London Business Semester

London Business Semester

About the Program
Eligibility and Application
Academic Information and Book List
In London
Pre-Departure and Program Dates
Getting to London
Faculty

About the Program

We live in an increasingly global world.  We are connected socially, economically and politically.  Yet, the U.S. only accounts for one in 25 people in the world and is only one of more than 200 countries.  You may have traveled to other countries, but have you immersed yourself in the life and culture or another country for over three months?

Enroll in USTs London Business Semester (LBS) for classes that combine theory with practice for relevancy in the real world.  A global perspective will be a component the classes to complement learning in other classes and experiences outside the classroom.

• You will earn 16 credits including two business core classes (MKTG 300: Principles of Marketing and BETH 301: Business Ethics) plus BUSN 200: Business Learning Through Service, COJO 370: Intercultural Communication and a core requirement in History or Art History.
• Learn about the history, customs, culture, economy, politics and life in Great Britain and the European Union.
• Experience London, Great Britain and the European Union first hand by living in London and traveling in Great Britain and the rest of Europe.
• Make life-long friends with members of your cohort and other LBS alums.
• You will become a citizen of the world who understands other cultures and countries and is comfortable and confident about being in foreign countries.

For information on the application process view the Eligibility and Application link for information on Small Group Advising Sessions and London Launch Sessions.

Eligibility and Application

1. Attend one of the Small Group Advising Sessions or a London Launch Session.
2. Call us at (651) 962-6450 if you cannot attend any LBS sessions. This is a required step in the application process.
3. Access to the online application for the 2013 London Business Semester will be granted to you following attendance of a London Launch Session or a small group advising session at the International Education Center. Access to the application will not be granted prior to these sessions. The priority deadline to submit applications for 2013 is Friday, December 7, 2012.

Small Group Advising Sessions

Each session lasts approximately 30 minutes and will be held at the International Education Center, 44 N. Cleveland Ave. Advance registration not required.

Tuesday, Oct. 16 - Noon
Wednesday, Oct. 17 - Noon
Thursday, October 18 - 12:45
Tuesday, October 30 - Noon
Wednesday, October 31 - Noon
Thursday, November 1 - 12:45
Tuesday, November 6 - Noon
Tuesday, November 13 - 12:45

London Launch Sessions

This will be your opportunity to meet the 2013 faculty directors! 
Learn about London and see the Friday Excursion Schedule.

McNeely (MCH 100) 12PM
Wednesday October 24
Thursday October 25

Eligibility

• Be a Business major or minor
• Have a Junior or Senior standing at the time of the program
• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5
• Complete ACCT 205 or ACCT 210; ECON 251 and 252 and IDTH 220 prior to departure,
• Have a good disciplinary standing, and
• Complete a formal application and selection interview with Faculty Directors and IEC Staff.

Final acceptance will be made after a selection interview.

Note to Accepted Students:  All students accepted into the London Business Semester are required to attend all scheduled pre-departure meetings and orientation sessions. These meetings will take place during Spring semester 2013 on the following dates: 2/26, 3/12, 4/2, 4/13, 4/30, 5/7.

Once accepted into the London Business Semester, you will need to sign a release for St. Thomas to obtain a criminal background check in order to be placed at your community service site in London (this is a legal requirement of the U.K.).   The nature of some offences may result in limits to the type of placement or restrict students altogether from obtaining a community service placement in London.   Note that any reported offenses may be recorded onto your UST discipline record, and that serious offenses may result in disciplinary action by UST, including a determination that you are not eligible for Study Abroad programs.

Selection Process

• Application review by faculty directors
• Selected students granted a personal interview. Interviews take place in early to mid-February. 
• Final students will be selected after the interview

The program is limited to 50 students.

Academic Information and Book List

Courses Offered
Students are in courses only with other St. Thomas students. Students take at least 12 and up to 16 credits, plus BUSN 200. Courses listed below are subject to change.

Core business courses offered:

BLAW 301: Legal Environment of Business (4 credits)
BETH 301: Business Ethics (4 credits)
MKTG 300: Principles of Marketing (4 credits)

All students take:

BUSN 200: Community Service* – each student will receive a placement in London
COJO 370: Intercultural Communication (4 credits)

Additionally, students may select either:

HIST 112: History of the Modern World since 1500 (4 credits); fulfills UST history core requirement; OR
ARTH 355: Art of the Last Hundred Years (4 credits); fulfills UST fine arts core requirement

Course Descriptions

Business Courses

BLAW 301 – Legal Environment of Business (4 semester credits): An examination of the business law rules and principles of particular relevance to entrepreneurship, finance, management and marketing. Subjects include contracts, negligence, products liability and warranty, intellectual property, employment law, securities regulation and general notions of legal reasoning and legal process. Prerequisite: junior standing. Instructor:

BETH 301 - Business Ethics (4 semester credits): This course plays a critical role in the principle-based education of St Thomas business students, especially in introducing the responsibilities of a business professional. Through analysis of case studies, readings and other experiential exercises, students will develop an understanding of professional business conduct and judgment grounded in moral principles. This course is a pre-requisite for all 400 level business courses.
Prerequisites: Junior standing and eight credits from ACCT, BLAW, DSCI or OPMT, FINC, MGMT, MKTG. 

MKTG 300 - Principles of Marketing (4 semester credits): This course uses a managerial point of view. It focuses on understanding the needs and desires of customers in order to develop effective strategies for business. Students are taught to consider organizational, social, competitive, technological, economic, behavioral and legal forces in crafting effective marketing programs. Prerequisites: junior standing.  Instructor: TBA

 

All Students Take ...

BUSN 200 - Community Service (no academic credit): This experience is required of all business majors. The course follows the Statement of Purpose of the university to "develop morally responsible individuals who combine career competency . . .while fostering in the student a tradition of service to the public welfare." Students will develop an awareness of the challenges and responsibilities in meeting the diverse, changing needs of the community while experiencing personal growth and awareness. Students will choose from a variety of volunteer activities that follow the mission of St. Thomas and also afford them a unique experience in London. The course is graded S-D-R by Barbara Gorski, Director of Community Service at St. Thomas.

Note: BUSN 200 is a required part of the London Business Semester and a U.K. student visa is required to perform community service in London. All program participants are expected to apply for a visa and complete the required 40 hours of BUSN 200 Community Service.  This process is detailed and requires multiple steps. The IEC will provide you complete information, but you must make the application yourself.   You will be required to send your actual passport to the British Consulate in the summer for this purpose and you will not be able to travel internationally during that time; you will need to plan accordingly.   We recommend applying for the visa the very first day possible (90 days plus one week before the program begins); students who apply by very early June typically report that they have their passport with visa returned to them within one month (and while there are no guarantees, it should mean that you would be able to travel internationally by mid-July).     The U.K. Student Visa is issued for the actual program dates and only allows you to enter one week earlier and/or leave one week later than the validity period. More details and complete instruction is provided to students at pre-departure meetings.

COJO 370 - Intercultural Communication (4 semester credits): Study of the influence of cultural values on social behavior; examination of theories of intercultural communication; emphasis on effective intercultural interaction. This course fulfills the Human Diversity requirement in the core curriculum. Prerequisite: COJO 211 or sophomore standing.

Optional Core Courses (choose one)

HIST 112 - History of the Modern World Since 1500 (4 semester credits):
The Modern World Since 1550 surveys the sixteenth century European foundation and expansion throughout the world down to the end of the 20th century. The course examines the resulting breakthroughs in communication and cultural exchanges between Western civilizations and the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Latin America. Emphasis is placed on the emergence of an interdependent global civilization. Instructor: John Berryman. Fulfills UST core historical studies requirement.

ARTH 355 - The Art of the Last Hundred Years (4 semester credits): Over the last 100 years, there have been major changes in ideas about and attitudes toward art. The concept of what constitutes a painting or sculpture and the role of the artist and his relation to society have become major issues. Because of these changes, the path through modern art is sometimes bewildering to follow. In an attempt to clarify the situation, the class will look at movements and trends in 20th century art rather than make a detailed study of the work of individual artists. Includes frequent museum visits. Instructor: TBA. Fulfills UST core fine arts requirement.

LBS Fall 2013 Book/Reading list

PLEASE NOTE:  AIFS will allow students to order their books online and have them sent directly to London.  If you order off of Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk you must provide the following information to them for your books to be appropriately delivered:

<Student Name>
AIFS Student Centre
Dilke House
1 Malet Street
London WC1E 7JN, UK

Alternatively, books may be purchased at Blackwell's or Waterstone's once you have arrived in the UK. Please note that you should be purchasing your Marketing books in the U.S. The UK versions are different. In London

In London

St. Thomas' partner organization in London, the American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS), coordinates the on-site logistics of the program.  AIFS staff members coordinate the student homestays, reserve classroom space, and make the community service placements, etc.

AIFS has an office directly across from the University of London Union (ULU).
Classes are held in the ULU or in nearby buildings of the University of London. Student services are provided by the AIFS staff from their building, Dilke House.  

Students' mail may be sent in care of AIFS at this address:

Student Name
c/o AIFS
Dilke House
Malet Street
London WC1E 7JN
GREAT BRITAIN

Visit the AIFS site for more information:

• http://www.aifspartnerships.com/
• http://blog.aifspartnerships.com/london/

Dilke House and the University of London Union are located in the Bloomsbury district of London, very near the British Museum.  Using the Museum as a point of reference makes it easy to locate Dilke House on any London map. 

The ULU contains a cafeteria, a bank, a bookstore, a workout room, and a student travel agency as well as classrooms.  See the ULU web site at http://www.ulu.co.uk/.

Meet your 2013 Cohort!

2013 LBS Roster with Pictures.pdf

Housing

A typical homestay setting London Business Semester students live in homestays with British families.  The homestays are usually in North London, in the Crouch End and Muswell Hill areas, on the Northern and Piccadilly Tube lines.  Students may end up living with a retired couple, a family with children, or a single person.

British homestay environments can be very different from American ones.  A typical European home stay may treat students like borders, rather than as members of the family.  However, no homestay is a "typical" homestay, and students will find varying levels of interaction with their home stay hosts.

My roommate and I lived in Northern London in an area called Hampstead, about a block away from Hampstead Heath.  We lived with an older couple who were nice, had hosted many students over the years, and let us have our independence. We lived in a posh house, in a safe neighborhood, and were given our necessities. As college students who were living abroad for the first time, that’s all we really needed. Breakfast was left on the kitchen table for us in the mornings and we were able to come and go as we pleased. Now, I only look back at my time abroad with fond memories.   - Alex Hamel, past LBS participant

Health and Insurance Forms

Login to the AIFS website to download appropriate medical and insurance forms.

View information about insurance through AIFS here.

Helpful Links

Places to See

• The British Library
• The British Museum
• Parliament
• Shakespeare's Stratford
• Warwick Castle
• Westminster Abbey

Travel Guides

• UK Airports (including Heathrow and Gatwick)
• BritRail
• London Transport
• British Tourist Authority
• Crouch End Virtual Tour 
• Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door
• Free things to do in London

Miscellaneous Sites

• Big Ben
• Currency Conversion
• London Weather Forecast

Pre-Departure and Program Dates

• September 2 - Flight departs MSP
• September 3 - Arrive in London
• September 4 - Orientation begins
• September 10 - Classes begin
• September 19-22 - Excursion to Paris
• October 3-6 - Optional Scotland tour
• October 18-27 - Mid-semester break, no classes
• December 14 - Program ends

Fall 2013 On-Site Orientation

Monday, September 2
Depart U.S. for London

Tuesday, September 3
Arrive London
Late afternoon transfers to homestays

Wednesday, September 4
AIFS general and academic orientation
Homestay meeting
Sightseeing tour of London

Thursday, September 5
Community service placement meetings
British Life and Culture lecture

Friday, September 6
Daytrip
 
Saturday, September 7
Scavenger hunt

Sunday, September 8
Free day

Monday, September 9
Travel workshop
Cultural adjustment workshop

Tuesday, September 10
Regular classes
Theater night

Wednesday, September 11
Regular classes

Thursday, September 12
Regular classes
British Life and Culture lecture

Friday, September 13
Daytrip

Monday, September 16
Classes 
 
Tuesday, September 17
Regular classes

Wednesday, September 18
Regular classes

Thursday, September 19 – Sunday, September 22
Paris and Normandy tour

Monday, September 23
Community service placements begin

Tuesday, September 24 onwards
Regular class schedule

Getting to London

A suggested flight itinerary will be designated for travel to and from London for the London Business Studies Semester. If you choose to travel on the designated itinerary you will be met at the airport and transported to the AIFS Centre. At the end of the semester transportation will also be provided to the airport.

Traveling on this itinerary is not required, however this is the only travel itinerary where transportation from the airport to the AIFS Centre will be provided. If you choose to find and book a different flight you may either:

- Book a flight that will arrive BEFORE the designated flight that morning and wait for the group to arrive; you can then join the students traveling on the designated itinerary.   BUT NOTE:  You will need a backup plan in case your flight is late since the group will not wait for your flight to arrive.
- Make your own transportation arrangements from the airport to the AIFS Centre upon your arrival.
- If you will not be traveling with the group, research how you will get from the airport to the AIFS Centre. Factor in the cost of ground transportation.

Note the program dates when booking your flight. Your homestay will not be available prior to the official arrival date.

 

Faculty

Fall 2013

Dr. Christopher Michaelson, Business Ethics
After earning a Ph.D. in philosophical aesthetics and ethics, Christopher Michaelson defied philosophical and practical logic to launch a business advisory career in strategy and risk in New York with PwC. A few years later, he began his academic career while leaving a foot in practice. For most of the past 10 years, he has combined academic positions at the University of Pennsylvania, New York University, and the University of St. Thomas with part-time business practice and community service. His business clients have included major multinational corporations, along with government and non-governmental organizations and multilateral financial institutions. He has addressed business and academic audiences from Dalian, China to Davos, Switzerland and serves as the Secretary General for the International Society for Business Ethics and Economics. In London, he will teach Business Ethics, examining global issues and tensions, cultural perspectives on corporate responsibility, and the influence of developing markets in the global economy. He is excited to explore these issues with LBS students experiencing these ideas and practices first-hand, to coordinate and co-direct the London Business Semester with Prof. Seltzer, and to be joined in London by his wife and three children, currently ages 11, 8, and 4.

Jonathan Seltzer, Marketing
Studying in London for six months as an undergraduate was a significant part of Jon Seltzer’s undergraduate education. A political science major, spending time living, studying and experiencing life in a “world city” provided a perspective and experiences that could not be replicated in the classroom.  After graduation, Professor Seltzer entered the Peace Corps and then business school before returning to the Twin Cites as Manager and then Director of Corporate Planning at SUPERVALU.  He worked at SUPERVALU for seventeen years, leaving as Corporate Vice-President for Government Affairs to start his own consulting practice in the food, retail and distribution industries.  Consulting projects included supply chain projects in Egypt, expert testimony, competitive analysis and strategy projects in Montenegro as the country entered the EU and companies prepared to face new price-driven competitors.

Joining the Marketing Department in 2008, Professor Seltzer regularly teaches International Marketing, Marketing Channels & Distributions Systems and Interactive Marketing.  Additionally he teaches in the Aquinas Program – Feeding the World – with a member of the Biology Department.  In London he will be teaching Principles of Marketing with special emphasis on the differences between marketing in the U.S. and the U.K. and coordinating material with Professor Michaelson – how issues such as sustainability, revenue recognition and promotions have an ethical as well as implications for marketing decisions.  He will be joined in London with his wife and hopefully their two adult children will be able to schedule a visit.

For more information about the 2013 London Business Semester, connect to the London Business Semester blog (link below) for video introductions and a discussion by Profs Seltzer and Michaelson about the upcoming program.  There will be regular updates to this blog throughout the academic year.

http://blogs.stthomas.edu/londonbusiness/