SIT, The Forum announce joint credential for academic credit

Publication Date: August 4, 2022
Publication Location: Brattleboro, Vermont
Contact: Kate Casa  |  [email protected]

Two major players in the field of international education are teaming up to offer a credit-bearing certificate for professionals in the field of education abroad.

School for International Training (SIT) and The Forum on Education Abroad today announced a new partnership to offer joint credentials and academic credit for The Forum’s Professional Certification in Education Abroad.

“Through this program, students and professionals who want to certify their knowledge and expertise in the practice of education abroad can now add two influential programs to their credentials and resumes,” said SIT Vice President for Innovation, Strategy, and Partnerships Mory Pagel.

The Forum on Education Abroad is a nonprofit, membership association that provides training and resources to education abroad professionals. SIT offers global undergraduate study abroad programs and accredited graduate degrees, including two MAs and an EdD in international and global education. SIT has been an organizational partner of The Forum since its founding in 2000.

“This partnership brings together SIT, a leader in the field of global higher education, and The Forum on Education Abroad, the Standards Development Organization for Education Abroad, to shape the next generation of professionals in the field. In addition to this must-have credential, everyone who enrolls in The Forum’s Professional Certification is now also eligible for SIT graduate credit,” said Dr. Marissa Lombardi, The Forum on Education Abroad’s Executive Director of Training, Programs and Services.

Starting this month, students enrolled in any of SIT Graduate Institute’s programs can earn the professional certification and two academic credits by completing the elective courses. Non-matriculated participants enrolled through The Forum can choose to earn graduate credit from SIT in addition to the certification.

Courses will be taught by adjunct faculty from The Forum’s pool of trained facilitators. Dr. Sora Friedman, chair of SIT’s MA in International Education, will monitor faculty and course quality.

“This new partnership with The Forum will enable students to gain an additional professional credential in the design, delivery, and management of education abroad programs from a leading professional association,” said Friedman.

“SIT has long been training practitioners who are working and engaged in the field of education abroad, and I think The Forum looked to us as a major contributor to the field by producing outstanding professionals who are working in international education offices around the country and the world,” said Pagel. “At SIT, we see the value that The Forum brings to the field in setting standards of best practice—standards that, as a Forum member, we subscribe to fully.”

The courses are structured around an academic semester model with a revised curriculum grounded in the latest pedagogy. Designed to have a practical application, each course includes a series of modules based on The Forum’s “Standards of Good Practice” and a culminating project. Topics will cover education abroad program design and management; health, safety, and well-being as it pertains to study abroad; advising; orientation; student learning and development; and assessment.

Individuals who complete the certification will be recognized on The Forum’s website and can use The Forum’s “Certified Professional” mark on resumes, email signatures, business cards, letterhead, and websites. Special recognition is also given at The Forum’s Annual and European Conferences.

Matriculated students may find more information about the programs, and links to enroll, on the SIT website. Non-matriculated participants may enroll on The Forum’s website.

SIT is a part of the World Learning Inc. family. World Learning Inc. is a global organization made up of World Learning, a global development and exchange nonprofit organization, The Experiment in International Living, the nation’s most experienced provider of intercultural exchange programs abroad and virtual for high school students; and School for International Training, offering accredited undergraduate study abroad programs through SIT Study Abroad, including the comparative International Honors Program, and internationally focused master’s degrees, certificate programs, and a doctorate through SIT Graduate Institute. For more than 90 years, the organization has delivered international education, cultural exchanges, and sustainable development. For more information, visit sit.edu. 

The Forum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, membership association recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission as the Standards Development Organization (SDO) for the field of education abroad. The Forum provides training and resources to education abroad professionals and its Standards of Good Practice are recognized as the definitive means by which the quality of education abroad programs may be judged. The Forum’s mission is to cultivate educators who champion high quality education abroad experiences that ignite curiosity, impact lives, and contribute to a better world.