Great care is taken when choosing locations and host universities abroad, and API strives to ensure that academic quality meets U.S. university standards without compromising the integrity of the host university’s academic system and teaching methods. All host universities selected by API are either formally recognized by the local ministry of education, which is considered to be the equivalent of the regional accreditation process in the United States, or a U.S. school of record certifies the academic rigor of the coursework and issues a transcript. Several API partner universities abroad are accredited by U.S. accrediting agencies or have been accredited by other prestigious groups such as ABET, EQUIS or AACSB.

API provides students with extensive information prior to their departure abroad, so they can  avoid some of the pitfalls of studying within a new educational system and minimize the adjustment period.

Approximately one month prior to the program start date, students gain access to API orientation materials, which helps students to understand the university organization, including: class size, the nature of student/professor interaction, how many hours per week a student could expect to devote to their studies, what outside resources were required to complete coursework, the primary method of evaluation and assessment for grading purposes, and challenges previous students faced in their academic program abroad.

Using information provided by students, API works with our partner institutions to understand what type of accommodations can be provided to the student on-site. API will notify students as soon as possible if specific accommodations are unavailable in the selected site, and API staff will work with students to identify alternative options that can meet their individual needs.

Starting with their acceptance into an API program, students are provided with electronic post-acceptance forms including the course form. This course form explains the general academic structure of the program, language requirements, the number of credit hours per course, and the minimum number of courses required to maintain full-time status.

Upon arrival abroad, all API students participate in an extensive orientation program, including an overview of the local education system, local classroom norms, assessment methods, and grading scales. Students are also alerted to the availability of an hour of language tutoring per week through API at no additional cost.