When you picture yourself at college, what do you see? Whatever your vision—whether it’s spending late nights in the lab, becoming friends for life with your hallmates, or taking classes that turn your passions into your purpose—your future is distinctively yours.

UNC Asheville’s 394-acre campus is in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains, one mile north of downtown Asheville. An outstanding learning community, UNCA focuses its resources on academic excellence in undergraduate liberal arts education and community partnerships with the region. The university has received national recognition for its interdisciplinary approach to undergraduate liberal arts education, specifically its undergraduate research and humanities programs.

As North Carolina’s designated public liberal arts and sciences university, we dare to connect curiosity and critical thinking, courage and challenge, imagination and impact, opportunity and responsibility. And the classroom is just the beginning. Hone your skills, make connections, and discover new passions in one of our 60+ student organizations and clubs.

The next time you picture yourself at college, think about the unique experience you want to have. And remember that we want your voice, vision, and original mind to flourish with us at UNC Asheville. As an ISEP student, you can build your own program by choosing your courses from various fields. Use the notes for course searching to help you find which courses are available.


HOUSING

ISEP students are housed in traditional double rooms on-campus. They have the option to upgrade to single room if they like, but will have to pay the upgrade costs directly to the University of Memphis. All on-campus residence halls are available to ISEP students, however most students choose to live in either Ponder Hall or Governs Hall.

Students will need to either bring their linens with them or buy them when they arrive. The mattresses in all of our residence halls (except for Founders Hall) have extra-long twin mattresses (86 inches). We encourage students to get extra-long linens because they will also comfortably fit the regular mattresses in Founders Hall.

Residence halls close during most vacation periods, and many international students take this opportunity to travel. However, if a student needs to stay on campus during a vacation period, they may notify the Study Abroad office at the beginning of the term (BEFORE September 1 for the fall semester and before February 1 for the Spring semester), and housing will be arranged; students may need to temporarily relocate.

MEALS

ISEP students will be automatically enrolled in the Unlimited +50 Meal Plan. This includes unlimited swipes into the dining hall and $50 of Bulldog Bucks to purchase food at other eateries on campus. A stipend will be paid for breaks that occur during either semester. No meal stipend will be paid for the winter break (December-January).

Program Website

Course Description

UNC Asheville offers a diverse academic environment that nurtures excellence and innovation in popular majors such as psychology, English, business, environmental studies, biology, art, and computer science, along with other unique areas of study such as new media, mechatronics, atmospheric sciences, and so much more.

Credits Earned

Students who complete the program in good standing can expect to earn 12-15 credits per term. Students typically enroll in 4-5 courses per term which average 12 to 16 hours in class per week. A term runs for about 15 weeks. To determine how these credits convert at your home institution, please contact your home university coordinator. 

If you use financial assistance, please speak with your home coordinator to understand your academic obligations and the requirements for using financial assistance.  

Sample Classes Available:

International Studies 

Psychology 

Biology 

Visual/Performing Arts 

Business 

Philosophy of Human Rights 

Research Methods 

Current Topics in Biology 

Drawing 

Organizational Behavior and Theory 

Indigenous Pacific Women’s Writing 

Psychology of Exceptional Children 

Concepts of Ecology and Evolution 

Ceramics 

Legal and Ethical Environment 

Cross-Cultural Encounters 

Abnormal Psychology 

Principles of Botany 

Printmaking 

Entrepreneurship 

Asia in the 21st Century 

Developmental Psychology 

Human Anatomy and Histology 

Visual Culture 

Management Information Systems 

Writings of Pico Iyer 

Psychology and Law 

Entomology 

Art of the Travelogue 

Global Finance 

 

For detailed instructions on how to search for all available courses, please click on the "other academic conditions" dropdown link below.

Website for Course Availability

ISEP STUDENT SERVICES OFFICER Olivia Cordero 703-504-9980 | Ocordero@isep.org Thank you for your interest in ISEP Study Abroad! I’m your Student Services Officer and main point of contact here at ISEP. As you search for programs, I’ll be available to answer any questions you might have. Feel free to contact me at any point in your search process for help, tips or advice.

Academics

Undergraduate
(in English)

Fields of Study

  • Area Studies:

    African Studies Asian Studies Gay/Lesbian Studies Latin American Studies Native American Studies Women’s Studies

  • Biology: Recommended!

    Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Neuroscience

  • Business: Recommended!

    Accounting Business Management Economics Entrepreneurship Finance International Business/Trade/Commerce Marketing

  • Communication:

    Journalism Mass Communication/Media Studies

  • Computer and Information Sciences Recommended!

    Web Page/Multimedia Design

  • Education

    Elementary Education

  • English Language and Literature Recommended!

    Writing

  • Foreign Languages and Literatures:

    Ancient/Classical Greek Language and Literature French Language and Literature German Language and Literature Hebrew Language and Literature Spanish Language and Literature

  • Health Sciences

    Health and Wellness

  • History: Recommended!

    Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies and Archaeology Asian History European History

  • International/Global Studies Recommended!

    International Relations and Affairs

  • Law/Criminal Justice:

    Criminology Legal Studies

  • Mathematics

    Statistics

  • Natural Resources/Conservation: Recommended!

    Environmental Science Sustainability Studies

  • Philosophy and Religious Studies: Recommended!

    Philosophy Religious Studies

  • Physical Sciences:

    Astronomy Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Chemistry Geology/Earth Science Physics

  • Psychology Recommended!

  • Social Sciences: Recommended!

    Anthropology Political Science and Government Sociology

  • Visual and Performing Arts: Recommended!

    Acting Art History Art Studies Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management Cinematography and Film Production Drama and Theatre Arts Film Studies Graphic Design Jazz Studies Music Performance Music Technology Music Theory and Composition Painting Photography Studio Arts

Academic Requirements

  • TOEFL iBT Score: 80
  • Institutional TOEFL Score: 550
  • IELTS Score: 6.5
  • Duolingo Total: 105

Special Application Instructions

Course Prerequisite

For all areas of study, some courses may have prerequisites that must be completed prior to enrollment in a course.

To view the prerequisites for UNC Asheville courses, go to the Course Descriptions link here.

Select the title of the course you are interested in and it will state at the end of the description the course code (example: ACCT 415) which is attributed to a specific course.

Portfolio Requirements

If you want to take courses in fine arts, music, dance, or other visual & performing arts fields, you may need to submit a portfolio in addition to your ISEP application. Please contact your Student Services Officer for additional information. 

Internal Application

Once confirmed and accepted in the ISEP portal, students should receive emails from their host ISEP coordinator regarding internal applications and forms 

It is important to complete all internal forms in a timely manner, as this affects course registration  

Accommodations

University of North Carolina at Asheville has certain services available to students with reasonable accommodation requests. In general, mobility, visual, hearing, mental health, speech, and learning accommodations can be arranged. Students should speak with their ISEP Student Services Officer in advance to request if specific accommodations can be arranged.

Scholarship Opportunity:

Janet Spreckels Study Abroad Scholarship

Are you interested in the University of North Carolina, Asheville? Students coming from Austria, Germany, or Switzerland may apply for this scholarship after ISEP has placed them at Asheville! 

  • You could be awarded a stipend of up to $1,000! 
  • Applicants from any field of study may apply
  • Click here to apply! (after being admitted to UNC Asheville)

Janet Spreckels was a German exchange student at the University of North Carolina, Asheville, from the University of Heidelberg in 1996. Her time in Asheville was formative and life-changing, leaving her with many memories of our strong faculty and generous campus culture. After graduating from the University of Heidelberg, she went on to earn a doctorate and hold positions of junior professor at the College of Education in Freiburg and full professor at the College of Education in Heidelberg.

Special Needs Support

  • Mental Health
  • Mobility
  • Hearing
  • Visual
  • Speech
  • Learning

Other Academic Conditions

Academics

How to search for courses

Our semester courses are found on the UNC Asheville Registrar's Office webpage.

Click on Calendars and Schedules, then click on Schedule of Classes and Exams.

Next, click on the appropriate semester to see the courses that are being offered.

If you are interested in the course description, you can find that on our Catalog page.

Select the most recent catalog to find the course descriptions.

Academic Limitations

All fields except engineering are appropriate for ISEP participants.

Note that education courses are extremely limited.  

Departure Notes

Students are responsible for staying until the end of the semester and may not leave before the final date of their semester exams. Neither ISEP nor UNC Asheville can guarantee an early departure; leaving early may result in a failing exam grade and/or forfeit of credit.  

 

PASSPORT: All students must have a valid passport to participate in this program. If you do not have a valid passport, we suggest you start the application process as soon as possible.

VISA: All non-U.S. citizens will be required to obtain a visa. For more information on the process and estimated cost, please review the ISEP Country Handbook here.

Semester & Prices (based on your filters)

Select a semester to calculate the price. Semesters are named according to host university's calendar.


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