IPSL

What IPSL does

IPSL Global Engagement is a service-learning and study abroad program operated as a division within Westminster University, a private university headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. The organization was established in 1981 with a mission centered on advancing social justice and promoting sustainability through community-based international engagement. IPSL delivers a portfolio of socially-engaged programs abroad that integrate academic credit with hands-on community service, operating across more than 30 countries spanning North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Central America.

The program offering is broad and modular, spanning graduate degrees and certificates, undergraduate degrees, gap year programs, AmeriCorps-eligible service placements, faculty-directed short-term programs, customized institutional programs, language immersion, research-in-service, and a Master of Arts in Community Organizing and Social Activism. The underlying "technology" is operational rather than software-based: a coordinated network of in-country partner organizations across 30+ countries that provide authentic service placements, cultural immersion, housing, and in-country support, all wrapped in Westminster University's academic infrastructure for credit approval and credentialing. There is no proprietary software platform, app, API, or AI component described in the data.

Revenue mechanics rely on tuition and program fees paid by participating students, structured through Westminster University's standard tuition system. The go-to-market is sales-led, with direct recruitment through Westminster's Global Learning office, supplemented by the university's institutional social channels and third-party listings on platforms such as Study Abroad 101. Customer segments include graduate students, undergraduate students, gap year participants, and faculty-directed cohorts. Note that IPSL is not an independently incorporated entity — it is a program within Westminster University — which fundamentally shapes its strategic, financial, and M&A profile.

Name

IPSL

Legal name

IPSL Global Engagement

Website

https://ipsl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

IPSL Global Engagement operates service-learning study abroad programs in 30+ countries through Westminster University, offering graduate and undergraduate degrees, gap year, AmeriCorps, and customized programs to students seeking academically credited international experiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Study Abroad and Service-Learning Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faculty-Led & Custom Group Study Abroad Programs (EDAIAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

University-Sponsored International Internships & Co-op Placements (EDAIAFAB), Short-Term Exchange & Visiting Student Programs (EDAIABAG), Outbound Exchange Advising, Placement & Nomination Services (EDAIABAL)

Keywords

• Study abroad programs
• Service-learning programs
• International education
• Graduate study abroad
• Community engagement programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Program Fees: IPSL generates revenue through tuition and fees charged to students participating in study abroad programs. Students pay for academic credit and program services including housing, in-country support, and ethical service placements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IPSL Global Engagement provides socially-engaged international study abroad and service-learning programs through Westminster University. It offers graduate degrees and certificates, undergraduate programs, customized programs, AmeriCorps service opportunities, gap year programs, short-term credit and non-credit experiences, language immersion, research in service, and faculty-directed programs across more than 30 countries. Students earn academic credit while participating in ethical community service placements coordinated with in-country partner organizations.

Product overview

IPSL Global Engagement is a unified portfolio of socially-engaged international education programs offered through Westminster University. The program provides a comprehensive suite of offerings including graduate degrees and certificates, undergraduate programs, customized programs, AmeriCorps service opportunities, gap year programs, short-term credit and non-credit options, research in service, faculty-directed programs, language learning, and service learning experiences across 20+ countries worldwide. Programs span from multi-year degree programs to condensed short-term experiences, serving diverse student populations including undergraduates, graduates, and those seeking non-degree educational experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Westminster UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPSL operates as a program within Westminster University's Global Learning division. Westminster University provides institutional infrastructure, academic credit approval, and administrative support for all IPSL programs. IPSL serves as the international service-learning arm of the university.
• AmeriCorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPSL offers AmeriCorps programs allowing students to earn AmeriCorps awards through service-learning placements. Students can serve domestically through AmeriCorps as part of their IPSL experience, combining national service with academic credit.
• In-Country Partners (30+ countries)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPSL maintains established relationships with local organizations and communities in over 30 countries where service placements occur. These partnerships enable authentic community engagement, ethical service projects, and cultural immersion for program participants.
• National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNUNM offers graduate and undergraduate program opportunities in partnership with IPSL, allowing natural medicine students to participate in international service-learning experiences.

Scale indicators1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IES Abroad: Major study abroad provider offering credit-bearing programs across multiple countries with strong university partnerships — comparable to IPSL in audience, academic-credit model and country breadth.
• Child Family Health International (CFHI): Service-learning and global health immersion provider sending students into community-based placements abroad — directly comparable to IPSL's ethical-service, community-immersion model.
• School for Field Studies (SFS): Field-based, service-and-research-oriented study abroad programs tied to environmental and community outcomes — closely comparable to IPSL's Research in Service and Service Learning product lines.
• ISA (International Studies Abroad) by WorldStrides: Large multi-country study abroad provider with service-learning and intern abroad tracks — directly comparable in audience, country breadth and academic-credit delivery.
• SIT Study Abroad (World Learning): Study abroad provider with an explicit experiential-learning and social-justice orientation, including field-based service and research components — directly comparable to IPSL's values-driven, service-learning positioning.
• CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): Largest U.S.-based study abroad program provider offering multi-country, multi-discipline programs with faculty-led, customized and service-learning components — directly comparable to IPSL's core offering across 30+ countries.
• API (Academic Programs International, part of WorldStrides): Multi-country study abroad provider with faculty-led, customized and intern-abroad options — comparable to IPSL in program structure, university channel relationships and multi-country catalog.
• Global Volunteers: Service-trip operator running short-term, ethical-service programs internationally — comparable to IPSL's short-term, gap-year and community-engagement offerings, though without the university-credit layer.

Emerging players

• Amizade: Smaller service-learning program provider focused on community-driven international placements — a niche, values-aligned comparable to IPSL's ethical-service, community-organizing positioning, though operating at a smaller scale.

Broad incumbents

• Semester at Sea (Institute for Shipboard Education): Multi-country academic study abroad program operating at much larger scale with university credit — broader incumbent in the multi-country, credit-bearing study abroad category IPSL occupies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/WestminsterSLC
• Facebookfacebook.com/westminsteruniversity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/westminsteru-slc
• Instagraminstagram.com/westminsterslc
• TikToktiktok.com/@westminsterslc
• Xx.com/ipsl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IPSL