The Business in Italy Program combines an on-campus course component with a field trip to Italy.
We ensure that you are prepared, ready, and excited for your time abroad. The on-campus course includes readings, lectures, and group activities. The field trip includes immersion in Italian culture, meeting with business leaders, and behind-the-scenes tours of business facilities.
THE ON-CAMPUS COURSE COMPONENT
Throughout the on-campus meetings for the Business in Italy Program, students study the effects of globalization on Italian business. The on-campus course is designed to broaden the global perspective of students who have chosen studies in business and management. The program focuses on the unique role that Italy plays in the world economy and, more specifically, on the history, culture, and management practices that enable Italian businesses to influence the worldwide markets for high-end designer consumer products. All this will be accomplished through readings, research, and discussions that take place in the classroom on campus and continue throughout the duration of the trip.
THE FIELD TRIP TO ITALY
Understanding the nature of business and management in a different country will expose students to opportunities and vulnerabilities that may be embedded in our taken-for-granted practices at home. Contemplating business and culture in another land is part of a good global business education. The field trip to Italy takes place over a 12- to 13-day period. Those participating in the program travel as a group, beginning and ending the journey at Boston's Logan Airport. In Italy, the group travels by chartered bus. Students have often said that the field trip is an intense group experience that builds lasting memories and friendships.
THE COMBINED APPROACH
Fall semester on-campus classes have two main objectives: (1) to provide students the opportunity to learn about globalization and (2) to prepare students for the field trip.
Following that, students travel as a group for a first-hand look at Italian business and culture. Accompanied by two faculty members from the Isenberg School of Management, students will visit cities such as Rome, Florence, Bologna, and Venice, with day trips to nearby locations of interest. Unique opportunities allow students to meet with businesspeople to observe business in action and visit cultural and historical sites to get a feel for the societal undercurrents.
Once students and faculty return from Italy, a single spring semester class meeting has two new objectives: (1) to discuss what was learned in class compared with what was observed and experienced in Italy and (2) to reflect upon the professional and personal experiences associated with the program.
More about the Program
The 2024—2025 program
- Credits: earn three upper-level Isenberg elective credits
- Fall 2024 semester: six class meetings 7:30-8:45pm on 10/22, 10/29, 11/12, 11/19, 12/3, and 12/10.
- Italy trip: January 4-17, 2025
- Spring 2025 semester: one post-trip class meeting to present final projects and share final observations—date TBA
Faculty Contacts
