SDSU Global Campus International Team Members Renee Rodriguez, Miffy Yuan, Chad Schempp, and Alvin Chou.
Students from all over the world – from Germany to Japan and beyond – know about San Diego State University and the American Language Institute thanks in large part to a team of dedicated professionals at SDSU Global Campus.
The International Programs team is a division of SDSU Global Campus, the primary SDSU unit tasked with spreading SDSU’s educational excellence to students around the world.
Global Campus offerings are generally divided into two types: intensive English classes for international students focused on improving their English, and university studies in SDSU classes for international students who are at SDSU on a semester abroad. The offerings include for-credit coursework that international students can transfer back to their home university, as well as non-credit enrichment programs that are intended to help students learn English communication skills without earning college credits.
American Language Institute (ALI)
English language courses offered through Global Campus are taught through the American Language Institute, a longstanding division of San Diego State University that has educated thousands of students over almost five decades. ALI classes are taught by nationally recognized teachers with advanced degrees who are trained in the latest teaching methods. The programs offered are designed for students who are either university-bound or those who would like to improve their English for business or personal reasons.
“The rich diversity of the student population, their commitment to their studies, the dedicated staff and instructors, and the unique curricula offered at the Institute have earned the ALI a global reputation for delivery of exceptional education,” said ALI Director Renee Rodriguez.
Intensive English for Communication (IEC)
International students can also enroll in the Intensive English for Communication (IEC) program, for international and English as a Second Language (ESL) students and professionals who want to develop and improve their formal and practical English skills.
University Pathway Program (UPP)
The University Pathway Program allows advanced-level ALI students to enroll in up to 12 units of regular SDSU classes and earn college credit without going through the San Diego State University admissions process. Student schedules are a combination of SDSU credit-bearing courses, university preparation courses, and English enrichment courses, depending on each student’s English proficiency level.
English for Academic Purposes (EAP)
Students who would like to improve their English skills to prepare for matriculation to either SDSU or another U.S. university for either graduate or undergraduate studies enroll in the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program. This program helps students improve their English skills, learn about the culture and expectations of U.S. universities, and prepare for English proficiency exams such as the TOEFL or IELTS.
Semester at SDSU
In the Semester at SDSU program, international students take a full course load of 9-12 units and can choose from over 3,000 undergraduate and graduate classes at SDSU. Students earn official SDSU credits, and an official SDSU transcript, which allows for easy transfer of their credits back to their home institution. Certificate options are available in several different subjects such as Business, Engineering, and Hospitality, Tourism and Recreation Management.
SDSU Georgia
SDSU has partnered with three leading public universities in the nation of Georgia to help address the critical shortage of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) professionals in the country and to provide an American university education to improve human capital in the Georgian labor force.
“Over the last four years SDSU Georgia has graduated a total of 410 Georgian and international students, approximately 40% of whom are women, who’ve since then moved on to getting well-paying jobs in their respective disciplines or to pursue graduate degrees at other great universities,” said Eddie West, Assistant Dean of International Strategy and Programs International Strategy and Programs. “Next year more than 100 more students will graduate, and SDSU Global Campus is at work on plans to extend and deepen our engagement in Tbilisi beyond 2023.”
SDSU Georgia’s partner universities are Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Ilia State University, and Georgian Technical University.
Custom and Special Programs
In addition to the regular programs, the SDSU Global Campus team also builds custom and special programs for clients. For example, in December 2021 the team built and delivered a custom curriculum for dozens of high school students from Indonesia who were visiting SDSU.
The team also has been designated as a host for the Fulbright Pre-Academic Program, which hosts graduate and doctoral level participants from all over the world to learn the basics of American education before they depart to complete their studies at universities in the United States.
