Deadline to apply is Dec. 1.
By Alejandro Diaz
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
The rise of Turkey as a regional economic power encouraged the business department at this college to offer a study abroad program in that country.
The department will offer three courses in Istanbul between July 30 and Aug. 13, and students must take at least two to be accepted into the program, business Professor Murat Tas, faculty leader of the program, said Sept. 18.
This new program offers three courses that students can take. They are IBUS 1305, Introduction to International Business and Trade; IBUS 2341, Intercultural Management; and IBUS 1354, International Marketing Management.
Professor Mahmud Yusuf will teach IBUS 1305 and IBUS 2341, while Tas will be teach IBUS 1354.
There are no prerequisites, and students do not have to be a business major to apply for this program.
The courses will be taught at Istanbul Aydin University, a sister university of this college.
Students who participate in this program will have the opportunity to experience world travel and develop people skills that are essential to working in international business, Tas said.
“The students are going to study every day until noon, and then they are going to explore all the different businesses, all the historical monuments that Istanbul offers,” Tas said.
Turkey’s economic power is recognized by being a member of the G-20, the international forum of the 20 major economies of the world.
“With respect to globalization and international trade, it’s a fine place,” Yusuf said. “You would say that it’s not a developed economy, but it’s a developing economy. So you see that structure, you see that flux that is going on — the growth with exports and imports.”
At least 10 students must sign up for the trip to take place.
The program is open to business students from any institution who have at least 12 cumulative academic credit hours and have a 2.0 grade-point average. Students will get credit from this college for the classes taken during the program.
A program fee of $3,883 covers airfare, application fee, lodging, in-country transportation, some meals and entrance fees.
This fee, however, does not include tuition, passport fees, visa fees, books, materials and spending money.
Students with financial constraints have the option to apply for the Benjamin Gilman Scholarship and can receive up to $5,000.
To be eligible for this scholarship, students must be U.S. citizens receiving a Pell Grant and must provide proof of acceptance to a study abroad program eligible for credit by the student’s accredited institution of higher education in the U.S.
“We were able to get some money from Turkish Coalition of America, and in combination with the Gilman scholarship, students can go there without paying anything,” Tas said.
The TCA contributed money to this program because this institution is trying to introduce Turkey to foreign nationals.
The deadline to apply is Dec. 1. For further information about the application process, call Maria Rivera-Midence at 210-485-0084 or contact dst-studyaborad@alamo.edu or www.alamo.edu/internationalprograms/studyabroad.