International Academic Initiatives

Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)

The Office of the Provost and International Academic Initiatives office continue to promote, foster, and support Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) at Montclair State University. This innovative, online, globalized pedagogy is a vital, nimble, and powerful tool of internationalization. By leveraging virtual exchange, COIL supports intercultural dialogue, shared curriculum development, and global engagement—without requiring physical travel. This approach enriches course content, fosters professional development, and expands global learning outcomes across institutions. 

To learn more about COIL, please visit our page on current COIL opportunities. 

Erasmus+ Funding

Montclair continues to be successful with Erasmus+ applications, in partnership with our EU partners. The “Erasmus” program was established by the European Union in 1987, promoting closer cooperation between universities across Europe. The Erasmus+ framework was added, for funding with partners outside of the EU as well. Montclair's Erasmus+ awards have included outbound and inbound mobility funding, for faculty and students alike. We have also been funded for specific transnational projects in the arts and social sciences.

When opportunities become available, International Academic Initiatives makes campus-wide calls for proposals, and all are invited to apply. Applications are reviewed by a committee made up of individuals from the Office of the Provost and the International Advisory Committee. To get involved with Erasmus+, faculty, staff, and students can view our current proposals for Erasmus+.

Exchange Programs

Semester and Academic Year Exchange Programs give students the opportunity to directly enroll in one of the 20+ universities abroad with which Montclair State University has partnered. Montclair State University students live and learn alongside host country students.  Exchange programs allow you to pay Montclair State tuition and fees directly to Montclair and then pay accommodation and other fees to the host university. This means you can use both federal and state aid to fund your program. To learn more about our exchanges, please visit this page. Students can additionally email studyabroad@montclair.edu with any questions about the exchange program process. 

Additionally, our exchange program includes the reception of non-degree seeking Inbound Exchange Students from our partner universities. These are students in our international exchanges and National Student Exchanges that come to Montclair State University for a semester or academic year but do not graduate from Montclair State University with a degree. To learn more about the Inbound Exchange Program at Montclair State University, please visit this page. 

Faculty-Led Programs

Faculty-Led Short Programs are when a group of students and faculty travel together with a particular academic focus with in-country engagement through educational site visits, excursions, and engagement with local culture. 

These programs are are either week-long opportunities embedded within a semester course with travel over Fall Break, Winter Break, Spring Break, May, or stand alone summer programs, led by Montclair State University faculty members.

For students interested in seeing our current opportunities, please visit our Faculty-Led webpage on StudioAbroad. 

For faculty members interested in developing a faculty-led program, please visit our Faculty Opportunities Page. 

Fulbright Programs @ Montclair

IAI works actively in all aspects of Fulbright, such as the U.S. Student Program, the U.S. Scholar Program, the Fulbright Foreign Student Program, and the NJ Fulbright Association at Montclair State University. Through these programs, Montclair benefits from connections to scholars, recent graduates, and graduate students from nations and disciplines spanning the globe. Montclair State University students and faculty have been selected as Fulbright grantees in a variety of fields and countries.

To learn more about our Fulbright Programs, please visit this page. 

International Guest House

The International Guest House at 20 Normal Avenue in Montclair, NJ, is primarily used for short-term stays by individuals or small groups of international visitors who have meetings, events, presentations, or other official activities on campus. The guest house is within walking distance of both campus and the Montclair Heights NJ Transit Station. Availability is subject to other reservations and approval by university staff. These rooms are not available for students or student groups. 

The international guest house has four bedrooms available to reserve. Guests have access to clean linens and towels, two full bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, a washer and dryer, the meeting/seminar room, select parking spaces, and wifi. To apply for a stay within the International Guest House, please visit this page.

International Partnerships

IAI works closely with faculty, Chairs, and Deans to develop and maintain strategic international partnerships. These partnerships include foreign academic institutions, governing bodies, non-profit organizations and individuals and serve to create mutually beneficial relationships..

IAI collaboratively builds and nurtures teaching, learning, research and service projects spanning more than 60 international institutions.

To learn about our current International Partnerships, please visit this page.

International Student Success

International Academic Initiatives (IAI) is committed to the academic success of our international students. International student support plays a vital role in fostering academic achievement, engagement, and success in higher education. We have resources, staff, and partnerships with other on-campus offices to help drive this forward.

Currently the Office of International Academic Initiatives supports our International Graduate Student Academic Orientation, EDFD 530: Foundations of Transcultural/Translingual Education, and Academic Inbound Exchange Student Services.  

To learn more about our International Student Success, please visit this page.

National Student Exchange (NSE)

The National Student Exchange (NSE) provides accessible collegiate study away to undergraduate students at member colleges and universities in the United States, Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands while allowing students to pay Montclair State University tuition. Students can choose to study at institutions as close as Boston or as far away as Anchorage for a semester or year while playing Montclair tuition. 

This program allows a study away experience without having to leave the country or have a passport. This program is open to all students who meet Montclair's Study Abroad requirements (including students of DACA/Dreamer status as this is a domestic program that does not require leaving the country). This also includes opportunities to study at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI), Native-Serving Institutions Initiative, and more. 

To learn more about our National Student Exchange, students should meet with their study abroad advisor and visit this page.

Red Hawks Abroad

Red Hawks Abroad is Montclair State University's newest way to study abroad in an exciting model that opens up pathways for students to study abroad in new locations around the world.

These programs were hand-selected by Montclair State University to allow our students to study in new locations around the world in order to meet our growing numbers for semester study abroad programs. In coming semesters, we are going to continue to grow our consortium of programs around the world and open up pathways in collaboration with Colleges and Schools across the institution, allowing students to have predesignated tracks for study abroad programs around the world. In addition, select study abroad providers that were previously considered affiliated will now allow direct billing to our students which will allow our Red Hawks to study abroad in more places than ever before.

To learn more about Red Hawks Abroad, watch our video by clicking on the photo or by visiting this page. 

S.O.A.R. Awards & Study Abroad Scholarships

Montclair State University is committed to making study abroad and away more accessible than ever through our portfolio of scholarships.

With funding secured by the Office of the Provost, International Academic Initiatives is pleased to offer the SOAR Awards. These awards are available to students of any major with demonstrated financial need to assist with the cost of their program. We notably also oversee the Sister City Scholarship with the city of Graz, Austria and serve as certifiers for Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, a federal scholarships for Pell Grant recipients who have been traditionally underrepresented in education abroad.

Beyond these major awards, our office supports several scholarships across academic fields, language, heritage, and so much more. 

To learn more about our study abroad scholarship portfolio, please visit this page.

Visiting Scholars

The Office of International Academic Initiatives (IAI) welcomes international visiting scholars and guests. We are committed to international initiatives across campus by supporting international collaborations, research partnerships and faculty mobility. The Office of International Academic Initiatives administers the Visiting International Research Scholar program for those scholars who wish to affiliate with Montclair to conduct research.

Visiting scholars with a PhD or PhD candidates with teaching or research appointments at a university are eligible to apply for residency at Montclair State University. Scholars without a PhD but who are otherwise appropriately qualified may apply for review. Visiting Scholars must be matched with a Montclair State University faculty host for the duration of their affiliation. The Office of International Academic Initiatives will not be able to coordinate a host for an unaffiliated applicant within the institution. 

To learn more about our visiting scholar program, please visit this page.