Study Abroad
BUS P256 — Business in a “Flat” World 2013
The Course (Spring 2013 – Second 8 Weeks)
Are you ready for an intensive cultural immersion? Our three-credit hour course, Business in a ‘Flat’ World (BUS P256), is taught by Ramesh Venkataraman, Chair of the MSIS Program, Associate Professor of Information Systems, and Whirlpool Faculty Fellow during the second 8 weeks of the spring semester. The course covers globalization and emerging economies in general and the economy and businesses of India in particular. The course also introduces you to India’s history and culture.
Final course grades will be withheld until the completion of the required trip to India. You should be aware that this is an academic trip. You will be expected to behave and dress in a professional manner. Participation and conduct will be part of the course grade. The travel component of the trip can be physically intense and students should be prepared for long days in a hot climate.
BUS P256 can be used as an elective toward the International Business major, the Supply Chain Management major, or the Information and Process Management major. The course does not apply to the World Language and Cultures requirement nor the sophomore Global Foundation Core.
The Trip
The tentative dates for the trip are May 10-20, 2013. There will be a mandatory pre-trip orientation course in Bloomington the day before the trip, tentatively the afternoon of Thursday, May 9. Housing for Thursday evening will be provided. This pre-orientation course will be held in lieu of the first course (scheduled for March 8, the Friday before spring break) which will be cancelled. You will be bused together with the group to the airport on the morning of Friday, May 10. In India, three days will be spent touring Delhi and Agra, home of the Taj Mahal, and the remaining days will be spent in Bangalore. In both Delhi and Bangalore, you will visit local businesses, academic and government institutions, and NGOs. The $3,500 cost of the trip includes housing for the orientation in Bloomington, travel to the airport, roundtrip airfare, hotel accommodations, daily breakfast, entrance fees, visa, and travel insurance. You are advised to budget $50 per day to cover lunch and dinner, and you will also be asked to contribute $40 cash toward tips for bus drivers and tour guides and toward any group meals that are planned.
Beyond these costs, you will be responsible to pay for any immunizations or medications you choose to receive. None are required, but many are suggested. You will have the chance to meet with a travel clinic nurse from IU, or you may opt to see your family physician.
The Application
BUS P256 is open to Kelley Direct Admit freshmen only, and space is limited to 28 participants.
Decisions will be made by Thursday, January 3. You will have until Friday, January 10 to accept or decline an offer of acceptance. If you accept the offer, a non-refundable $500 deposit will be charged to your bursar account on Monday, January 14. The remaining balance of $3,000 will be charged Friday, March 22. Please be aware that this is a selective program. While there is no GPA requirement, past participants have had an average GPA of 3.6.
There are three scholarship opportunities for students interested in the “Business in the Flat World” program:
1. The Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) is offering U.S. citizens who have completed the FAFSA $500 scholarships to defray the cost of this course. Interested students should email the completed CIBER scholarship form by Monday, December 10 at 4:30 pm.
2. The Kelley Office of International Programs has a limited number of scholarships for the India program. To apply, students must turn in a hard copy of the Kelley India Scholarship Application with two essays and a printout of their financial summary from OneStart. The application is located on the main BUS-P 256 webpage. Students should turn all materials in a sealed envelope to BU 218 by Monday, December 10, at 4:30 pm.
3. Hutton International Experience Program (HIEP) Scholarship- Emerging Markets. If your cumulative GPA is 3.4 or higher, you are eligible to apply for the HIEP Scholarship. You do NOT need to be a member of the Hutton Honors College in order to apply. The deadline for the HIEP Scholarship is Friday, March 8, 2013 at noon and requires a faculty recommendation among other things. To apply for the HIEP Scholarship, please go to http://www.indiana.edu/~iubhonor/hds/overseas.php. Use Checklist #2. For item 3, please print the BUS P256 acceptance email you will receive on or before January 3, 2013.
Since you must register for spring courses before admission decisions are made, you are advised to register for a full semester load (12-17 credits). You should try to keep Fridays 10:00 am-12:30 pm free. If you are accepted into the program, the 3 credits may put you over the 17 credit hour limit; if this is the case, you should be prepared to drop one of your other courses. Note that you will be administratively enrolled into BUS P256 if you are accepted; you will not have to use OneStart to register for this course.
For more information contact Tia Trueblood, tiatrueb [at] indiana [dot] edu or view the Kelley in India 2012 photo album on the Kelley School Study Abroad Facebook Page.
