Take Off with IES Abroad
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Your Life Is About to Take Off.
Imagine courses designed to constructively challenge your worldview, field trips that take learning out of the classroom, safe and centrally located housing, and compassionate and knowledgeable staff supporting you along the way. This is what it's like to study abroad with IES Abroad.
For more than 50 years, we have partnered with Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) to educate their students all over the world through study abroad and internships. Eager to take it a step further, we formalized this commitment and launched our Take Off with IES Abroad initiative in 2017, providing dedicated tools, information, and outreach to students like you.
Something unexpected is just around the world. Take off with IES Abroad and explore it!
Study abroad is more than going from here to there. It’s an exhilarating challenge of academic and cultural immersion, plus a whole lot of fun. With programs in dozens of locations around the world and in a wide variety of disciplines, you're sure to find a program that best fits your study abroad goals.
Add global brilliance to your résumé with an internship abroad. Whether you intern abroad full-time or add a part-time internship to your study abroad experience, you'll have the opportunity to work with local professionals and gain meaningful work experience.
Your experience abroad is all about learning and exploring—so that's what we're all about. As a not-for-profit study abroad and internship provider, you are our bottom line. Your success is our success. And in today’s world, that’s a pretty extraordinary thing. Discover more about what sets us apart.
As the Assistant Vice President, Diversity Recruiting & Advising, Gretchen oversees efforts to increase enrollment and enhance the study abroad experience of diverse students. Gretchen is a marketing and PR professional with more than 10 years of experience in international education. An IES Abroad Nagoya alum, Gretchen holds a Bachelor's degree from Spelman College and a Master's degree in International Economics from Johns Hopkins University. An award-winning professional, Gretchen and her team's efforts have increased enrollment of ethnically-diverse students by 112%; and in 2018-19, ethnically-diverse students made up 27% of the IES Abroad student body.
Reach out to Gretchen if you have any questions about the Take Off with IES Abroad initiative, identity-based events, how identity can affect study abroad or internship experiences, opportunities, and more
"I had some people that did not think I would make it to China. But here I am. I proved to myself and others, no matter what the color of your skin is, your background, or financial situation, studying abroad is accessible to all."
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Diversity Resources
Simply put, we provide you with the best diversity abroad resources in the field. Whether that's through our online country-specific resources, specialized articles, multimedia materials, or our personal one-on-one advising, we're here to support and encourage you throughout the study and intern abroad experience.
Scholarships & Aid
IES Abroad offers more than $6 million in scholarships and aid, including the IES Abroad HBCU grant and IES Abroad Gilman Scholarship Support Grant. Explore our diversity scholarships today!
Trans & Non-Binary Traveler Tips
Identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community while studying abroad can present unique challenges and opportunities in exploring a new culture. However, air travel as a transgender or non-binary student should not be one of those challenges. Explore these 12 tips for travleing as a trans* or non-binary student.
Advice for Hair Care Abroad
We realize that while preparing to travel abroad for weeks or months at a time, you may be in a bit of a conundrum over what to do with your hair. Never fear! We've been able to compile some tips for you on what to pack, finding stylists, and tips on the best travel-ready hairstyles!
Student Blogs
Study abroad is going to change your life, but don’t just take our word for it! Student Correspondents are sharing their stories in unedited blogs right here on our site where you can search for a blog connected to your college/university, program of interest, topic, and more.
"Studying abroad has taught me to have an open mind. While abroad, I met people from across the globe, who have different standards, expectations, and morals than I did. Instead of shutting them out, I put our differences aside and tried to build friendships."
