During the summer 2013 intersession, the COB sponsored several short-term study-away trips. Two offered by the Finance and General Business (FGB) and Fashion and Interior Design (FID) Departments are highlighted below.
From May 20 through 25, 12 students participated in the annual Financial Markets Study Trip. Students traveled to the Big Apple with FGB Department Head Kent Ragan. Students did background research on companies and cultural icons prior to the trip and were required to present this information to the class.
The group visited company officials at the New York Stock Exchange and talked with market makers on the floor of the Exchange. They also visited McGraw-Hill, New York Life, Met Life, International Federation of Accountants and the New York Society of Security Analysts. “It was an eye-opening experience for me to hear from high-level experts in one of the world’s largest financial sectors … and showed me that I should begin focusing on long-term goals for my career, rather than having the usual college focus of simply getting my first job,” reflects student Brittany Baldwin. Cultural visits for the group included the Metropolitan Museum of Art, viewing the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, tours of NBC studios and the United Nations, and catching “Phantom of the Opera” on Broadway.
“It is important for the students to see the New York Stock Exchange in action and to get the vibe of New York City, the ‘financial capital of the world.’ It is a compliment to our students that so many company executives are willing to take their time to interact with our students — to not only talk about their companies, but about business in general- from ethics to interpersonal relationships to possible career paths- and to let them know that they could compete for jobs in New York City. I know that our students have left a positive impression when we are invited back to the companies during subsequent visits,” Ragan says.
From May 21 through June 6, a group of students participated in “Study Away Art and Architecture of Italy and Spain”, led by Marciann Patton, senior instructor of Housing and Interior Design. They began the trip with visiting Venice and the Islands of Burano, Murano and Torcello to study Byzantine architecture. While traveling throughout Italy, the team enjoyed a traditional Italian meal at the Lischeto Organic Farm and toured many cultural attractions, including Stozzi Palace, the Renaissance walking tour, Pisa and the Leaning Tower, Siena and much more.
Later they toured Rome to see the Colosseum and other cultural architecture, such as the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. From there, they traveled to Barcelona, Spain, and continued their international study with sites including Cathedral of Cataluna, Picasso Museum and the Monastery. Patton notes, “We saw and experienced so much more, but too numerous to mention. We covered art and architecture from the beginning of time until current times.”
Overall, the students from both study-away trips experienced “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunities that have enriched their education and professional aspirations.
If you would like more information about MSU IBP trips, visit the IBP office on the second floor of Glass Hall or online at http://ibp.missouristate.edu.