Internship and Study Semester in Asia Pacific Semester Program (ISSAP)
Designed for students wishing to combine a semester of coursework with practical experience, the Internship and Study Semester in Asia Pacific (ISSAP) Program offers eight weeks of concentrated classes in Sydney followed by an internship in Auckland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Tokyo, or Sydney, with both fall and spring options. This unique schedule allows students to focus first on their coursework, and in the second half of the semester to give full attention to their role as a young professional in the working world.
Classes are taught by local faculty in two four-week blocks, and students enroll in 1-2 courses per block for a total of 9-12 credits. Core courses are targeted primarily at students majoring in some aspect of business and include:
- Introduction to Marketing
- Introduction to Service and Operations Management
- Management and Organization Behavior
- Global Business Environment
- International Marketing
- Principles of Finance
- International Finance
- Business Information Systems
Courses may be added to accommodate partner institutions’ needs (for example in accounting), and syllabi are available upon request. Credit may be granted directly by the home institution or via GAV’s School of Record.
After a break or group excursion, students either return to Sydney or meet GAV staff in a new location to commence their unpaid, full-time internship for the second half of the semester. Internships may be credit-bearing or not, depending on country-specific requirements, and as the home institution prefers; they are available in a wide variety of fields.
Accommodations in Sydney are shared, air-conditioned apartments furnished with kitchen, living room, Wi-Fi internet, and on-site laundry facilities. Accommodations in other locations may be shared apartments or hotels.
In addition to accommodation, the ISSAP Program fee typically includes several short excursions and cultural experiences, all of which may be customized upon request by the partner institution.
Visas processes and fees vary depending on the student's choice of internship location. Any visa costs are not included in the program fee.
Singapore Management University Direct Enroll
GAV has partnered with Singapore Management University (SMU) to deliver a dynamic and immersive semester experience. This 17-week program combines traditional coursework with built-in cultural activities and opportunity for independent travel around Singapore and Southeast Asia during recess week (Week 9).
Participants enroll directly at SMU and benefit from access to its extensive academic portfolio. Students may select from a diverse range of disciplines, including Accounting, Communication, Finance, Political Science, and Psychology. They will also have the option to add 1-2 courses through GAV’s School of Record, allowing them to tailor their studies to align with their academic and personal goals. A unique program inclusion is the Global Leader Speaker Series which offers students direct engagement with influential figures across government, industry, academia, and the cultural sector. Through these seven sessions, students gain nuanced insight into Singapore’s economic landscape, leadership practices, and business culture to enhance their in-classroom learning. While studying, students will live in shared apartment-style accommodation conveniently located to public transportation, allowing a seamless commute to campus.
For students seeking additional practical experience, the program offers an optional two-week consulting project in one of the following global cities: Sydney, Auckland, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Tokyo, or Ho Chi Minh City. These unpaid placements are structured to provide hands-on, project-based experience within an accelerated timeframe.
This program is available in both spring and fall semesters.
International and Domestic Individual Internships
GAV recognizes that, aside from the credential of an undergraduate degree, the next most important area of a student’s resume is relevant work experience. This allows a student to put classroom knowledge into practice in a real-world professional environment and should provide an advantage when seeking a job upon graduation.
Due to its extensive professional networks across myriad industries in multiple Pacific-Rim locations, GAV is able to offer unpaid individual internships in career fields such as accounting, finance, government and public policy, hospitality and tourism, sports and events management, marketing and sales, professional and technical writing, and many more. Internships are offered for eight to ten weeks during the U.S. summer in locations with a GAV staff presence: Auckland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Tokyo, and Sydney. Students are expected to intern for a minimum of 8 weeks, full time, during a company’s normal business hours, and are strongly encouraged to participate in staff meetings, client meetings, networking events, and any out of-hours corporate events.
An internship experience is designed to help each student expand their understanding of their chosen career field. Though students (or partner institutions) are able to select their internship location, successful placement depends on each student’s skills, previous experience, academic record, and the host organization’s preference.
Accommodations may be shared apartments or hotels and are included in the program fee. In addition to accommodation, the internship program fee typically includes several check-in meals, short excursions, and cultural experiences, all of which may be customized upon request by the partner institution.
Visas processes and fees vary depending on the student's choice of internship location. Any visa costs are not included in the program fee.
Internships may be credit-bearing or not, depending on the preference of the home institution and requirements of the host country. Course instruction, grading, and transcripts can be provided by the home institution or furnished by GAV’s School of Record for an additional fee, if necessary.
Internships may be offered in-person or virtually. For the virtual option, students are expected to communicate electronically with their supervisors and/or work teams as they complete assigned tasks, and may be asked to attend online meetings live, often in the evening hours in U.S. time zones for those interning with Pacific-Rim companies.
International and Domestic Group Internships
GAV recognizes that, aside from the credential of an undergraduate degree, the next most important area of a student’s resume is relevant work experience. This allows a student to put classroom knowledge into practice in a real-world professional environment and should provide an advantage in finding a job upon graduation. Group-based internships are ideal for institutions seeking shorter (4-6 week) placements for small clusters of students (3-4) in the same or complementary disciplines who can work together on a project and deliver a needed product to the sponsoring organization at the end of the internship period.
Due to its extensive professional networks across myriad industries in multiple Pacific-Rim locations, GAV is able to offer unpaid group-based internships in career fields such as accounting, finance, government and public policy, hospitality and tourism, sports and events management, marketing and sales, professional and technical writing, and many more. Group internships are offered for four to six weeks during the U.S. summer, or in January before spring semester, in locations with a GAV staff presence: Auckland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Tokyo, and Sydney. Students are expected to intern 4-5 days per week during a company’s normal business hours, and are strongly encouraged to participate in staff meetings, client meetings, networking events, and any out of-hours corporate events. They must also be committed to their group and understand the project-based nature of this unique internship opportunity.
An internship experience is designed to help each student expand their understanding of their chosen career field. Though students (or partner institutions) are able to select their internship location, successful placement depends on each student’s skills, previous experience, academic record, and the host organization’s preference. This option works best when overseen by a faculty member from the home institution who can advise GAV on optimal cluster formation and be available to students either live or via electronic communication to provide guidance as needed.
Accommodations may be shared apartments or hotels and are included in the program fee. In addition to accommodation, the internship program fee typically includes several check-in meals, short excursions, and cultural experiences, all of which may be customized upon request by the partner institution.
Visas processes and fees vary depending on the student's choice of internship location. Any visa costs are not included in the program fee.
Internships may be credit-bearing or not, depending on the preference of the home institution and requirements of the host country. Course instruction, grading, and transcripts can be provided by the home institution or furnished by GAV’s School of Record for an additional fee, if necessary.
Internships may be offered in-person or virtually. For the virtual option, students are expected to communicate electronically with their supervisors and/or work teams as they complete assigned tasks, and may be asked to attend online meetings live, often in the evening hours in U.S. time zones for those interning with Pacific-Rim companies. Virtual group-based internships can be offered during regular fall and spring semesters as well as during break periods.
Faculty-Led Short Courses
More and more U.S. institutions recognize the value of offering short-term faculty-led programs abroad, often with a focus on a specific discipline area. GAV has been organizing such programs since its inception in 2005 and now boasts more than 100 college and university partners whose faculty regularly lead students on journeys of academic discovery to Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, and other Pacific locations. GAV is also able to arrange such programs in Western and Central Europe. Most programs focus on business and include visits to companies in industries relevant to the site. Student groups may hear talks by senior company personnel, engage in Q&A with mid-level managers, and/or tour manufacturing facilities, depending on the topic of the course and the requests of the faculty leader. Programs typically take place during spring break, Maymester, U.S. summer, or during winter break, and run from one to four weeks.
Understanding that faculty have myriad responsibilities, GAV provides full-service support: organizing accommodations and transportation, planning excursions and cultural events, identifying and securing company visits and speakers, and troubleshooting problems and assisting in emergencies.
Given the complexity of arranging these fully customized programs, institutions are advised to contact GAV at least 18 months in advance of travel to explore options.
Spring Break, Maymester, D-Term, J-Term Business Short Courses
Responding to the increasing need for today’s students to graduate with broad knowledge of global business strategies and practices, GAV arranges short courses in mid-December and mid-May that are built around lectures by local faculty and visits to companies in key international industries. Partner institutions may send a faculty member to accompany their students and provide additional classroom time and academic support. Alternatively, students may participate unaccompanied, in which case GAV’s local faculty assumes responsibility for academic matters; coursework can be accredited by the home institution or by GAV’s School of Record. In either case, GAV provides full-service support: organizing accommodations and transportation, planning excursions and cultural events, identifying and securing company visits and speakers, and troubleshooting problems and assisting in emergencies.
