Students from all members are eligible to apply for ISEP-Direct programs worldwide. Please refer to ISEP-Direct Programs & Costs.
If your university is part of the International-to-International (I-to-I) Exchange network, you are eligible to apply for any other I-to-I Exchange program designated here.
For a complete list of all programs available, see the International-to-International Sites Open for Applications.
Language Choices & Requirements
The guidelines below list the language requirements for all sites. Most of the institutions where the language of instruction is not English offer intensive pre-session language programs or supplemental language courses during the academic year.
Universities in many non-English speaking countries offer some courses to local students taught in English. Institutions in Canada and the United Kingdom, as well as some institutions that offer programs taught in English, require the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or another comparable test of all international applicants who are not native speakers of English. For more options, see the “International Programs in English Flyer”.
ARGENTINA
Academic calendar: March to July; July to November/December
Language of instruction: Spanish
Language proficiency requirements: LPR; good command of Spanish language required (minimum of 4-5 semesters of university-level Spanish). Salvador offers an ISEP-Direct Intensive Spanish Program (PEI) for students at the beginner level who have taken no more than 3 semesters of Spanish.
Chances of placement: Blas Pascal, Palermo, Córdoba, and Salvador: Very Limited chance of placement on ISEP-Exchange. The number of applicants significantly exceeds the number of openings; each institution is asked to nominate only one candidate for one semester for each of these institutions. Students should consider the ISEP-Direct option.
AUSTRALIA
Academic calendar: Observes Southern Hemisphere calendar. Academic year: February/March through November; Semester 1: February/March to June; Semester 2: July through November.
Language of instruction: English
Language proficiency requirement: Applicants who are not native English speakers and who plan to study in English must submit a minimum TOEFL between 550-580 or IELTS of 6-6.5 depending on which institution you apply to. Please see Directory Pages for more specifics.
Chances of placement: Very Limited chance of placement on ISEP- Exchange at various sites in Australia. Excellent chance of placement on ISEP-Direct at all sites. Students should consider the ISEP-Direct option.
AUSTRIA
Academic calendar: Late September/October to late January; late February/March to late June
Language of instruction: German/English
Graz, Linz, and TU Graz offer a substantial number of courses taught in English and will accept students with little or no prior German language knowledge provided students can find enough courses taught in English in their field of study. Students at Graz and TU Graz with no prior German are required to enroll in a pre-exchange intensive German language course.
Language proficiency requirement: LPR; minimum 1 year of German language training. No German necessary if taking classes all in English.
Chances of placement: Graz – Excellent; TU Graz – Good; Linz – Excellent
German Options at a glance for International Students 
BOTSWANA
Academic calendar: Late July to early December; early January to early May
Language of instruction: English
Language proficiency requirement: Non-native speakers of English must submit either an LPR or a minimum TOEFL score of 525.
Chances of placement: ISEP-Exchange – Limited; consider ISEP-Direct (Good) as an alternative. Must apply by September 1, 2010 for SM2 exchange consideration.
BRAZIL
Academic calendar: Early March to mid-July; early August to mid-December
Language of instruction: Portuguese
Language proficiency requirement: LPR; minimum 4 semesters university-level Portuguese language, or advanced-level Spanish. FAAP offers an Extensive Portuguese Language Program (semester-long) for students with little or no Portuguese.
Chances of placement: FAAP: Limited chance of placement on ISEP-Exchange. Excellent chance of placement on ISEP-Direct.
BULGARIA
Academic calendar: August – December and January – May
Language of instruction: English
Language proficiency requirement: Non-native English speakers must submit a TOFEL.
Chances of placement: Excellent chance of placement on ISEP-Direct.
CANADA
Academic calendar: Early September to December; early January to late April
Language of instruction: English and French
Language proficiency requirement: Applicants who are not native English speakers and who plan to study in English must submit a minimum TOEFL of Brock: 580 / 237 CBT Laurentian: 550 / 213 CBT; TRU: 570 / 230 CBT or an IELTS of Brock: 7; Laurentian: 6.5; TRU: 6.5.
Chances of placement: The number of applicants significantly exceeds the number of openings. Each institution is asked to nominate no more than one candidate for Canada. Consider the ISEP-Direct options at Brock, Laurentian, and TRU.
CHILE
Academic calendar: March to July; July to November/December
Language of instruction: Spanish
Language proficiency requirement: LPR; good command of Spanish language required (5 semesters of university-level Spanish for PUC Valparaiso; 4 semesters for UCN).
Chances of placement: Limited chance of placement on ISEP-Exchange at PUC Valparaíso; the number of applicants exceeds the number of openings. Each institution is asked to nominate only one candidate for one semester. Consider the ISEP-Direct option. At Universidad Católica del Norte, chance of placement on ISEP-Exchange is Fair to Good.
CHINA
China - Hong Kong
Academic calendar: Early September to late December; early January to late April
Language of instruction: English
Language proficiency requirement: LPR indicating proficiency in English; Mandarin proficiency not required
Chances of placement: Limited
China - Mainland
Academic calendar: Early September to mid December; mid February to end May
Language of instruction: English
Language proficiency requirement: LPR indicating proficiency in English; Mandarin proficiency not required
Chances of placement: Excellent chance of placement on ISEP-Direct. (ISEP-Exchange at JUFE begins 2011-12.)
CZECH REPUBLIC
Academic calendar: September to December; February to May
Language of instruction: English
Language proficiency requirement: LPR
Chances of placement: Chances of placement on ISEP-Exchange are Good. ISEP-Direct offers Excellent chances of placement.
DENMARK
Academic calendar:Late August to mid to late November; Early February to mid May
Language of instruction: English and Danish
Language proficiency requirement: LPR
Chances of placement: Good chance of placement.
ESTONIA
Academic calendar: September to December with examinations in January; February to May with examinations in June.
Language of instruction: English, Estonian, and Russian
Language proficiency requirement: LPR
Chances of placement: Good chance of ISEP-Exchange placement. Excellent chance of ISEP-Direct placement.
FiJI
Academic calendar: Observes Southern Hemisphere calendar. Academic year: mid-February to mid-November; Semester 1: mid-February to mid-June; Semester 2: mid-July to mid-November
Language of instruction: English
Language proficiency requirement: Students who are non-native English speakers must have an academic IELTS score of at least 6.
Chances of placement: Only offered on ISEP-Direct; chances of placement are Excellent.
FINLAND
Academic calendar: Early September to late December; early January to May
Language of instruction: English and Finnish
Language proficiency requirement: LPR, TOEFL, or IELTS
Chances of placement: Good chance of placement. Please consider University of Jyväskylä, University of Eastern Finland, and Lappeenranta University of Technology.
FRANCE
Academic calendar: Mid-September/mid-October to late January; late January to May/June
Language of instruction: French
Language proficiency requirement: LPR; minimum 5 years French language training for regular university classes. Less training may be required for language and culture programs.
Chances of placement: Limited. At most sites the demand for
placement exceeds the number of places available. Contact program officer
for further information.
French Options at a glance for International Students
GERMANY
Academic calendar: Early October to February; late March to July
Language of instruction: German, English
Language proficiency requirement: LPR; minimum 2-3 years German language training for immersion. Dortmund and Trier can accommodate advanced beginners (minimum of 1-2 semesters of German language) through a combination of additional language support and courses taught in English are available. Students with no prior German may choose courses from Marburg-Direct’s IUSP program.
Chances of placement: Chances of placement in Germany are Excellent.
German Options at a glance for International Students
GHANA
Academic calendar: mid August – mid December; mid January – mid May
Language of instruction: English
Language proficiency requirement: LPR or TOEFL if native language is not English
Chances of placement: Excellent chance of placement on ISEP-Direct. Not currently available for ISEP-Exchange. Final application deadline is October 30, 2010.
HUNGARY
Academic calendar: September - January; February - June
Language of instruction: English, Hungarian
Language proficiency requirement: LPR. Students wishing to study in Hungary do not need any prior knowledge of Hungarian but must provide proof of sufficient English language proficiency.
INDIA
Academic calendar: late July to late November; January to late April
Language of instruction: English
Language proficiency requirement: LPR, TOEFL, or IELTS
Chances of placement: Excellent (ISEP-Direct only)
ITALY
Academic calendar: Mid and late September to mid and late February (joint English and Italian Program at Sacro Cuore ends in December); early and mid February to late June and late July.
Language of instruction: Italian (English and Italian at Sacro Cuore)
Language proficiency requirement: LPR; minimum 4 semesters Italian language at Pavia, Urbino, and Trieste. Joint English and Italian Language Program at Sacro Cuore for beginners and low intermediate.
Chances of placement: Very Limited chance of placement on ISEP-Exchange at Sacro Cuore. Chances of placement on ISEP-Direct at Sacro Cuore, Pavia, and Urbino are Excellent.
JAPAN
Chukyo and Nihon-Mishima follow Japanese academic calendar (same as Southern Hemisphere sites) April -December. Both sites offer full-year (FY) or semester (SM) placements. Chukyo requires April start. Nihon-Mishima recommends April start for FY applicants.
Toyo (FY Direct only) runs September-July.
APU (FY or SM) SM1 = September-January, SM2 = April-July.
Kansai Gaidai and Nanzan University only offer semester placements and follow US academic calendar: SM1 = September-December, SM2 = January-May.
Language of instruction: Japanese and English
Language proficiency requirement: LPR, TOEFL, or IELTS required for non-native English speakers. Japanese language proficiency varies per institution.
Chances of placement: Toyo (Direct only), Nihon-Mishima, and Chukyo = Excellent chance of placement; Nanzan = Limited chance of placement; APU = Very Limited chance of placement; Kansai Gaidai - Closed for applications.
KOREA
Academic calendar: Late August to December; late January/early February to June; Yonsei hosts a summer program from late June to early August and Ajou hosts a summer program from late June to mid August.
Language of instruction: English and Korean
Language proficiency requirement: LPR, TOEFL, or IELTS required for non-US students showing proficiency in English. (Korean proficiency not required)
Chances of placement: Chance of placement is Good at Korea University and Yonsei University and Excellent at Ajou University, Ewha Womans University, and Keimyung University.
MEXICO
Academic calendar: Late July/August to December; mid/late January to late May/June
Language of instruction: Spanish and some English at ITESO, ITESM, UDEM, and Regiomontana (non-native English speakers may be required to demonstrate English language proficiency).
Language proficiency requirement:
UDEM, ITESO, and ITESM (0+ semesters)
Regiomontana: 2+ semesters of college-level Spanish (or the equivalent)
UPAEP and Guanajuato: 4+ semesters of college-level Spanish (or the equivalent)
La Salle: 5+ semesters of college-level Spanish
(or the equivalent)
Chances of placementon on ISEP-Exchange:
ITESM, UDEM, UPAEP, La Salle, and Regiomontana: Excellent
ITESO: Good
Guanajuato: Limited
NETHERLANDS
Academic calendar: Early September to December/January; early/late January to (late) June
Language of instruction: English and Dutch
Language proficiency requirement: LPR, TOEFL, or IELTS
Chances of placement: Very Limited chance of placement on ISEP-Exchange at Leiden and UvA; Excellent chance of placement on ISEP-Direct at UvA and Leiden.
NEW ZEALAND
Academic calendar: Observes Southern Hemisphere calendar. Academic year: mid-February to mid-November; Semester 1: mid-February to mid-June; Semester 2: mid-July to mid-November.
Language of instruction: English
Language proficiency requirement: Students who are non-native English speakers must have an academic IELTS score of at least 6 or a minimum TOEFL of 550 (213 CBT).
Chances of placement: Only offered on ISEP-Direct; chances of placement are Excellent.
NICARAGUA
Academic calendar: Late February to July; early August to December
Language of instruction: Spanish, some English (Business Adminstration and International Development)
Language proficiency requirement: LPR; a minimum of 4+ semesters of college-level Spanish (or the equivalent). Note: non-native English speakers may be required to demonstrate English language proficiency to enroll in English language courses.
Chances of placement on ISEP-Exchange: Good
POLAND
Academic calendar: September-February
Language of instruction: English, Polish
Language proficiency requirement: TOEFL score 550 or IELTS score 6.
Students who graduated from an English language speaking high school or higher education institution are not required to submit any additional documents to verify their English language proficiency.
Chances of placement: Chances of placement onISEP-Exchange are good.
SOUTH AFRICA
Academic calendar: Observes the Southern Hemisphere Calendar. Late January to late June; mid-July to mid-December
Language of instruction: English, Afrikaans
Language proficiency requirement: LPR or TOEFL if native language is not English
Chances of placement: Exchange = Closed for 2010-11; ISEP-Direct = Excellent.
SPAIN
Academic calendar: September/October to February; February to late June/early July
Language of instruction: Spanish (some sites also offer courses taught in regional languages)
Language proficiency requirement: LPR: for non-native speakers, a minimum of 6+ semesters of university-level Spanish (or the equivalent) must be completed before departure for exchange. Native Portuguese speakers must complete 2+ semesters of university-level Spanish (or the equivalent) before departure for exchange.
Chances of placement: Chance of placement on ISEP-Exchange is Good at Navarra and Compostela and Limited at Almería, Málaga, and Balearic Islands. Chance of placement at Murcia on ISEP-Direct: Language & Culture Program is Excellent. Chance of placement at Murcia on ISEP-Direct: Regular Courses is Limited. Chance of placement at Navarra on ISEP-Direct: Bridge Program is Excellent.
SWEDEN
Academic calendar: Mid-August to December/mid-January; mid-January to late May/early June
Language of instruction: English and Swedish
Language proficiency requirement: LPR or TOEFL
Chances of placement: Very Limited
SWITZERLAND
Academic calendar: SM1: September- December/mid-January ; SM2: February- June
Language of instruction: French and German
Language proficiency requirement: LPR; minimum 2-3 years French or German language training
Chances of placement: Limited. At most sites the demand for placement exceeds the number of places available. Contact program officer for further information.
French Options at a glance for International Students
German Options at a glance for International Students
THAILAND
Academic calendar: August to December; January to May
Language of instruction: English
Language proficiency requirement: LPR, TOEFL, or IELTS
Chances of placement: Excellent (ISEP-Direct only)
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Academic Calendar: Early September to mid-January; February to June. This schedule is subject to change based on Ramadan.
Language of Instruction: English
Language proficiency requirement: TOFEL
Chances of placement: Limited
UNITED KINGDOM
Academic calendar: Late September to December/January; February to early/mid-June
Language of instruction: English
Language proficiency requirement: LPR, TOEFL, (500-600 depending on what university you are applying to), or IELTS (6-6.5 depending on what university you are applying to). Please see Directory Pages for more specifics.
Chances of placement: Limited to Fair chance of placement on ISEP- Exchange at various sites in the UK. Excellent chance of placement on ISEP-Direct at all sites.
URUGUAY
Academic calendar: Early March to July; late July to November
Language of instruction: Spanish
Language proficiency requirement: LPR; minimum 5 semesters Spanish language training.
Chances of placement: Very Limited chance of placement at UC Uruguay on ISEP-Exchange. Each institution is asked to nominate only one candidate for one semester. Students should consider the ISEP-Direct option.