Every year, universities invest millions in study abroad, but how do you actually prove its impact? Stop saying your programs change lives. Start proving it

Show the real value of your study abroad program by measuring and certifying your students' competency development

Access to Global Compass Study Abroad Analytics

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FAQ & Steps to Become a Research Partner

What kind of yearly research report my study abroad / university institution will receive?

During the first 2 months of each year (January-February ) each partner will receive a detailed research paper about the performace and evolution of its students.

The research paper will include the following information:

Introduction and justification.
Research Objectives for Year 2XXX
Definition of the principal research objectives, research questions, and expected outcomes for the academic year under analysis.
Participant Profile and Data Collection
Presentation of the total number of participating students, the number and percentage of students who completed the Global Competence Certification, students’ age distribution, and state of origin. Where appropriate, additional demographic characteristics may be incorporated into the analysis.
Pre-Departure Assessment and Institutional Results
Presentation of the institution’s aggregated pre-departure results, including the baseline assessment of students’ global competencies. Where the study abroad program includes multiple countries or cities, results may be disaggregated by destination to facilitate comparative analysis.
Implementation of Global Competence Activities
Analysis of the completion and implementation of the proposed experiential global competence activities. This section will assess the extent to which students participated in the recommended activities and the relationship between activity completion and the development of global competencies.
Post-Program Assessment and Institutional Results
Presentation of the institution’s aggregated post-program results following completion of the study abroad experience. Where applicable, results may be disaggregated by country or city of destination to identify potential differences across study abroad locations.
Statistical Analysis
Application of appropriate statistical techniques, including descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and analysis of variance (ANOVA), to identify significant relationships and differences among variables and to assess the extent to which the observed changes in global competency outcomes can be associated with the study abroad experience and related activities. Where the research design permits, additional statistical procedures may be employed to strengthen the analysis of potential causal relationships.
Research Limitations
Identification and discussion of the principal methodological, data-related, and contextual limitations of the research, including sample size, self-reported measures, participant characteristics, program differences, and other factors that may affect the generalizability or interpretation of the findings.
Industry Benchmarking and Comparative Analysis
Comparison of the institution’s aggregated results with relevant benchmarks from other study abroad programs and higher education institutions. The aggregated scores obtained by the participating institution will be compared with the corresponding study abroad industry averages to provide a broader contextual assessment of program performance and global competency development.
Conclusions and Certification Badge
Presentation of the principal findings and conclusions derived from the research. Based on the established certification criteria and the results obtained, a determination will be made regarding the issuance, renewal, or maintenance of the Global Competence Certification Badge for the institution.

Does the university/ study abroad partner need to dedicate any additional resources (staff or employee time)?

Not at all. The program has been designed to require little to no administrative effort from the participating institution.

Once students are enrolled, SAA Analytics communicates all program guidelines and instructions directly via email, enabling students to complete their initial global competency assessment before departure. Throughout their study abroad experience, students receive automated email or Learning Management System (LMS) notifications with reminders, practical activities derived from the SAA Book of Activities, and guidance to help them develop and strengthen their global competencies while abroad.

As a result, universities and study abroad providers can offer the Study Abroad Global Experience Certification as a value-added benefit without requiring additional staff, training, or ongoing administrative support.

The lenght of the sponsoring

The sponsorship commitment spans three (3) years. Sponsoring institutions maintain their participation by making an annual sponsorship contribution, which may be paid in two installments (Spring and Fall). During the sponsorship period, research members are granted the right to display the "Study Abroad Global Experience Certification® Certified" badge on their website, brochures, and other promotional materials, recognizing their contribution to advancing evidence-based research in global education.

Does each student receive a certification documenting their development while abroad?

Yes. Each student is assigned a unique personal access code and registers their name on the Global Compass platform. Using this secure platform, students complete the online assessments during the designated pre-departure and post-program assessment windows.

After both self-administered assessments have been completed, the platform automatically analyzes the student's results, measuring their level of development across the assessed global competencies. It calculates the student's competency scores, identifies the level of improvement achieved during the study abroad experience, and generates a personalized development report.

Upon completion, each student can download:

A personalized PDF Competency Report summarizing their results and competency growth.
An official Study Abroad Global Experience Certification® Certificate of Achievement, co-branded with the university or study abroad provider's logo.

These documents provide students with objective, evidence-based proof of the professional and personal competencies they developed while abroad. They can be included in résumés, LinkedIn profiles, graduate school applications, and job interviews, helping students demonstrate the measurable impact of their international experience to future employers.

When the program starts for the study abroad/university provider?

Once the agreement has been signed, all implementation materials will be prepared to ensure a smooth launch for the next academic term (Spring, Summer, or Fall).

SAA will provide the study abroad program or university partner with a unique participation code for each student. These codes should be distributed to all enrolled students, either directly by SAA via email or by the university or study abroad provider using their institutional email accounts.

The implementation of the Study Abroad Global Experience Certification® program is flexible and determined by each participating institution. Some partners may choose to make participation mandatory for all students, while others may offer it as an optional value-added opportunity.

If requested, SAA can also send automated email reminders to students throughout the program, encouraging timely completion of the required assessments according to the established schedule.

Confidentiality and Data Retention

The privacy and confidentiality of all student assessment results are of the highest importance for the SAA. Individual test responses, competency scores, and personal reports are treated as strictly confidential and are accessible only to the participating student through their secure personal account.

Universities and study abroad providers will receive only aggregated and anonymized data for research, benchmarking, quality assurance, and program improvement purposes. No individual student's results or personally identifiable information will be disclosed to the institution, faculty members, employers, or any third party without the student's prior written consent, unless required by applicable law.

The information collected through the Study Abroad Global Experience Certification platform is used exclusively for educational research, competency measurement, certification, and the continuous improvement of study abroad programs.

Data Retention and Deletion Policy

Individual student assessment data and personal reports are securely retained for a maximum period of one (1) year following the completion of the student's post-program assessment. This retention period allows students sufficient time to access, download, and share their competency reports and certificates.

At the end of the one-year retention period, all personally identifiable assessment data will be permanently deleted from the platform's operational databases. Anonymized and aggregated data may be retained for ongoing statistical analysis, academic research, benchmarking, and the publication of research findings, provided that no individual student can be identified.

By participating in the program, students acknowledge and consent to this confidentiality and data retention policy.

Contact us

Contact with our Director Dr. George Monray gm@saanaltytics.tech and setup a meeting to fully understand the philosophy of the Study Abroad Global Experience Certification Program. Tell us about the philosophy of the program, cities and total estimated number of yearly students received. We will prepare and adjusted quote depending on your number of students and always in the parameters of the size of the program.

About the utilization of the logo of the partner/sponsor university in the website of SAA Analytics or any other future website related to the GCRC.

As a commitment to transparency, this initiative requires the explicit authorization of each sponsor before its name can be displayed on our website as a Certified Entity, together with a link to its official website or relevant program page. The inclusion of sponsor names will be instrumental in attracting additional participating institutions and programs by demonstrating a shared and tangible commitment to the development and assessment of global competencies among university and study abroad students.

The individual results obtained by each participating partner will remain strictly confidential and will never be publicly disclosed or published on our website. Only aggregated, anonymized, and non-identifiable data may be used for research, benchmarking, or industry-level analysis.

University or Study Abroad Provider Certification

As an official research partner, participating universities and study abroad providers are eligible to earn the Study Abroad Global Experience Certification Certified Seal, recognizing their commitment to measuring and promoting the development of students' global competencies through evidence-based assessment.

The Certified Seal may be displayed on the institution's website, promotional materials, brochures, and other marketing communications for the duration of its active partnership with SAA.

To maintain the integrity and credibility of the certification, SAA requires that at least 70% of eligible study abroad participants complete both the pre-departure and post-program assessments during each academic year. Institutions meeting this participation threshold are authorized to use the Certified Seal as a visible symbol of their commitment to quality, continuous improvement, and measurable student outcomes in global education.