While overseas, students spend approximately 20 hours a week in class with their instructors and fellow Flagship participants during the Fall semester. In the spring, class hours are reduced to make time for the part-time internship. Class content varies widely, but typically includes a combination of Turkish language literature, history, politics and culture. Reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills, along with cultural competency, are all emphasized in class.

In addition to language and culture coursework taught in Turkish, students also take a course on the Azerbaijani language—typically for 3 hours a week. This enables students to immerse themselves more deeply in Azerbaijani culture, interact with extended host-family members, and gain another valuable language to add to their toolkit. The credit from all and classes direct enrollment coursework completed abroad is transferred back to IU.

Flagship students also spend time developing their language skills outside of the classroom. Each student meets with conversation partners for several hours each week to improve their speaking skills. Students complete an internship at an organization of their choosing during the spring semester, allowing them to develop their Turkish in a professional setting. The internship typically consists of eight hours per week over a 16-week period.