EducationUSA centers actively promote United States higher education around the world by offering accurate, comprehensive, and current information about the full range of higher education opportunities in the United States.  EducationUSA advisers provide guidance to qualified individuals on how best to access those opportunities.

Foreign students have the opportunity to study at American degree-granting post-secondary accredited academic institutions, or participate in a student internship program that will fulfill the educational objectives of the student’s degree program in his or her home country.  http://j1visa.state.gov/programs/college-and-university-student/

Secondary school students travel to the United States to study at an accredited public or private high school and live with an American host family or at an accredited boarding school.  http://j1visa.state.gov/programs/secondary-school-student/

Secondary school students from around the world now can sample U.S. college life though the EducationUSA Academy, a partnership between academic institutions, a nonprofit organization and the U.S. Department of State.

The U.S. educational system is recognized for its diversity and flexibility of academic programs, which include short-term and certificate programs to meet the needs of students and employers in the 21st century. Short-term study offers foreign students the opportunity to experience academic studies in the U.S. while improving English fluency. Certificate programs offer both students and professionals the chance to gain practical skills or knowledge. Some examples include: paralegal studies, tourism administration, computer security, engineering technology management, leadership development, landscape design, filmmaking, teacher licensure, and more. In addition, short-term study programs may include internship opportunities at universities or with U.S. businesses in special fields.

Please consult an EducationUSA Center to find information on certificate programs at American colleges and universities. You may also wish to consult the Institute of International Education’s guide entitled “Specialized Study Options,” which describes over 800 short-term study opportunities accessible to foreign nationals at U.S. colleges, universities, and trade and technical schools.

Updated: February 22, 2016 by American Center