IES Abroad Reviews

During the summer of 2017 I had the opportunity to participate in two intensive, 300 level museology / art history courses in Paris, Rome, and Madrid. I studied with European professors and experts in their respective fields. We visited the most prestigious museums and archaeological sites in Europe, along with many museums I would classify as hidden gems. I learned how each city is a museum in and of itself, and how to view the display of cultural heritage with a critical eye.
My study abroad experience exceeded my expectations in so many ways. I was surprised at how fluidly we were integrated into the neighborhoods where we lived in in each city. Even though we were only in each city for about 2 weeks, it truly felt like I was moving out of my own apartment each time we left to travel to the next city. I feel like I have a connection to these residential neighborhoods that I probably would never have encountered had I traveled to the city on my own as a tourist.
As someone who aspires to work with art and cultural heritage for the rest of my life, this experience opened my eyes to the function of these objects in our society. Despite my own interest in the subject, everyone I was with on this program had a different reason for being there. I believe that anyone could benefit from and enjoy this program, and encourage you to consider it.

I truly can't recommend this program enough. As a double major in Latin American Studies and Environmental Policy, a chance to study environmental science while immersed in the vibrant, diverse culture of Ecuador was pretty much the perfect study abroad experience for me. Before the start of the program I was expecting it to be great, but I never could have imagined just how many things I would get to do, how many places I would get to go, and how many great people I would get to meet. Not only was I able to take interesting classes with knowledgeable professors from a wide range of backgrounds, I got to visit the largest Indigenous market in South America (Otavalo), spend a weekend in Cotopaxi National Park and hike to an altitude of 16,000 fasl, study and explore at the remote Tiputini Biodiversity Research Station in the Amazon rain forest, and spend three weeks in the Galapagos Islands. Not to mention the dear friends I got to study with, the host families who took care of me and treated me as a part of the family, and all of the day to day adventures that are par for the course when you spend an extended amount of time abroad. I am incredibly grateful for this program, and it has been one of the highlights of my life thus far. The amount of things I got to do/learn/experience in a span of only 7 weeks is really mind blowing, and this program is really a great deal financially too. I can't recommend this program enough, or any of the other IES Abroad programs all over the world.

I knew I wanted to study abroad and when searching for programs, Vienna with IES Abroad seemed to be the best fit for me. I had a friend in high school that lives in Vienna, so it was nice knowing there was a familiar face there. Orientation and classes once I got to Vienna gave me a pretty good sense of what I had gotten myself into. What I had gotten myself into was a city of culture. A city of experience. A city that truly felt like home after only six weeks. The classes I took while there helped me learn the language and experience some local culture with field trips. I lived in an apartment with two roommates who were willing to explore with me. Overall, this experience was life changing. I wish I could go back tomorrow, but until then, I'll relive my journey through sharing my experiences with others. If studying abroad is something you are considering, I highly suggest IES Abroad Vienna.

I traveled with IES Abroad to Morocco for a seven-week intensive language program over the summer. In total, the trip was excellent. The program excels at cultural and linguistic immersion, with classes taught solely in the focus language and an important homestay and cultural activity component.
Predeparture, the information provided seemed a bit sparse, but upon arrival it became clear that things like homestay address were inherently difficult to provide. Upon arrival, the staff was very helpful with cultural integration and navigating the new locale.

Academically, the language-intensive program was very beneficial. The MSA teachers were excellent at teaching Arabic to English-speaking learners. The homestay structure was incredibly useful for learning the language as well.

Overall, I would highly recommend this program.

Freiburg is such a cute little university town. There's plenty of great food and fun places to go. All of the university students were very welcoming and friendly. I lived in university housing, and it was clean and relatively up-to-date. The staff at the EU Center is great, and the course-related excursions were super interesting. Since Freiburg is kind of in the middle of Western Europe, it was very easy to travel.

Studying abroad is always referred to as the greatest experience of one’s life. For me, my six weeks in Madrid were 42 days of cafes, conversations, friends, and discoveries that collectively created the greatest experience of my life. My host family was incredible and exposed me to so many little differences between Spain and the US that I would have never learned. The classes taught me so much because they were taught in a way that was fun and interactive (I highly recommend Madrid the City). In addition, my weekends were filled with trips to London, Tenerife, Morocco, Sevilla, Toledo, and Valencia, and the day trips arranged by IES were so convenient and exposed us to places we would’ve never seen on our own. Overall, the program was so hospitable and always made sure we had everything we needed. I loved my time in Spain and I highly recommend IES Madrid Summer to anyone looking to go to Spain for less than a whole semester and who wants to learn and experience the true language and culture of the city.

This past summer I studied abroad for 6 weeks in Buenos Aires, Argentina through IES Abroad. From the moment I arrived in the airport until the day I left, I felt supported and encouraged from IES Abroad staff. At the airport, I received an alfajor, and this classic Argentinian snack became my after-lunch dessert everyday—for better or for worse. IES Abroad provided myself and the other people in the program with entertainment ranging from a tango show (after having an exciting tango lesson) to Fuerza Bruta (an immersive experience) to a rugby game. Through intimate dinners with my host family and classes most days, I truly started to understand and appreciate Argentinian culture. My teachers at the IES Abroad center cared about my interests and explained the daily customs of Buenos Aires. Even with planned activities spread throughout the 6 weeks, I still had time to explore Buenos Aires after class and on the weekends. We even went to Iguazu Falls early on—a site I will never forget. Whether visiting Barrio Chino, Café Tortoni, or Teatro Colón, I felt a part of Buenos Aires. Coming from Los Angeles, I knew how to live in a city, but Buenos Aires was like no other. My homestay was in Recoleta, surrounded by tall buildings and storefronts. On my walk to school each day, I marveled at the busy streets and crowded taxis. I lived off the energy around me. As for my Spanish, I realized I can live in a Spanish-speaking city, whether that involves hailing a taxi, doing my laundry, or ordering at the local café. The program supported me and the staff constantly made sure that I was enjoying my experience through discussions where we could be open about any problems we had faced. The team at IES Abroad always gave us recommendations for restaurants and weekend activities; I never had a dull moment in my 6 weeks. I cannot recommend studying abroad enough, but more so studying abroad with IES Abroad, as they care about their students and understand the difficulties that come with living in a different country.

Participating in the Nagoya Summer--Language and Culture program at Nanzan University for seven weeks this past summer truly transformed my Japanese language ability and increased my confidence. Initially terrified to travel alone for the first time in my life, I was incredibly nervous, but the IES facilitators provided so much support that I was ability to immediately make friends and quickly come to call Nanzan University home. By both intensively studying Japanese and being fully immersed in Japanese culture every day I was able to improve more in my language ability then I ever could at my home university in the US. I left the program conversationally fluent and able to navigate the city by myself. I made lifelong friends with both other international students and the Japanese students at Nanzan. We still keep in touch to this day. This program made me realize just how much I love studying Japanese and has motivated me to continue to further pursue these studies.

My experience in Granada was everything that I could've hoped it would be. I chose the city for its culture and history, having recently written a research paper on the influences of Arabic on Spain and the Spanish language. In Granada, it was so cool to see these influences play out in real life; the mix of culture that is unique to southern Spain stood out and created a study abroad experience like no other. More than that, though, I enjoyed Granada for the variety of academics courses offered, the program trips they planned for us, the city's culture of siesta and tapas, the Spaniards' love for soccer, and the political science class I got to take at the local university. I took classes on Spanish literature, the local art and architecture of the region, and the history of Andalusia (Southern Spain and North Africa). Although I am fairly competent in speaking Spanish, the required language class that we had to take was extremely helpful in teaching us about Spain and Granada-specific culture, slang, social tendencies, and differing grammar and vocabulary. I could not choose a favorite memory, but if anything, I will always treasure the nights my newfound friends and I went out for dinner, participating in the culture of tapas. Tapas meant that if you bought a drink, then you could choose from a range of appetizers to accompany it for free. So instead of eating large meals for dinner, the lunch meal would be the main course for the day and then we would go out for drinks and appetizers at night. I would say that my favorite memories came from those nights, when we forced ourselves to practice Spanish with one another and to try new foods and new restaurants. The friends I made, both American and Spanish, will stick with me for a long time, and the memories of a fantastic study abroad experience will last forever.

I had an amazing time through the IES-UK Today program. I met some of my best friends as well as had an amazing time exploring new countries and getting to know different cultures from around the world. If you are thinking about going abroad I would highly recommend just going for it! Overall, my experience was truly amazing and I think that it is an amazing opportunity to go abroad and try new things. The administration was amazing and helped with anything you needed. They made you feel at home and helped you with the culture shock of a new country. However, you had so much autonomy to do what you wanted when you wanted.