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CET Academic Programs

Study abroad programs for college and gap students

Custom Study Abroad Programs

Custom Programs

OFFERINGS
WHEN & WHERE
SERVICES
PORTFOLIO
PROCESS
CONTACT
OFFERINGS
WHEN & WHERE
SERVICES
PORTFOLIO
PROCESS
CONTACT

Faculty-Led & So Much More

Looking for a partner in custom and faculty-led programming? While faculty-led programs offer great educational value, they also require tremendous time and energy to organize. Let us help. With our extensive staffing resources and longstanding experience administering programs, you can offer your students an exceptional study abroad experience without overburdening your workload. You provide the vision. We do the legwork.

But why stop there? Together with our parent organization, Academic Travel Abroad, our competencies extend far beyond study abroad. We offer a broad spectrum of services that span on-site and virtual faculty-led programs, first-year and retention-building programs, financial management and compliance, alumni cultivation and event planning, and even high school and gap custom programs. Let us help you meet the challenges of today and fulfill your institution’s strategic priorities surrounding internationalization and global engagement. 

One Partner, Endless Possibilities

What We Offer

Your custom program opportunities with CET span a wide range of program types, services, and internationalization solutions. We work with you to craft a strategy–and programs and services that deliver on it–that meet your unique needs, and we welcome the creative offerings that our partners bring to our own portfolio. Helping you to grow and expand helps us to do the same.

  • Faculty-Led Programs
  • Virtual Custom Programs
  • First-Year Abroad Programs
  • Retention-Building Experiences
  • Global Payment Processing
  • Health & Safety Consulting
  • Alumni Travel & Donor Cultivation
  • Conference & Event Planning
students at arts district in Beijing

The CET Approach

Working internationally comes with its own set of challenges, like observing foreign laws, working with local governments, dealing with global or regional crises, or navigating different cultures and languages. With 40 years of operation and counting, we’ve already done the heavy lifting. We pride ourselves on academic excellence and the highest standards of program management. We are legally registered and compliant in all countries where we run programs. With decades of on-the-ground experience, robust response procedures, and staff that are carefully trained in crisis prevention and management, you can trust us with your global initiatives.

When & Where

students and local drummer in Brazil

Where can CET operate programs?

Between CET’s established presence all over the world and Academic Travel Abroad’s global resources, your custom program could go practically anywhere. Interested in Taiwan? Seeking a focus on Central Europe? We’ve got the resources to make it happen. Looking for some inspiration? CET has established centers and full-time, on-site staff in these locations: 

  • Brazil
  • Greater China
  • Colombia
  • Czech Republic
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Jordan
  • Virtual

When do custom programs happen?

Custom programs might be as short as seven days and as long as a full semester or academic year. CET supports custom programs year-round, though they most often occur at these points in the academic year:

  • Fall/Spring semesters
  • Summer
  • Maymester
  • January term
  • Winter break
  • Spring break

Tailor Your Program

Pick and choose from a long list of services to build a custom program that fits your needs.

With our access to highly-qualified, top-notch practitioners and faculty, we can complement your course with guest lecturers, or take academics entirely off your plate.

Tell us the activity you have in mind, or choose from our long list of past successes, many of which include insider’s entree to special events. We take care of all arrangements, from the booking to the final payment and gratuity. 

We can arrange housing in apartments, dormitories, hotels, homestays, or guesthouses.

We can arrange any number of group meals you’d like, at a formal restaurant or a casual café. We can also arrange meal stipends for participants to find their own favorite local spots.

Let us pick your group up from the airport, take you on excursions, or arrange for group travel from city to city.

Depending on the location, we can either process visas for your group or provide the documentation and information you and your students need to do it on your own.

Our full-time, bilingual staff can handle logistics and manage emergencies, so that you don’t have to.

We can arrange local buddies to join in on activities or language exchange partnerships. And with enough notice, we might even be able to arrange for your students to live with local roommates.

We can arrange group service projects or individual internship placements. And we work with our hosts to make sure that all work done is relevant and sustainable.

We provide pre-departure materials and resources to ensure your group is fully prepared for the program and international living.

We have managed student health and safety for over 40 years and have the resources, plans, and staff in place to weather almost any crisis. 

We enroll all custom program students and faculty leaders in our comprehensive insurance plan, GeoBlue. 

When your group arrives, our staff plan an orientation to help everyone acclimate to the city, culture, and program expectations. At the end of the program, we can also host re-entry workshops to help students prepare for the journey home.

Explore Our Portfolio

How do these services translate into a custom program? Check out just a few of our past programs to see how we translate vision to reality.

Faculty-Led

St. Olaf Global Semester

Read More

First-Year Abroad

Brandeis Midyear
in Florence

Read More

Maymester

Smith College Global FLEX
in Brazil

Read More

High School Programs

Indiana University Honors Program in Foreign Languages (IUHPFL)

Read More

Plan Your Program

1

Let's Get Started

Set up an initial call with our Custom Programs Team to discuss your vision for the program and how we can collaborate to make it a reality. Ideally, this initial consultation would occur at least 9 to 12 months before the program departs, but get in touch! We might be able to work with you on a shorter timeline.

2

Crafting a Proposal

After your initial consult, we will work to create a proposal for your program bringing together  your ideas and our resources. Keeping your ideal budget in mind, we will recommend housing options, site visits, supplementary lectures, activities, and local transportation. You’ll have a chance to review this draft and work with us to get it just right.

3

Bringing It All to Life

While you’re working to recruit students to the program, we’ll be working to plan, finalize, and confirm all of the arrangements agreed upon in the proposal. Your Program Manager will keep you up-to-date on how arrangements are coming together and will check in with you periodically to ensure you have the support you need. When the time comes, we’ll be sure you have access to the necessary pre-departure materials so that your students are fully prepared as the program approaches.

4

The Main Event

We’ll connect you with your assigned on-site staff member just before you depart, so that when you arrive, you are ready to hit the ground running. Your on-site staff assist with on-site orientation, manage logistics throughout the program, and may even lead a re-entry workshop to help your students prepare for their return home.

5

Wrap Up, Reflect, & Repeat

After your return, we’ll schedule a call with you to reflect on the program. We want to receive your feedback on how we did this year and how we can better support you and your students in the future. Ready to start the process over again? Give us a call! We love working with the same programs year-to-year.

Although I mostly sketched out the itinerary in terms of site visits when I put this course concept together more than three years ago, I simply could not have undertaken the course without the help of everyone at CET. This has been an excellent experience, at every stage.
- Jason Kirk, Associate Professor of Political Science and Policy Studies, Elon University

Contact Us

Ready to take the first step? Fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch to set up an initial call.

Questions? Get in touch!

Lauren Kardos

Lauren Kardos

Custom Programs Senior Manager
[email protected]
202.349.7334

Brian Wiehr

Brian Wiehr

Custom Programs Manager
202.349.0687
[email protected]

Meet with Brian

St. Olaf Global Semester

A five-week, Amman-based program that covers the Jordan portion of St. Olaf’s Global Semester in the spring.

CET-Provided Support Services

  • Classroom space for a St. Olaf faculty-taught core course
  • CET-facilitated Culture, Politics, and Religion in Arab Theater course
  • Co-curricular site visits for both courses
  • Housing for students and faculty
  • Regional travel: four-day trip to Petra & Wadi Rum, day trip to the Dead Sea
  • Cultural activities with local Jordanian buddies throughout Amman

Brandeis MidYear in Florence

A fall semester program integrated with CET Florence—giving Brandeis Midyear students the opportunity to earn Brandeis credits, fulfill core requirements, and gain real-world experience before starting on campus in the spring semester. 

CET-Provided Support Services

  • CET Italian language courses
  • First-Year Writing Seminar, a custom course for Brandeis students
  • 3 CET elective courses
  • Housing in apartments close to the CET Center
  • Inclusion on CET Florence activities and excursions, like the weekend trip to Rome
  • Custom pre-departure webinar for Brandeis Midyear students

Smith College Global FLEX in Brazil

A two-week faculty-led program in May with site visits in São Paulo and Brumadinho. Part of Smith’s Global FLEX initiative, the program explores artistic and cultural spaces, including connection with local experts for guest lectures and guided tours.

CET-Provided Support Services

  • Logistical support throughout Smith's faculty-led program, “Contemporary Art Parks and Cultural Centers in Brazil”
  • Housing and group meals for students and faculty
  • Co-curricular activities including guided tours, guest lectures, and site visits to museums and cultural centers
  • Group transportation, including regional travel and domestic flights within Brazil
  • Risk management and emergency assistance, including full-time CET staff members to provide 24/7 support for the group

INDIANA UNIVERSITY HONORS PROGRAM IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES (IUHPFL)

Semi-annual summer intensive language programs for high school students with locations in Osaka, Japan, and Hangzhou, China.

CET-Provided Support Services

  • Homestays with local host families
  • Activities and clubs with local schools and students
  • 24/7 emergency support for IUHPFL instructors
  • Regional travel: weekly day trips to nearby towns and cultural sites
  • Group events (i.e., welcome and farewell dinners, July 4th celebration, etc.)

Learn More about our Programs!