Fairfield University Office of International Programs earns global recognition | Press Releases

Image: Students in Florence Fairfield University's Office of International Programs has been ranked in the top-4 in the world by Abroad 101 , the world's first and largest study abroad review website. In its third annual "Study Abroad Rankings," released earlier this week. Fairfield University: Florence - Semester or Year in Italy , ranked fourth in the list, following American College Dublin: Dublin - Direct Enrollment & Exchange, CEA: Aix-en-Provence, France, and CAPA International Education: Sydney Study or Intern Abroad. The rankings compiled evaluations from students at over 200 US universities who attended short-term, credit-bearing study abroad programs overseas.

The 2013 rankings honor the highest-rated study abroad programs and locations by American students who have studied abroad. Under the direction of their academic advisors, students complete thorough online evaluations hosted by Abroad101 with both quantitative and qualitative responses. With a database of over 20,000 evaluations and 250,000 individual data points, the Abroad101 rankings provide an in-depth tally of student opinion on study abroad programs; 4,788 reviews were processed in the 2013 rankings.

"Fairfield is extremely gratified that it has been recognized for the excellence of its program in Italy which is now in its 37th year," said Christopher Johnson, Director of International Programs at Fairfield University. "This ranking is a signal that Fairfield's study abroad program has been acknowledged for the quality and exceptional services it provides to its students, who come from more than 70 colleges and universities in the United States and Australia."

Fairfield's Office of International Programs oversees seven study abroad locations, Madrid, Spain; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Managua, Nicaragua; Aix-en-Provence, France; Brisbane, Australia; Galway, Ireland; and Florence, Italy. Most students participating in the Fairfield program in Italy attend classes at the Florence University of the Arts, which is located in the historic city center. Students take at least one three-credit course in Italian language and four additional courses (presented in English).