Goucher College partners with Verto Education to expand commitment to global education

Goucher College announced it has become a partner school with Verto Education, allowing students to spend their first year of college abroad. Incoming college first-year students can now opt to spend their first semester, or year, abroad earning general education credits, and seeing the world before continuing their studies on campus with Goucher. Verto’s unique approach allows students to begin their college career with small classes in an international environment that will help them determine their academic path. Goucher College is the first school to partner with Verto in Maryland and is the 29th partner for Verto Education.

Founded in 2018, Verto has re-imagined a first year in college, getting students out of the classroom and into the world for a once-in-a-lifetime educational and cultural experience, without derailing or delaying the full four-year college path. Verto is the only international first-year experience that partners with colleges to give full class credits so students can graduate in four years. Verto’s goal is to positively impact student outcomes, including four-year graduation rates, while also helping students develop the skills to make them successful in college and their career.

“An international focus is at the heart of a Goucher education. Not only did the college’s founder travel the world to work with different cultures in the 1800s, but Goucher was also the first liberal arts college in the nation to require a study abroad experience for all of our students,” said Jonathan Lindsay, Goucher College’s interim vice president of enrollment management. “Partnering with Verto Education is a natural extension of this long-standing commitment to preparing students for success in an increasingly global marketplace.”

Students who attend a semester with Verto earn general education and elective credits that transfer seamlessly to Goucher after their semester or year abroad. The student-to-teacher ratio is a priority, as students are enrolled in small classes and cultural immersion is prioritized through the custom curriculum. Verto offers many study options for students, including international business in Milan, world politics in London, business ethics and global development in Southeast Asia, public health and sustainability in Latin America, or species conservation and ecology in the South Pacific.