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This study abroad program is coordinated by the Northern Illinois University Study Abroad Office (SAO), in cooperation with the NIU College of Business and Department of Marketing.
PROGRAM DATES:The overseas component of the program will officially begin with departure from O'Hare International Airport on Friday, January 4 and conclude on Monday, January 14, 2019 with arrival back in Chicago. In addition to the overseas portion of the program, participants will officially begin the study program with two pre-program meeting on Saturday in November at NIU Naperville and during the week of December 17, 2018, location to be determined. There will also be a post-program meeting in February 2019.
PROGRAM DIRECTOR: Ann Carrel, Assistant Dean, MBA Programs, NIU College of Business. Dr. Carrel has led previous MBA Study Abroad Programs to sites such as UAE and South Africa, Ireland, China and Singapore, Australia, Turkey and the United Kingdom, Germany and Austria, Denmark and Norway, Italy, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, Portugal and Spain, and Chile and Brazil.
Ann Carrel is responsible for coordination and logistics of the program. She will conduct orientation and pre-trip student meetings and she will lead the MBA Study Abroad Program with the assistance of expert colleagues located in the site destinations.
OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE:The overall purpose of this program is to provide participants an opportunity to be exposed to the international business environment and practices outside the United States. Focus will be on gaining an understanding of Latin American business and globalization. This program will provide participants an opportunity to develop insight into the cultural, social, and political environments as well as the business practices of the countries visited.
PROGRAM SITES: The program will take place in Lima, Peru and Panama City, Panama.
Lima, Peru. Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the central coastal part of the country, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms an urban area known as the Lima Metropolitan Area. With a population approaching 9 million, Lima is the most populous are of Peru and the fifth largest city in the Americas. Lima was founded by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535, as Ciudad de los Reyes. It became the capital and most important city in the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru. Following the Peruvian War of Independence, it became the capital of the Republic of Peru. Today, around one-third of the Peruvian population lives in the metropolitan area. Lima is home to one of the oldest higher learning institutions in the New World. The National University of San Marco, founded in 1551 during Spanish colonial regime, is the oldest continuously functioning university in the Americas. In October 2013, Lima was chosen in a ceremony in Toronto to host the 2019 Pan American Games, winning with an enormous advantage over the other two finalist cities.
Panama City, Panama. Panama City is largest city and capital of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of approximately 900,000, with a total metro population of just more than 1.4 million, and is located at the Pacific Coast entrance of the Panama Canal. The city was founded in the 16th century and has become a hub of shipping and industry, in part due to its proximity to the Panama Canal, built at the turn of the 20th century. From 1980s to the mid-1990s, Panama experienced political turmoil and a lackluster economy however by the late 1909s, commerce improved in response to a new stable government. Panama City has a young population with a cultural mix, most notably those born from a mix of Native American and European ancestry, and those of both European and African heritage.
PROGRAM AUDIENCE: Space is limited to 20 NIU Evening MBA students. Students must have Graduate School good academic standing (cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better) to be eligible for participation. Space is limited and qualified applicants will be accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis. Minimum of 10 participants required.
PROGRAM SESSIONS: The program has formal visits which will average about three hours each day. The type of presentation will vary from company to company; however, almost all presentations will include input by management personnel. The sessions may include lectures, panel discussions, plant tours, or some combination of all these elements. Past experience has shown that students learn a great deal from the question/answer session which is a part of each visit; thus, students' questions are highly encouraged. Sessions are normally held in the mornings and/or the afternoons. In some instances, a company will have a session that lasts the entire day; however, as mentioned above, most will run from two to four hours. There will be free time during the day to allow participants access to shopping facilities, banks, and other facilities of interest that are not normally open in the evening or on Saturdays and Sundays.
ACADEMIC CREDIT: For satisfactory participation in the program, MBA student participants will be enrolled for the Spring 2019 term and will receive three (3) semester hours of graduate credit in the following NIU course.
MKTG 601: International Study in Marketing3 semester hours
Short-term study abroad experience to study cultural differences, problems, issues, trends, and practices in marketing within the international environment. Includes visits to foreign organizations, presentations by marketing managers and executives, and discussions with foreign and domestic international faculty. PRQ: Phase One Completed.
OR
MKTG 660: Marketing Seminar3 semester hours
Topics vary but usually focus on current issues in managing marketing functions or recent developments in knowledge or skills for marketing professionals. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 semester hours. PRQ: Phase One Completed.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Participants must attend meetings prior to and after the overseas component of the program. These meetings will be held at the NIU Hoffman Estates or Naperville centers with Dr. Carrel. MBA student participants must attend all scheduled program activities to include: business visits, lectures with business executives, and city tours, and other activities included in the itinerary. The course requirements consist of assigned readings, a pre-program gradable assignment, and a course paper. These requirements are outlined in the attached PDF: Evening MBA Study Abroad Program - Peru & Panama - January 2019.pdf.
APPLICATION AND ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS: The program is open to NIU Evening MBA students who are interested in international marketing strategy and management of global business. Students must be in good academic standing at the time of application. Students who are on academic probation are not eligible to participate. Applicants must participate in the entire program. Except in cases of extreme emergency, students may not arrive after or depart before the dates indicated on the program itinerary.
Students cannot have any encumbrances against their NIU records. Any encumbrances placed on a student’s records by NIU (i.e., the Graduate School, Undergraduate Admissions, Bursar’s Office, Accounts Receivable, Registration and Records, Office of Student Conduct, Health Services, Parking Services, etc.) must be cleared before a student is granted admission to a study abroad program.
Click the Apply Now button to begin the online application process for this program. The online process provides guidance on requesting information, advising, or applying for the program. More detailed instructions can be found on the https://niu.studioabroad.com
APPLICATION DEADLINE:
Pre-application form for the program is due to the MBA Program Office by October 8, 2018 with a copy of the information page of passport.
The online application on the NIU Study Abroad Portal must be completed by October 8, 2018.
$1,000 DEPOSIT: Applied to the program cost. By submitting the signed pre-application for the January 2019 Study Abroad Program, the Business Manager of the Division of International Affairs is authorized to charge $1,000 to student applicant’s MyNIU account. The deposit will be applied toward the full program cost.
Space in this program is limited, so early application is recommended.
Upon acceptance into the program, applicants must change their status to “Committed” and complete all post-decisions items on the Study Abroad Portal in order to be considered an active participant and reserve their place in the program.
Accepted applicants who have not changed their status to “Committed” by October 8 will be withdrawn from the program.
NIU PROGRAM COST: The cost of the program covers the following cost related items:
1) Round-trip airfare from and to U.S. and between country destinations
2) Twin Room hotel accommodations (single supplement available)
3) Daily continental breakfast
4) In-room WIFI Access
5) Land transportation for all program itinerary activities
6) Sightseeing and excursions as outlined in the itinerary
7) Program visits to businesses/industries
8) Assigned course text and other reading materials
9) NIU MBA tuition for three semester hours of graduate credit (one MBA elective)
Program Cost: $5,775*
*This amount represents the total amount in programs charges and fees that will be paid to NIU for this program. Please note the following charges will post individually on your MyNIU account on or about November 15 and, when combined will equal the program cost listed above.
Study Abroad Program Charge
Instructional Cost
NIU Academic Program Enhancement Fee (if applicable)
All prices quoted are subject to change. The information contained in the program documents and forms is presented in good faith and is believed to be correct as of the date presented. Northern Illinois University reserves the right to amend, modify, revise, or delete any information appearing in these documents, including but not limited to the cost of the program.
ADDITIONAL COSTS TO PARTICIPANTS: Other expenses that will be incurred by the participants include:
Cost of acquiring or renewing a passport (approximately $140, including passport photos)
Most lunches and dinners
Entrance fees for free-time pursuits
Purchases of a personal nature
Any country travel visas required for entry or country exit fees (subject to change by governments)
The amount of spending money recommended by past participants ranges from $50-$150 per day, depending on an individual’s spending habits.
As a participant in a study abroad program through NIU, you may be eligible for: Pell Grant, SEOG, Perkins Loan, PLUS Loan, Subsidized or Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, MAP Award or your privately awarded scholarship with consent of awarding organization. Tuition waivers do not apply. Please contact the Study Abroad Office for more information.
WITHDRAWAL FROM THE PROGRAM: Applicants withdrawing from the program after October 8, 2018 will be held accountable for the program deposit and any funds obligated on their behalf.
For more information on the withdrawal policy, please contact the Instructor of Record, Ann Carrel.
CANCELLATION OF THE PROGRAM: The Study Abroad Office reserves the right to cancel this program if the minimum required enrollment is not attained. If, prior to the commencement of the program, a U.S. State Department Travel Advisory 3 or 4is issued for any of the countries to be visited, all applicants will be notified promptly of the warning and the possibility of cancellation of the program. If, during the course of the program, a U.S. State Department Travel Advisory 3 or 4 is issued for a country the group is currently in, students will be promptly notified of the warning and the advisability of canceling the program.
The information contained in the program documents and forms are presented in good faith and is believed to be correct as of the date presented. Northern Illinois University reserves the right to amend, modify, revise, or delete any information appearing in these documents, including but not limited to the cost of the program.
PASSPORT: All participants must have a passport in order to participate in this program. Important Note: U.S. passports must be valid SIX months beyond the intended stay overseas. Individuals who do not currently posses a valid passport should apply for one immediately. Information on acquiring a passport is available at the U.S. State Department’s Website: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports.html. Non-U.S. passport holders may need special visas for travel in these countries and are responsible for obtaining necessary visas.
QUESTIONS?
Please contact the Study Abroad Office
Williston Hall 417
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, IL 60115
Phone: (815) 753-0700
Email: niuabroad@niu.edu
