Business Administration
- Program Overview
- Dates
- Academic Courses
- Cost
- Financial Assistance
- Payments and Refund Policy
- Application Procedure
- Passports and Visas
- Contacts
Program Overview
This Field School will cover key areas involved in creating and maintaining business relationships between Canada and European Union countries. Canadian and other international companies need to know how to work with the economies of the EU, especially in light of The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) recently signed by Canada and the EU. Field School participants will gain insight into EU business culture. Destinations include Frankfurt, Germany, an important centre of finance and industry, as well as the Finnish centres of Helsinki, Tampere and Seinäjoki. Germany and Finland are among the more robust members of the Euro Zone, with both nations committed to that currency.
In-class activity will be supplemented by field experience, visits and meetings with companies and other institutions. Course work will explore how various theoretical marketing concepts apply to EU business practices, managing relations with European businesses and implications of European cultural practices and expectations.
Dates
Dates are April 27 to May 20, 2016 inclusive
Academic Courses
MGMT 397 Field School I (3 Credits) - Prerequisite: MGMT 292 (and completion of 60 credits in a business program) The field school is an applied study of business and management. MGMT 397 will consider the concept of culture and its multifaceted effects on managerial practices in the context of doing business in the European Union, drawing examples from Germany and Finland. Topics will include cultural considerations in international management, cross-cultural communication, negotiation and decision-making, managing international teams, and workplace diversity. The course approaches the topic of cross-cultural management from the perspective of a Canadian company considering developing or expanding its international operations to include the European Union. (3:0:0)
MGMT 398 Field School II (3 Credits) - Prerequisite: MGMT 397 Field School I (Taken concurrently). Recommended: MGMT 323. The 2014 European Union (EU) Field School is an applied study of business and management. The EU is Canada's second most important trading partner and the second largest source of foreign direct investment. The importance of Canada's relationship with the EU has resulted in a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) -- an agreement with the potential to benefit many sectors of the Canadian economy. MGMT 398 will consider the following topics: Canadian trade and investment activity abroad, the opportunities and risks created by the international trading environment, government instruments of trade policy, and export/import strategies.
MGMT 399 Field School III (3 Credits) - Prerequisite: MGMT 398 Field School II (Taken concurrently). Recommended: MARK 260 The field school is an applied study of business and management. MGMT 399 will focus on applied learning of certain marketing disciplines in relation to the European Union, in particular the nations of Germany and Finland. This course will provide students the opportunity to research a Finnish destination and a specific Finnish organization and analyze these in terms of various theoretical marketing concepts – including the Marketing Mix, Consumer Behaviour from a Services Marketing perspective, Marketing Sustainability and the Supply Chain (or Value Added Delivery Network). (3:0:0)
* No course equivalencies permitted.
Cost for the 2016 field school
Based on a minimum group size of 20 students, the cost payable to VIU is $2850, and includes:
- Program operational costs
- Accommodation (double-occupancy)
- Most breakfasts provided by hotels
- Program-related travel in Europe (not the Frankfurt - Helsinki - Frankfurt air portion)
- Day trips and excursions
The remaining costs will be paid by students for the following:
- Tuition & student society fees for 9 credits (estimate $1255)
- Air travel to and from Europe (estimate $1100 to $1700)
- Meals other than those specified above (the SeAMK student card entitles students to subsidized lunches)
- Out-of-country medical insurance (not required for students covered under VIUSU's extended medical)
- Passport
- Visa, if required (not required for Canadian citizens)
- Textbooks
- Personal expenses
Accommodation in Frankfurt, Helsinki and Tampere will be in mid-level hotels, roughly comparable to what a large Holiday Inn might be like in Canada. Accommodation in Seinajoki is still to be worked out with our partner, Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences (in Finnish: Seinäjoen ammattikorkeakoulu), or SeAMK.
Student accommodation, in all cases, will be based on double occupancy.
Financial Assistance
- International Education Stipend - The International Education Department at VIU encourages Education Abroad by providing eligible VIU Students with an International Education Award of $350. Conditions apply.
- StudentAid BC - Students on the BC student assistance Program (BCSAP) may be able to continue their funding to include Education Abroad. Those not currently receiving BCSAP funding, may be able to apply. Contact Financial Aid in Building 200 for more information.
Payments and Refund Policy
All study tour payments must be made by: money order, bank draft or cash. Make cheques and money orders payable to Vancouver Island University. Credit card payments will not be accepted. Refund Policy
Payment Schedule
| Payment type | Cost | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit | $500 | November 20, 2015 |
| Schengen Visa application | December, 2015 | |
| Purchase of airline ticket | January or February | |
| Payment #2 | $1,500 | March 3, 2016 |
| Final Payment | Balance | April 2, 2016 |
Application Procedure
Application Deadline: November 20, 2015
- Please complete the Education Abroad on-line application and indicate the Bachelor of Business 2016 field school.
- When you have completed you automatically receive a confirmation email with the Cancellation and Acknowledgement of Responsibility waiver to be completed and handed in to Education Abroad in Building 255, outside room 264. Information on funding will be provided in the email.
When you have been accepted to the field school:
- You will receive an email requesting the non-refundable deposit of $500 to be paid through your Student Record with subsequent payment deadline dates. Please monitor your Student Record for the payment deadline dates.
- Before your departure please email a copy of your flight itinerary, passport, and proof of travel medical insurance to educationabroad@viu.ca.
- Refund Policy
Selection criteria: All students are invited to apply for the field school but please note that students from Finland or Germany may not receive credit for international experience if required in your major of study. Students native to the field school destination are not eligibly to apply for the Education Abroad Stipend.
Passports and Visas
Passports: All participants must have a valid passport good for three months after your return. Apply for a Canadian passport or pick up an application at any Canada Post office.
Visas: Canadian passport holders do not require a visa for Europe.
Schengen Visa Information: Non-Canadian passport holders may require a visa.
International students going abroad must make sure their TRV and Study Permits are up-to-date and won't expire whle they are abroad.
Contacts
Neil Macmillan, Neil.Macmillan@viu.ca
Dr. Bonita Russell, Bonita.Russell@viu.ca
Sarah Holding, Sarah.Holding@viu.ca
Faculty of Management
Vancouver Island University
900 Fifth Street
Nanaimo, BC V9R 5S5
International Education, educationabroad@viu.ca