Let’s get you some answers.
You have multiple ways to learn more. You can browse through our FAQ below; ask to start a conversation via email; make an appointment to connect directly with one of us; or register for one of our site-specific information sessions.
ELIGIBILITY
We welcome all English-speaking college students and recent graduates from around the world, including students at four-year universities and community colleges.
Our programs have attracted students from all over the United States as well as Canada, Japan, the UK, Puerto Rico and Trinidad, creating a diverse group of students who learn from one another as well as from their experiences abroad.
Absolutely. We will meet you where you are.
Not at all. Most of our programs include basic language instruction as well as translators.
APPLICATION
You need to submit the application, two faculty references, and pay a $50 non-refundable fee, which will apply toward your final program costs.
We operate on a rolling admissions system, so we accept applications until a program is full. Because our programs are small and have limited capacity, we encourage you to apply as soon as you know you’re interested. To apply you must …
- Submit your application.
- Pay the $50 non-refundable application fee.
- Submit two references.
Once you’re accepted, you must pay a $500 enrollment deposit within to weeks to secure your spot then make all future payments on time.
If your preferred project has reached capacity, we encourage you to join its waitlist or choose one of our other projects. Although you can be on multiple waitlists, once you have accepted enrollment to a project, you will be removed from waitlists for all other projects. Whether you choose to join a waitlist or apply to another project depends on you and your situation. For example, if your first choice is at capacity and your second choice is near capacity, you might choose to forgo the waitlist and guarantee your spot in the other.
You may apply to more than one project ONLY IF you intend to participate in multiple projects over the summer. If you choose to attend multiple projects, understand the following:
- You are responsible to check that the dates of the projects do not overlap.
- The time between projects is not part of an ieiMedia project.
- You are responsible for travel arrangements between the ieiMedia projects.
- You are responsible for the accommodations required for your stay while not attending an ieiMedia project.
For additional questions on attending multiple projects, please talk to your faculty director and/or Admissions.
Yes. Each program has its own waitlist. You may join as many as you like, but once you accept enrollment into one, you will be removed from the other waitlists.
Your application will enter our admissions queue for review when you pay the $50 application fee; applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. Once accepted, you will have 14 days to secure your spot by paying a $500 enrollment fee. Learn more about the waitlists and process.
CLASSES, HOUSING & DAILY LIFE
Housing varies by program and may include hotels, host families, apartments or hostels. Check your program’s page for details about the accommodations, room arrangements and what’s included.
We carefully select housing with safety, location and access to program activities in mind. Because ieiMedia programs are immersive and field-based, there might not be a traditional campus. Although some classes and workshops might take place in classrooms, instruction can also take place in meeting spaces, cafés, at the program lodging, on the street or elsewhere, and students often spend much of their time reporting and exploring the host city. Check the individual program page for details about housing, class locations and transportation.
We’ll ask about dietary restrictions and food allergies before the program begins and take your needs into account when planning housing, group meals and other food-related activities.
Room arrangements vary by program and may include single or shared rooms in hotels, apartments, hostels or homestays. We’ll let you know what to expect for your specific program and, when there are options, ask about your preferences. We’ll do our best to accommodate requests, but cannot guarantee a particular room arrangement.
Bathroom arrangements vary by program and accommodation. You may have a private bathroom or share one with other program participants or a host family. Check the individual program page for details about the bathroom arrangements.
Yes, but typically the expense to provide this accommodation will cost the student significantly more money if single-occupancy was not already in the project plan. You can learn more about the housing plans for each project within it program page.
TRAVEL LOGISTICS
All US citizens must have a valid US passport to fly to any international destination, and some countries require that it must remain valid for at least six months past the end date of your travels. Apply for or renew your passport.
We follow the guidelines and restrictions for international travel set forth by the U.S. Department of State. Please refer to its travel advisories for the destination of the ieiMedia program in which you are enrolled. While the cause of an increased travel advisory level can affect our programs uniquely, our policy is to allow our programs to run at level 1, 2 and 3. Level 3 might cause cancellation of a program, depending on the region affected. Careful consideration is given to determine whether the program should still run. Level 4 will cause a program cancellation.
The U.S. Department of State has a helpful site with travel information available by country. Information includes: vaccination requirements, visa requirements, currency restrictions, passport validity and more, including the following:
- List of U.S. Embassies and Consulates
- Information by Travel Type
- Traveler’s Checklist
- What the Department of State Can and Can’t Do in a Crisis
- Your Health Abroad
- Driving and Road Safety Abroad
- Lodging Safety
ieiMedia has been taking students abroad for over two decades, and our team can help with any of your questions. Contact admissions@ieimedia.com to ask for for assistance.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
We provide all participants with a comprehensive medical insurance plan through iNext that includes counseling services and other mental health resources through the MySSP App.
Your health, safety and wellbeing are important to us. During the planning of our projects, we identify how students and professors will have access to local services for health, safety and security needs, and other services that would be important for our students that are specific to the the location of the project. Prior to departure for any ieiMedia project, the student will be provided a handbook that contains this information and more.
We also ask students to share relevant health or accommodation needs in advance so we can help them prepare for the project. During the project, faculty and staff are available to provide guidance and assistance and to respond in case of an emergency.
Currently, Germany, Japan, England, Italy, France and Norway do not require any additional vaccinations. Because a month-long stay is relatively short and these countries are highly developed with very low risks of exotic diseases, neither the host governments nor the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) mandate specific or rare vaccines for standard travelers from the US.
Additionally, ieiMedia no longer requires a COVID-19 vaccine to participate in programming. We will treat COVID-19 like any other infectious illness and follow appropriate isolation and quarantine standards for that location according to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and local country and city health officials. If a student is experiencing symptomatic disease/illness, they should skip class until those symptoms fully resolve, regardless of local guidelines.
COSTS & FUNDING
Program fees generally include housing, some meals, and group cultural activities and excursions. Depending on the program, the fee may also include local transportation, language instruction, interpreter service or other program-related expenses.
Students are typically responsible for transportation to and from the program location, meals and snacks not provided by the program, personal expenses and optional activities. Because costs and what’s included vary by program, check the individual program page for details about what is—and isn’t—included.
Occasionally, ieiMedia offers program specific travel grants for which you might qualify. If you are a Pell grant recipient or if your parents are in the military, we encourage you to check into the Gilman Scholarships. There you will find information for their deadlines to apply for fall and spring, links to the Gilman Scholarship page and more.
Financial assistance for summer study-abroad programs is limited, but past students have secured external financial aid for our programs. We encourage you to check first with your campus financial aid office as well as your international programs office for information about what funding is available through your school. It’s also good to ask your department chair or dean about scholarships and special funding for study-abroad opportunities. Learn more about financial aid.
ACADEMICS
Because ieiMedia programs are immersive and field-based, our projects are not in a traditional campus setting. Lectures, instruction and workshops might take place in classrooms, meeting spaces, cafés, on the street or at the program lodging, and students often spend much of their time reporting and exploring the host city. Check individual program pages for details.
Yes! Students have the option to earn academic credits of an upper-division journalism elective for our projects. The issuer is University of Jamestown, an accredited school for Communication. They are easily transferable to your university through the National Student Clearinghouse. Transfer credit ultimately depends on a student’s home university. The cost per academic credit is $150. See the FAST FACTS at the top of each project page to see the total available credits that can be earned for that project and the total cost for the credits.
NOTE: Students on a quarter system will be able to transfer credits at no additional fee for ieiMedia courses. Transfer credit ultimately depends on a student’s home university. Please check with your university for procedures to follow when transferring credits to your institution.
Most all students are able to transfer their ieiMedia credits to their home university, but transfer policies vary by institution. We recommend checking with your academic adviser or study abroad office in advance to confirm the credits will count toward your degree and if they align to a core course in your major or can be used as a free elective in your major. Learn more.
No. Taking the program for academic credit is optional. If you choose to earn credit, there is an additional tuition fee not already included in the program fee. Check your program page for credit and tuition information.
Yes! Graduate students can arrange with ieiMedia and their university to take our course as an independent project that would qualify for graduate credit at your school – or to offer this experience as a graduate internship. Talk to the Faculty Director and ieiMedia Admissions to learn how we can help with this arrangement. Send us an email at admissions@ieimedia.com to learn more.
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