Study AbroadItaly Marketing Study Abroad – Winter Break 2019 (December 14 - 23, 2019)

The program participants will travel from December 14^th to 23^rd, 2019 to Italy. The program will visit Florence, Milan, Pisa, and Rome.

Courses will take place in Spring 2020. Access to the courses will be online through Canvas.

• $3,489.00 Program Fee
• $616.71 Instructional Fee (per course)
• $175.00 Study Abroad Fee (includes international medical insurance)

All students (international/out-of-state and in-state) pay the same course fees.

• The $616.71 Instructional Fee will be due during the regular Spring semester course payment period.

Please note that an initial non-refundable registration fee of $500.00 is due when enrolling. The registration fee can be paid with any major credit card. We cannot accept checks or money orders. Additionally, the initial registration fee cannot be added to a student's Panthersoft (my.fiu.edu) account. The registration fee will be deducted from the program fee.

The program fee includes roundtrip airfare, hotel accommodation (based on double occupancy), daily breakfast, ground transportation, and business and cultural visits.

Students will be responsible for any and all personal and/or additional expenses including (but not exclusive to), travel visas, passport fees, currency exchange fees, internet fees, faxes, phone, lodging incidentals (i.e. room service) or extensions, meals not covered in the program, appropriate tips, vaccinations/inoculations, and any other voluntary tours or excursions not covered in the program. Gratuities are not included. Information about gratuities will be provided during one of the on-campus meetings.

It is recommended for students to speak with their assigned academic advisor to predetermine course approval before enrolling in a study abroad program. This is important to ensure courses meet student's individual academic needs.

1. Students must be FIU degree-seeking students.
   • Recent FIU graduates may participate with pre-approval to join the program as a non-degree seeking student.
2. Non-business FIU students may participate.
3. Students must be in good academic standing and meet the minimum 2.00 GPA.
4. Students must have a health evaluation by a licensed physician to determine suitability to travel (FIU reserves the right to determine suitability to travel).
5. Professional BBA Students should consult with the Professional BBA office before applying.

Students are required to enroll in one of the mandatory courses listed below:

• MAR 4933 - Special Topics in Marketing (3 cr.)
• MAR 4907 - Independent Study in Marketing (3 cr.)
• MAR 6936 - Independent Study in Marketing (graduate course)

Students may choose one additional course:

• MAR 4156 - International Marketing* (3 cr.)*
• MAR 4354 - Marketing Yourself in the Global Marketplace (3 cr.)
• MAR 4503 - Consumer Behavior (3 cr.)*
• MAR 4804 - Marketing Strategy (3 cr.)

Optional courses can be applied toward various Marketing and Logistics Certificates.

All coursework is fully online during the Spring 2020 semester.

This program will include numerous cultural activities as well as business visits to multinational corporations and domestic businesses.

A tentative itinerary will be sent to students upon acceptance to the program.

Financial aid may be used for this study abroad program. Students who wish to use financial aid (grants, scholarships, loans, etc) to help cover the cost of this program must speak with Financial Aid 305.348.7272 to discuss their individual needs.

While we do our utmost to accommodate students with financial aid, please be aware that it is the student’s responsibility for paying the balance of this program by the due dates. In the event the disbursement date of the financial aid funds occurs after our due date, students will be responsible for paying the balance out of their own pocket by such time.

For questions regarding your study abroad application, please contact Global Initiatives within the College of Business at 305.348.4825 or by e-mail Globiz@fiu.edu.

For any questions regarding academics of this program, please contact the program directors for this program:

Professor Elisabeth Beristain
Department of Marketing & Logistics
E-mail: Elisabeth.Beristain@fiu.edu

Professor Vivian Chen
Department of Marketing & Logistics
E-mail: yijchen@fiu.edu

Students must be mindful of the due dates listed below. Failure to submit the requested documents by the due date may result in removal from the program and forfeiture of all monies paid. Students must adhere to these dates in order to successfully participate in this program.

Refunds for Students Not Approved

Students who are not preliminarily approved to participate by academic advising will receive a full refund.

Non-business majors must submit the advisor approval form within 1 week of application submission. If advisor rejection has not been provided within 2 weeks of submitting the application, registration fee refunds will not be possible and students will be liable to any late cancellation penalty’s incurred by the travel agency. 

Student requested withdrawal/cancellation

Registration fees are nonrefundable.

By requesting enrollment to study abroad, students are fully committing to the program and are liable for the total program costs. After September 12^th 2019 students are fully committed to the total program cost and therefore cancellations from the program will not be accommodated.

Students enrolled in this program will be required to attend three on-campus meetings prior to the departure of the trip. One of the mandatory predeparture meetings will be held by the Office of Study Abroad and two of the meetings will be held by the faculty directors (faculty director predeparture meetings are typically held on a Saturday 1PM-5PM). Attendance to all three meetings is mandatory. Students who cannot attend must e-mail the professor and the Office of Global Initiatives in advance and will be required to obtain any missed information. Parents and spouses are always welcome to attend the faculty director meetings, but please know these meetings will mainly discuss the course curriculum.

Faculty Director Pre-departure Meeting 1: TBA
Faculty Director Pre-departure Meeting 2: TBA
Office of Study Abroad Pre-departure Meeting: TBA

Panorama Travel Global Leadership Scholarship

$300 scholarship opportunity for the College of Business Study Abroad Program for students who meet the following requirements:

• Minimum 3.0 GPA
• Admitted in a Study Abroad Program sponsored by Panorama
• Must present proof of Community Service/Volunteer Work (such as a letter from the organization)

To apply for this scholarship, please fill out the Application Form and submit it to Panorama no later than Monday September 30th, 2019

Other Scholarship Resources

• FIU's Office of Study Abroad (OSA) offers scholarship opportunities. Click here to be directed to the OSA webpage.
• Students can also check the FIU Scholarships page at fiu.academicworks.com.

Passport

All students traveling on an FIU sponsored study abroad program must be in possession of a valid passport. Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the date of return. Many countries will not allow entry if the passport expires within six month of the date of return. Students should speak with the individual Embassy or Consulate to determine exact requirements for entry. Students are responsible for ensuring that they are in possession of a valid passport and that it meets entry requirements while traveling internationally. Additionally, students should ensure that they have at least three blank visa pages in their passport.

Travel Visas

All students are responsible for verifying if they require a visa for travel. Students are responsible for applying for travel visas and paying all necessary fees. When applying for a visa, please apply for a tourist visa. Upon request, our office will be able to provide the student with any necessary documentation needed when applying, such as a letter of enrollment verification, an official itinerary, or a copy of airfare/hotel reservation.

These documents should be requested one week in advance from our office. These documents can only be processed once the student has provided us with a copy of their valid passport, and a copy of their student visa/green card (if applicable). Students are urged not to wait until the last moment to apply for their visa.