Study Abroad Programs
How Will You Study Abroad?
Ready to see the world? However you want to get there, we’ve got a way to make it happen. Study alongside local students through an Exchange program, travel with UNC Asheville faculty on a Faculty-Led trip, plug into a global network of universities through ISEP, or lean on an Affiliate provider for extra support every step of the way. Explore the options below to find your fit. Whatever your budget, timeline, or comfort level, there’s a path here that fits.
Exchange Programs
Want a truly immersive way to experience another culture? Exchange programs let you enroll directly at a partner university overseas, taking classes and building friendships alongside local students.
They’re also one of the most budget-friendly ways to travel abroad. If you pay in-state tuition, you’ll continue paying your regular UNC Asheville tuition and fees, and you stay eligible for your institutional financial aid. Housing and meals abroad are typically comparable to costs on campus, and scholarships can help cover airfare and other travel expenses.
One thing to check before you commit: exchange partners operate on their own academic calendars, so confirm that your host university’s semester dates align with UNC Asheville’s before you apply.
UNC Asheville partners with the following universities for bilateral exchange programs.
Asia
Europe
Non-Exchange Programs
ISEP enrolls you directly into your choice of ISEP Direct program. It is not dependent upon available exchange space at your host institution. The cost of Direct program tuition could be more or less than your home institution’s tuition. It is listed on each program page and appears once you select the semester in which you intend to go abroad. Accommodations and meals vary from program to program. Depending on your home institution, you may be able to use Federal aid for ISEP Direct programs. Set up a meeting with your home institution’s financial aid office to learn the details. Chances of placement for Direct programs is always “Guaranteed” as we are able to guarantee your placement (as long as you meet the minimum academic and program-specific requirements). It is not necessary to list more than one Direct program on your application as we are able to guarantee Direct placements, so long as you meet program requirements. Direct deadlines vary from program to program, and in some cases are open later.
Saitama Summer Program
This four-week intensive Japanese Studies Program provides international undergraduate students with an interest in Japanese culture a rich opportunity to explore Japan from multiple angles — traditional, modern, and contemporary. You'll be able to choose from a variety of weekday courses that align with your interests, and you'll also have the chance to go on weekend excursions in and around the Saitama/Tokyo area. All classes are conducted in English, so no fluency is required to take part. An introductory Japanese language course is available for anyone who wishes to start leaning the language.
Universidad de Valladolid Language Center
Located in the western part of Spain, Valladolid is known as the administrative capital of Castilla y León. It is located less than two hours by car from Madrid and is surrounded by the provinces of Segovia, Salamanca, Ávila, Zamora, Soria, Burgos, Palencia and León. Valladolid has much to offer, including art, history, culture, literature, museums, festivals and more. It counts Cervantes and Zorrilla among notable authors connected to the city. Valladolid witnessed the coronation of Ferdinand III as King of Castile, the births of Philip II and Philip IV, the last days of Christopher Columbus, and it was home to celebrated artists such as Alonso Berruguete, Juan de Juni and Gregorio Fernández.
2026 Faculty-Led Programs
Want to study abroad without leaving your UNC Asheville community behind? Faculty-led programs bring UNC Asheville courses to you and are taught partially or entirely abroad by your own professors, alongside your own classmates. With a structured itinerary of group activities built around the curriculum, these programs are ideal if you want the reassurance of traveling with a familiar group, prefer a set schedule over open-ended exploration, and want a shorter trip that fits neatly into a semester break.
In recent years, UNC Asheville faculty have led programs to Greece, Italy, Ecuador, Ireland and Northern Ireland, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Berlin — and many of these destinations repeat every other year, so if one catches your eye, there’s a good chance it’ll come around again.
Financial aid can often be applied toward these programs, as long as you have aid eligibility left that you haven’t already used for fall and spring, and you’re enrolled full-time for the term the program runs in. Contact the Study Abroad Office to talk through the details for your situation.
France and the Joie de Vivre
Through this study abroad program, UNC Asheville students will be challenged to reconsider the ways they see their world and to better understand the ways they think about self and others. Furthermore, they will observe and experience the French joie de vivre, the art of living where one finds joy in the quotidian. Slowing down to enjoy meals, connecting with new friends, admiring architectural wonders, pondering cultural practices, feeling the presence of nature . . . all of these are simple ways to live this joie. Experiencing it, we believe, can enhance one’s approach to life by encouraging presence, gratitude and contentment, values that are fundamental to well-being and one’s ability to thrive in any context.
Program Contacts: Professor Allison Weems, jweems@unca.edu; Kelly Biers, Ph.D., kbiers@unca.edu
London, Edinburgh, and Glasgow
This study abroad program combines ARTS 310 and Humanities credit to bring a critical analysis to the historic relationships between Great Britain and Scotland from the mid-20th century forward. A key component of Humanities is studying the political, economic and cultural spaces of empires as well as the challenges to colonial epistemologies. HUM 414 also highlights the cultures of opposition that challenged colonial and imperial domination. ARTS 310 examines “the significance of the arts in the human experience, the cultural context of creative composition and performance, the foundations of aesthetic values, and the communicative function of the arts” in the context of the United Kingdom.
Program Contacts: Dr Anne Slatton, aslatton@unca.edu; Sarah Judson, Ph.D., sjudson@unca.edu
Sustainability and Community in Costa Rica
This program takes place in Atenas, Costa Rica and neighboring areas for intensive language, culture, and sustainability studies. Students will have a home stay experience with local families where they can make close and meaningful connections. During most days, students will have language instruction, community service and/or engagement, excursions to sustainable farms and renewable power plants, classes with locals on Costa Rican cooking and dance, as well as many opportunities for students to spend time getting to know local Ticas (people from Costa Rica). Students will have ample time to engage with experts involved in sustainability efforts related to subjects from volcanology and geothermal energy to blue zones. We will explore what makes Costa Rica the healthiest and happiest places on earth.
Program Contact: Michelle Bettencourt, mbettenc@unca.edu
Paris, London and Berlin
While designed with new media students in mind, the core of this program is intrinsically interdisciplinary and translates easily to students in multiple disciplines. In NM374 Studio (4CR), students focus on rendering experiential research as creative media projects. The companion course, NM 474 (4CR), a special topics in media course and is comprised of relevant theoretical readings and resultant research designed to inform and support the studio section of the trip.
Program Contacts: Peter Kusek, pkusek@unca.edu; Curt Cloninger, ccloning@unca.edu
International Student Exchange Program (ISEP) Exchange and Direct Programs
ISEP Exchange Programs
Through ISEP (the International Student Exchange Program), you’ll live and study alongside local students at a university abroad, which is a genuinely immersive way to experience another country. For in-state tuition students, it’s also one of the more affordable ways to go: you pay your usual tuition, housing, and meal costs to UNC Asheville, and receive comparable courses and accommodations at your host university in return. Financial aid typically applies as long as your courses count toward your degree, which means your total cost often ends up close to a semester on campus. Scholarships may be available to help cover airfare and other travel expenses.
One thing to plan for: ISEP Exchange applications ask you to list several possible host universities, not just one, and your first choice isn’t guaranteed. It’s worth researching a handful of destinations and working through course equivalency planning for each of them, so that wherever you land, your semester still counts toward your degree.
ISEP Direct Programs
ISEP also offers a second track: ISEP Direct. Instead of an exchange agreement, you pay program costs directly to ISEP, and pricing varies by destination. But Direct comes with a real advantage — guaranteed placement. As long as you meet the minimum academic and program-specific requirements, your spot is confirmed, with no waiting to see which host university you’ll land at. That also means you don’t need to list backup options on your application; if you meet the requirements for your chosen program, you’re in.
UNC Asheville students have access to both ISEP Exchange and ISEP Direct.
Affiliate Programs
Want more support built into your study abroad experience? Affiliate programs connect you with trusted third-party organizations — like AIFS, CGEE, IFSA, API, or IES — who act as your liaison with universities abroad, and in some cases offer their own courses through dedicated study centers. It's a good option if you're looking for extra hand-holding: affiliate providers typically arrange housing, coordinate airport pick-up, and run in-depth orientations to help you settle in, and many build cultural activities and excursions right into the program. That added support comes at a range of price points. Fees and course availability vary by provider, so it's worth exploring the full lineup on the VIA-TRM portal to see what fits your budget and goals. Program costs can exceed a semester at UNC Asheville, but financial aid still applies as long as your courses count toward your degree, and depending on the destination and your tuition status (in-state or out-of-state), the total cost may end up comparable to, or even less than, a semester on campus. If you want more structure and support throughout the process, from before you leave to the day you land to the whole time you're abroad, affiliate programs are built for exactly that.
Students attending affiliated study abroad programs must pay a study abroad administrative fee for each semester of the program. You will not be billed for UNC Asheville tuition during this time, and all other expenses must be paid directly to the program affiliate or host institution.
Because you are not considered enrolled at UNC Asheville when attending an unaffiliated program, you will be enrolled in the mandatory Blue Cross International travel insurance by the study abroad office.
Students attending an affiliated study abroad program must be enrolled as full-time students in the program abroad. As a result, financial aid can be processed and is available for students participating in affiliated programs. This includes but is not limited to federal loans, federal/state grants, and private loans.
Students who are planning to study abroad and are currently receiving financial aid are encouraged to apply to an affiliated study abroad program. A study abroad or financial aid advisor can assist you in deciding which programs meet your academic needs.
Hear From Students Who've Done It
Through my exchange program as well as additional travel around Thailand and surrounding countries, I was able to meet so many students, backpackers, expats, and people from different countries, backgrounds, and cultures which I would be much less likely to encounter and interact with back home. I made some of my best friends who I can now visit all over the world and got to explore some of the most beautiful and diverse natural landscapes that the earth has to offer.
During my time abroad, I took classes taught in Spanish at Universitat de Barcelona. I primarily took elective courses like art and history taught by local Catalan professors in Spanish. Because Barcelona has such a large international population, I had the opportunity to not only connect with Catalan students but an array of people from across different parts of the world. Walking everywhere throughout the city and navigating the metro from my local neighborhood became an enjoyable part of everyday life that allowed me to explore the city. The accessibility of traveling to other countries within the EU was also a wonderful part of my experience.
Take Your College Experience to the Next Level
100 Ramsey Library, CPO 1560, One University Heights, Asheville, NC 28804
Study Abroad Advising walk-in hours are Tuesday and Thursday from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Additional appointments and meetings can be scheduled via email.