EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT 70 JUNE 2025 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL National applications in many countries are straightforward, and the costs are clearly stated. Both programs are designed to take advantage of the changing locations, connecting students with local internships, on-site research, and immersive language lessons. At either of these—as at Hult International, Franklin University Switzerland, or Schiller, three other internationally mobile universities—the final degree is accredited in the U.S. 3. “I want deep immersion in another culture, but also want a degree that’s accepted in the U.S.” Earning a degree easily recognized in the United States does not require enrollment at an American-style university. At the time of writing, 66 universities outside the U.S. offer degrees in English (or in host-country languages) that are accredited by one of the six Council for Higher Education Accreditation–recognized accrediting bodies in the U.S. This accreditation can happen at the institutional level, much in the way your international school is accredited in the U.S.; a university may also offer degrees that are accredited for specific circumstances. Courses from international institutions fully accredited in the U.S. should transfer as easily as courses within the U.S. transfer to other institutions. When applying for graduate programs, these degrees should be considered as equivalent to degrees from similarly accredited U.S. institutions. The University of the South Pacific, for example, with a main campus in Suva, Fiji, is accredited by WASC, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the same body that accredits schools in California, Hawaii, and many other western states. Why just go to the South Pacific for a short-term visit as part of your marine science degree when you could spend all four years there, with regular internships and research opportunities on site at some of the most fabulous reefs on the planet—and with an average total cost of attendance under $20,000 per year? Other options fall into a gray area of accreditation: These are international universities that have partnered with their U.S. counterparts to offer brickand-mortar domestic U.S. degrees. For example, Arizona State University (ASU) and Cortana Education have partnered to provide ASU degrees at 22 university campuses around the world. At Sunway University in Malaysia, for example, you can complete a four-year ASU degree in digital media, computer science, psychology, and several other fields, with accreditation provided via the affiliation and oversight of the program by ASU’s faculty. These programs provide students the opportunity to live at post, study in person, and still graduate with a degree from a stateside American university. When the accreditation is at the programmatic (i.e., major/course/degree) level, students will benefit not from transferability to U.S. degree programs but from their eligibility for professional certifications and licenses.
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