International Student Success
International Academic Initiatives (IAI) is committed to the academic success of our international students. We have resources, staff, and partnerships with other on-campus offices to help drive this forward.
International student support plays a vital role in fostering academic achievement, engagement, and success in higher education. Students who are adapting to a new educational environment often benefit from targeted resources that help them navigate academic expectations, develop effective learning strategies, and build meaningful connections within the university community. At Montclair State University, international student support contributes to an inclusive learning environment by providing access to academic guidance, campus resources, and opportunities for collaboration and cultural exchange. These services help students strengthen their academic skills, enhance their educational experience, and fully participate in the intellectual and social life of our campus.
International Student Success Support Services
International Graduate Student Academic Orientation
IAI and the Graduate School collaborate to build an academic orientation at the start of each semester. It helps international students become familiar with academic policies and procedures, provides information about campus resources, and facilitates connections between students and Graduate Program Coordinators (GPCs). These mandatory academic orientations are designed to ease international graduate students into the academic community and foster a sense of belonging.
Academic Orientation: Thursday, August 27th
OGE Orientation: Tuesday, August 25th and Wednesday, August 26th
EDFD 530: Foundations of Transcultural/Translingual Education (0 Credits; no tuition costs)
The EDFD 530 course is an incredible resource for new international graduate students of any discipline, and if offered to you with no tuition charges as a 0-credits enrollment. It is taught by Dr. David Schwarzer, Professor, Teaching and Learning, College for Education and Engaged Learning.
EDFD 530 will help you navigate higher education in the U.S. at an advanced level. The course features academic expectations, research practices, faculty/mentor engagement, and so much more. By enrolling, you will equip yourself to navigate your graduate studies expertly, and you will learn about transcultural/translingual education as it exists in a global context. In this course you will analyze the historical, cultural, social, political, legal, and psychological backgrounds of transcultural/translingual education; typology and definitions; programs and practices; legislation and policy; and curriculum affecting culture and language in education. Students with questions about the course can email Dr. David Schwarzer or Sandy Holder, MA., MAHEA
Academic Support from IAI’s Coordinator for International Education
Sandy Holder, MA., MAHEA serves as the Coordinator for International Education. As part of her portfolio she offers academic support and liaison services to degree-seeking International students, mostly graduate students who are new to U.S. academic culture. International students with questions about academic affairs and campus resources are welcome to out to Sandy for support. She attends the EDFD 530 course, and advises via Navigate. Students can email Sandy Holder, MA., MAHEA or book a Navigate appointment here.
International Non-Degree Seeking Exchange Students
IAI also supports inbound exchange students for every aspect of their 1 or 2-semester visit to Montclair except for their visa, which is handled by OGE. Exchange students and Coordinators from partner universities can visit our Inbound Exchange Page, email studyabroad@montclair.edu or email Brooke Klinger, the Program Associate for Inbound Exchange and Campus Engagement, with any questions or concerns. Future exchange students should contact their study abroad coordinator at their home university regarding nominations.