Study Programs

Overview

In addition to the range of "work abroad" programs CollegeCouncil has endeavored also to provide opportunities for high-class "study abroad" not only for the academically minded, but also for people who prefer a more practical approach to the world and are looking for qualifications that can bring them forward in their vocations and professions. All of the following programs are "non-degree" programs of relatively short duration, from English courses starting with 4 weeks to 5 or 6 weeks of Summer Sessions, to 3-12 months of certificate and diploma courses.

Semester programs, year abroad, and full degree programs are currently being researched and will be added during the next few months.

1. Summer Sessions

For students and professionals who want to spend only a short time of 5-6 weeks at a university during the summer (or during our winter in Australia and New Zealand) the "summer sessions" or "summer schools" offer an ideal opportunity. CollegeCouncil has selected 4 of these summer programs at UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC Irvine and at the University of Pennsylvania (known as PENN) in the USA, at the University of Middlesex in London, at Griffith University in Australia, and at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand.

These programs (offered between June and August in the U.S. and Great Britain; and between November and February "Down Under") offer a selected number of for-credit courses from the university´s standard course range at an accelerated pace, i.e. in half the time of a normal semester. Mostly, these are undergraduate courses, but there is frequently also a small selection at the graduate and professional levels. Course work is very intensive as the programs are used by the native students to get ahead in their studies and collect credits at a fast pace, or to recoup time and credits they lost in the previous semester for one reason or another; or to get to know a new field of studies quickly. As the programs are mainly directed at the native students the level of English of international students needs to be around TOEFL 550/IELTS 6.5.

Enrolment for the summer in the northern world starts in December; for "Down Under" in September. The price range for both tuition and accommodation is mostly less than half of what it would be for a full semester. The admission processes are easier and faster. CollegeCouncil takes care of the appropriate study advising, the admissions preparation, the housing arrangements, and the financial transactions.

2. Short-term Study

Many colleges and universities in the anglo-american world offer study programs for their own students as well as for "internationals" that do not lead to a BA or MA degree, but to a "(professional) diploma" or a "certificate" beginning from 3 months to 9 or 12. This is most common in "2-year colleges" called "community colleges", "polytechnics", "institutes of technology", or (in Australia) "Training and Further Education" institutions (TAFE). All of these offer (usually in a price range well below that of universities) a wide range of vocational and practically oriented education programs at the post-secondary level that lead from beginners´ courses right into university-level coursework. Very often upper-level coursework is recognised by and transferable to the junior year at university. CollegeCouncil has selected a number of such colleges in the U.S., Canada, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand which offer virtually everything from Accounting and Agrobusiness through Event-, Sports- or Office Management to Film Production, Media Design, Information Technology or Viticulture and Wine Production. At the university level we have added the highly renowned professional diploma courses at UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UC Irvine in the U.S., as well as similar high quality courses in Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.

CollegeCouncil takes care of the appropriate study advising, the admissions preparation, the housing arrangements, and the financial transactions.

3. English On Campus

Without a solid knowledge of English nearly any career in these times of internationalisation and globalisation, whether academically oriented, vocationally, or professionally, is bound to come to an early stop. English as the modern "lingua franca" is simply essential from employment in the various branches of the service industry and business to all fields of science & technology and research. A second essential element for a successful path through education to a decent career is undoubtedly the experience of having lived, studied and/or worked abroad in total immersion in the foreign language and culture.

Recognising this CollegeCouncil has concentrated on finding partner institutions in the anglo-american world that meet highest standards not only in their language teaching, but also regarding their "pastoral care" and the total immersion of the students in the English language and the national/local culture. Most of these institutions, like e.g. the American Language Institute at UCLA or the Center for English Teaching at the University of Sydney, are universities or other types of public tertiary institutions. In order to provide more flexibility, we have, however, added a small number of private language schools of excellent reputation, like e.g. the International Language School of Canada (ILSC), Magill College in Australia and others.