1. How is a skills institute different from a traditional course?

IC Skills Institutes are where theory meets practice, offering the opportunity to gain practical application in your field of study. As a weekend intensive, skills institutes are held from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, and often require some group work and light homework. 

2. Do I need to be enrolled as a student at American University to attend a skills institute?

You do not need to be registered as a student at American University to attend one of our skills institutes. However, you must be a graduate student at American University to gain academic credit for your participation.

3. How do I register?

Registration for skills institutes is open until the week before the skills institute is to take place. In other words, you are able to register for a skills institute well into the semester past the last day for add/drop. To register for academic credit, please see your advisor. 

If you are registering for non-credit, please fill out the IMI Skills Institute Registration Form and send it to IMI via fax, e-mail, or mail. Payment is accepted in the form of check or money order.  

For more information, contact IMI at 202.885.6434, imi@american.edu

4. How many credit hours are skills institutes?

You earn one credit hour for every skills institute you attend as a graduate student.

5. How do skills institutes fit into my course of study?

IC Skills Institutes are available for all fields of graduate study. See your advisor to see how skills institutes can work for you.

6. Will a skills institute affect my grade point average?

No. IC Skills Institutes are graded on a pass/fail basis. If you require a letter grade for your participation, we recommend contacting the SIS International Peace and Conflict Resolution program, or the SIS International Development program.