Fisher program gives students a ‘global option’

Rubina Kapil
Fri, 24 Oct 2014 03:06:58 +0000
Area, Campus, News, fisher, fisher college of business, Global Business option, GO Business program, ohio state, osu

OSU Fisher College of Business is located between West Woodruff and West Lane avenues.
Credit: Lantern file photo

Students looking to be officially recognized for their international experience in business will now have the opportunity.

The Fisher College of Business’ new Global Option in Business program, allows certification in international expertise upon completion of core requirements.

The GO Business program requires students to take five components in international business before graduation, including courses in global experiential exposure and cultural/and or language exposure, assistant director for international exchange Kozue Isozaki said.

“As business becomes more and more global, it’s critical for our students to develop skills that will make them successful in a global context and show potential recruiters they have completed a university-approved comprehensive global education,” Isozaki said.

And even though most classes at Fisher contain a global perspective, this program is different in that it will be documented on students’ transcripts, said Joyce Steffan, director of undergraduate global business initiatives.

The program allows students to cater classes and study abroad choices to their interests with assistance for beginners Steffan said. Short-term internships that are primarily work-based are available for beginners and long-term internships are available for students who truly want to immerse themselves, she said.

Fisher has partnered with top business schools in 18 different locations, including Brazil, Singapore and Denmark, where students are able to work and assimilate into the culture, Steffan said.

The GO Business program is funded as part of the course offerings at Ohio State, and thus does not have any application or program fees to participate, Isozaki said. The aspects requiring students to go abroad have separate costs, but scholarships and financial aid opportunities are available.

Some business students said they see this is a strong opportunity for their future careers.

Previous to the GO program’s launch, James Prather, a fourth-year in finance, completed an internship in Madrid as a finance and operations intern with ineco, an engineering and consulting company.

Prather said participating in the GO Business program would help students gain international experience, something he said companies value when hiring college graduates.

“All the companies I’ve interviewed with are extremely interested in me and my international experiences. When I talk about what I was able to do in Spain, their jaws drop,” Prather said.

Through interviews, Prather said he has seen that companies want to hire an individual who can bring something different from other students in the nation who are interested in business.

“Adding together an internship, working abroad, global experience, bilingualism and global specialization are the kind of things that make you a more well-rounded person and a more appetizing prospect for recruiters,” Prather said.

At Fisher, we want every student to use their passport,” Steffan said.