm accommodations, or a combination of a few different kinds of accommodations based on the goals of your program.
Our ability to provide homestays in many locations sets us apart from other providers. We believe this is a key part of effective cultural immersion, and we’d love to help you make this part of your students’ experience when possible.
Can faculty members travel with their students to more than one location? Can they travel to outside cities that don't have CIEE Study Centers?
Click to OpenFaculty members can travel with their students to several cities, but we can only support programs in cities with CIEE Sites and cities that are part of the itinerary of our semester study abroad programs.
With programs in more than 30 cities, CIEE offers more choices than other provider. So, finding the perfect location is not likely to be a problem. Your program manager will help identify locations and ways we can support you in multiple destinations.
It’s important to consider that the cost of multiple transfers during your program may significantly increase the program fee for students.
Can faculty leaders bring guests, spouses and/or children?
Click to OpenThis depends on your university’s policies for bringing guests on custom programs.
If allowed, guests will be treated as full-paying program participants. If guests are minors (under age 18), CIEE requires that a co-leader accompany the group or an additional adult participant supervises minors. Costs incurred by your guest(s) are typically the faculty leader’s responsibility.
CIEE must be informed of any guests at the time the university submits student participant information.
What if there’s an emergency?
Click to OpenOur No. 1 priority is keeping you and your students safe. With more than 70 years of experience creating safe, reliable, study abroad programs around the world, we have an excellent safety record. Each of our sites is regularly assessed using international risk management standards to make certain our programs can be safely and successfully run. In addition, your program includes the peace of mind of iNext medical insurance, the support of the CIEE staff members who are experts in international safety and security, and 24/7 emergency support in-country.
How is CIEE facilitating safe travel during COVID-19?
Click to OpenView our Covid-19 Guidelines for best practices on mitigating conceivable risks of acquiring and/or transmitting Covid-19.
Is CIEE requiring all participants be vaccinated?
Click to OpenView our Covid Vaccination FAQs for answers to commonly asked vaccine questions.
Contact Us
If you have a question that’s not answered here, we’d love to hear from you. Send us an email or call 1-855-214-9559.