Summer Bridge Program

Introduction

The skills required for academic success abroad can be challenging for students unfamiliar with the culture of U.S. universities. New skills may be needed to flourish in the CIIS academic environment and cope with the large volume of reading assignments at the start of a busy first semester.

During this two-week intensive this program, international students will have the opportunity to engage academically and connect socially with other new CIIS international students. The Summer Bridge program is designed to challenge you intellectually, sharpen your academic writing skills and give you an early introduction to Institute expectations and culture.  For all of these reasons, CIIS requires all incoming international students participate in the Summer Bridge Program as part of the International Student Orientation.

Course Content

This academic, skills-based program focuses on:

• Preparation for U.S. graduate-level course work or the unique requirements of our undergraduate program
• Practicing reflective writing in which students write about their personal experiences of the course content
• Understanding the U.S. academic environment, writing genres, and citation/plagiarism rules
• Developing a cultural understanding of CIIS classroom interactions and confidence for full participation
• Strengthening English writing skills for academic purposes
• Building skills for effective formal and informal communication in English

Additional Features

• Introduction to CIIS library
• Introduction to San Francisco public transportation through outings
• Opportunity to build a supportive community with other incoming students
• Course format leaves time to search for housing and campus jobs
• Textbooks provided for this course

Additional Events

• Optional résumé and cover letter workshop
• Required New International Student Orientation

2013 Schedule: details will be provided upon your full acceptance to CIIS.

August 5-15, 2013 (Monday through Thursday, 9:30AM- 1PM)

August 9, 2013    optional résumé and cover letter

August 16, 2013     New International Student Orientation

Testimonials

"I thought the class was well planned and delivered...and that we were offered some key tools to help us in our academic process. I particularly found the requirements and details of citation helpful. I'm glad I participated in the course and am grateful to CIIS for offering this support to international students."
- Integral Counseling Psychology student, Canada

"The amount of information (was) impressive, and the unique experience of having other  international students struggling with English and sharing this struggle together gave me the perspective I needed during this transition."
- Drama Therapy Program student, Israel