Fall 2018 Semester in Europe

ACIS and BIT should consider taking certain 3000-level classes BEFORE the fall semester in Europe. This keeps them on track to graduate in four (4) years. These can be taken in spring of sophomore year or in summer school.

The program includes seven (7) classes. These will transfer * to VT.  Three of the classes are in BIT, FIN and MGT which are required for all business majors. There are three international electives which count towards the International Business Minor. http://international.pamplin.vt.edu/international-business-minor.html

Each class lasts 2 weeks, 10 days. Classes will generally be from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. on each of those days. There is generally no class on Friday afternoons. Your Czech class is 3:00-5:00 on Monday and Wednesday until early October.   Some evening lectures, and problem sessions will be held. In addition, for some of the classes, 6 or more hours per day of reading and Internet work are required.

All students must register and take the following seven classes (21 credits) in Prague. There are no exceptions to this rule.

• FIN 3104 Introduction to Finance
• FIN 4144 International Financial Management
• MGT 3304 Management Theory and Leadership Practice
• MGT 4314 International Management
• BIT 3414 Operations and Supply Chain Management
• MGT 3314 International Business - Changed to BIT 4474 Global Operations & Information Technology
• Czech Language and Culture – Area 2 credit and IB minor credit

* The classes are offered through the University of Economics (VSE) in Prague. They will transfer to VT as credit only (if you earn a C or better), but will not show up as part of your VT GPA.  You will have a transcript from VSE, with its own separate GPA.  Your VSE transcript can be used on your resume and graduate school applications.

ACIS and BIT majors - special notice

ACIS majors should consider taking ACIS 3115 and 3504 before going to Europe. This can be done in your spring semester or summer school. This helps you stay on track to graduate in 4 years.

BIT DSS options majors should consider taking BIT 3424 before going to Europe. You would need to complete prerequisite classes for BIT 3424 in fall sophomore year.

Financial Calculator

You need a Texas Instruments BA II Plus financial calculator for your finance classes. You cannot complete the classes without this calculator.

POLICY 91 NOTICE

Participating in study abroad does not allow a student any exceptions to meeting Policy 91 requirements. It is the students’ responsibility to understand Pamplin’s specific Policy 91 requirements, which may be viewed at http://www.pamplin.vt.edu/undergraduate-programs/advising/academic-policies/ .

This program is offered through the European Study Abroad Center (ESAC) and the University of Economics (VSE) in Prague. This is a hybrid program. It is not considered a Virginia Tech program since you are not paying VT tuition. Your program fee does include fees to VSE for its academic services.

The program fee is based on the number of students. You will be billed for a $1,000 non-refundable deposit once you are accepted into the program. You all pay the same acedemic fee, VA-res or non VA-res. This means huge savings for many of you.

See Payment Schedule below for the costs. You will not be charged for VT tuition or housing for fall semester.

Virginia Tech will bill you for the program fee. We can fly as a group to Prague, but you can arrange your own flights if you prefer. You will also pay for your own European travel during the program. Group airline ticket payments will be due according to airline contracts.

Cost Summary (estimated)

Program Fee

** Personal travel, including your railpass, is included in personal expenses.

The program fee includes lodging, class fees, lunch on class days, public transportation, medical insurance and some cultural excursions.

The program fee does not include roundtrip airfare to Prague, breakfast and dinners, personal travel, books, passport, and visa.

Note

Virginia Tech reserves the right to make cancellations, date and cost adjustments, and other necessary changes in the program. Prices may change due to global economic conditions.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

Your financial aid and non-Pamplin scholarships cannot apply to this program. It is not a VT program since you are not paying regular tuition to VT. The program cost much less than most other semester programs.

Check with Ms. Tanko in the Undergraduate Office (1046 Pamplin) if you need more information.

You can apply HERE.

  The application deadline is February 1st, 2019.

The program will encompass the entire fall semester, and will have a maximum of 40 students.

Eligible students are first-semester juniors during the program (sophomores when you apply). Pamplin students must comply with Policy 91. You must complete these required courses before the program (ACIS 1504, 2115, and 2116; ECON 2005 and 2006; MATH 1525 and 1526 (or equivalent); and BIT 2405 and 2406) with no grade lower than a C- in any of the nine courses. Any student who meets these requirements is eligible for this program.

ACIS & BIT majors have additional pre-requisite requirements. See website for more information.

Minimum GPA: 2.3

Go to the VT Global Education site and complete the application process.

There are a couple steps in the process. Be sure to complete the online Study Abroad Academic Review Form and Study Abroad Application. There is also a conduct check waiver form. These are all required before your application is accepted.

Passports

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after you return from Prague; your passport must be valid until June 2020.

Once you are accepted into the program your student account will be charged a $1,000 non-refundable program deposit. This fee is non-refundable, unless for some unforeseeable reason the trip is cancelled. You will be billed by Virginia Tech for the balance of the program fee.

Visas

You must have a student visa from the Czech government.  We will help you get your visa in the spring semester.

Acceptance

You will be accepted on a rolling acceptance schedule in which students are selected primarily based on their GPA.  Early evaluation will be done according to the GPA limits and dates below.

The minimum GPA is 2.3.

The current plans are to stay at the 3D apartments in Prague.

http://3dapartments.cz/en/

The apartments have kitchen, balcony, wi-fi and more. They are 20 minutes by publlic transportation from the university.

The building quiet hours are 10pm-7am. This will be strictly enforced.

There will be night security staff at the apartments.

We will travel as a group to Prague.

You will have three long breaks as well as all your weekends during which you may travel independently throughout Europe. The faculty have traveled extensively throughout Europe and can be a great resource as you plan your travels. You must visit at least 7 of the following cities. Include a 2-3 page description of each of your visits in the journal/blog that is required for your Czech language and culture class. This description should include observations of the central city, museums and other cultural sites visited.

Faculty can make recommendations on travel locations but organizing travel details and accommodation will be your responsibility and at your cost. The student adviser can also assist in making broad recommendations. Students quickly form travel groups to make travel more fun and convenient.

Independent travel is one of the greatest learning experiences. You will be amazed at how much you have changed during the semester. But, you must do some pre-planning to get the most out of your free time. This means reading some of the resources below. Do not expect other people to plan your trips. You won't get the most from your program.

You should read a good travel guidebook such as Europe Through the Backdoor, Let's Go Europe or Lonely Planet. These are available online or in local bookstores later in the spring.

Students travel by train, plane and bus. There are budget airlines and bus companies. Some students buy railpasses to get the most out of their railroad travels. Railpass information is available from several sources such as Rick Steves and RailEurope (https://www.raileurope.com/rail-tickets-passes/europe-rail-pass-list/).

Some airlines to consider are Ryan Air, Europe By Air, Air Berlin, Easy Jet.

Some bus companies are Flixbus, Megabus, Eurolines.

Inexpensive lodging can be found at Hostel World or Backpackers Ultimate Guide to Europe. They have hostel reviews of youth hostels for most European cities. They also have some background information on countries and cities. Students also have had good results using Airbnb (https://www.airbnb.com/).

Each student must have a valid passport from their home country. You can apply for a passport at the Passport Acceptance Facility in Squires Student Center. You can also apply at the Blacksburg Post Office (540-552-2751) at the University Mall with appointment or at the Montgomery County Clerk's Office at the Christiansburg Courthouse (540-382-5760), no appointment required. You can get passport photos at most local pharmacies.

Czech Visas

You must have a student visa issued by the Czech government. We will discuss this in the spring.

You should insure that you have the proper vaccinations for this program. This can be done through the University's recommended travel clinic (Intravene), a county health department, or your family physician. Your familiy physician usually does not have the more specialized vaccines and should refer you to the county health department. You can see a list of recommended vaccinations and other health information at the CDC travel website.

These sites have additional information:

• Passports
• U.S. State Department travel information
• Students Abroad - U.S. State Department
• Customs Information
• Medical Information
• CDC Medical Information
• Drug Offenses Overseas from the U.S. State Department
• CIA Factbook (A great place for information on the countries we visit.)
• State Department Travel Alerts and Warnings
• Cultural Insurance Services International - student emergency insurance

This program has special clothing needs because the group departs in August when shorts and tee shirts are the clothing of choice. Before the group returns in December, sweaters, sweat shirts, and heavy jackets are the clothing of choice. Getting these into the ONE bag which most airlines allow, along with everything else that will be needed to live for almost four months is a challenging feat.

There are laundry facilities available and you can get most personal products in local shops.

Electric Applicances

Europe uses 220 volt, 50 HZ electricity. Your standard USA hair dryers, curling irons, shavers and battery chargers may not work in Europe unless you bring a transformer. You should check that your computer and any electronics that you take will work on 220 V/50Hz current

Brochure available below.