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

3. Post-Program Assessment

How can each student measure, develop, and demonstrate the global and international competencies gained through international education? And how can study abroad programs actively foster and support the development of these competencies beyond the classroom?

Measuring and Certifying Global Competence in Higher Education for each one of your abroad students

Students use our platform and feel that their study abroad program cares about their personal and professional development beyond the classroom. It is one of the most effective ways to enhance quality, demonstrate excellence, and create a more meaningful study abroad experience.

2. While Abroad
1. Pre-Departure Assessment

1.Pre-Departure Assessment

A self-administered online assessment consisting of eight sections. It takes approximately 60–90 minutes to complete and establishes a baseline of the student’s international competencies.

Students receive an email containing a unique secure access code that allows them to log in to the Global Study Abroad Analytics Platform. They then complete up to eight standardized questionnaires to assess their international competency profile. These evidence-based assessments measure key global competencies and establish a comprehensive baseline of each student's strengths and development areas before the study abroad experience.

man sitting on gang chair near window
man sitting on gang chair near window

2.While Abroad

Step 2. Experiential Activities* while abroad for Developing International Competencies. Each student has access to the Book of Activities and can choose which activities they would like to undertake.

Note that making this step mandatory or optional depends entirely on the university or study abroad program. For institutions participating in the Earn Competency Credit (ECC) option, we conduct an additional assessment to validate the knowledge acquired by the student.

People take pictures with a scenic city view
People take pictures with a scenic city view

By practicing the activities suggested by the Global Competencies Certification on a daily basis, I have been able to get the most out of my study abroad experience. These activities encouraged me to go beyond the classroom and actively apply what I was learning in real-life situations. (John B.)

3.Post-Program and Certificate

A self-administered online assessment consisting of eight sections. It takes approximately 60–90 minutes to complete and establishes a baseline of the student’s international competencies.

At the end of the study abroad program, students receive a second notification with a unique secure access code to access the Global Study Abroad Analytics Platform and complete the same standardized questionnaires. Their responses are compared with the baseline assessment completed before departure to measure changes in their international competency profile. The platform analyzes each student's progress and produces a confidential personalized report highlighting improvements in key global competencies, demonstrating the academic, personal, and professional impact of their study abroad experience.

Watch the 3 min video

Take a look at this 3-minute video explainer, created with Gemini Notebook AI, to understand how to proceed with the Global Competency Experience Certification.

Watch Here