- Site:
-
The Consortium of Universities for International Studies (CIMBA); International
University
- Location:
-
Paderno del Grappa, Italy; one hour northwest of Venice
- Language of Instruction:
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English
- Subjects:
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Business, Journalism, Communications, Italian
- Credits:
-
Transfer to UNL from the University of Iowa; application to degree program requirements
by direct equivalency or departmental evaluation.
- Housing:
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On-campus dormitories; each room has its own bathroom.
- Program Length:
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Fall, Spring, or Summer sessions
- Type of Program:
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Study Abroad - UNL Sponsored
- Approximate Costs (2012-2013):
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Semester: $15,550 approximately (includes tuition, room and board)
Summer: $5,970 approximately (includes tuition, room and board)
Airfare: $1,200 approximately
- Eligibility:
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Undergraduate students
At least sophomore standing
2.75 GPA preferred; 2.5-2.74 GPA students may also apply and be considered
- Application Deadline:
-
Fall Semester - Mid-April
Spring Semester - Mid-October
Summer Program - Mid-February
CIMBA International University (CIU) is located approximately 25 miles north of
Venice in the town of Paderno del Grappa. Paderno del Grappa is a small community
nestled in the foothills of the Dolomite Mountains at the base of Mount Grappa in
the Veneto region of Italy. The program is located on the campus of the Istituto
Filipin, a private Italian boarding school. The full-service facility includes classrooms,
a cafeteria, residence halls, computer and language labs, and modern athletic facilities
including indoor swimming pools, cardio and weight room, and gymnasium.
The location of the campus offers the cultural experience of living in a small Italian
community while providing direct access to the well-known art and history treasures
of the Veneto region. The Veneto, with its major cities of Venice, Padua, Vicenza,
Verona and Treviso, is considered to be the most economically advanced region in
Italy. The region is also well known for its physical beauty.
Characterized by the Dolomites to the north and the Adriatic Sea to the south, the
region provides a wide variety of both summer and winter sports. There are a number
of beaches within a one-hour drive south and world-class skiing in Cortina, approximately
two-hours north of the campuses.
The program offers rigorous, high-quality courses taught in English. CIMBA offers
a full range of business core courses and electives, as well as courses in journalism
and communication studies. Italian language classes are also available for semester
programs.
Students may take up to 12-18 credits of coursework during a semester program or
6 credits during the summer program.
Classes are taught by the best professors from Consortium-member universities. They
are recognized as outstanding education professionals with experience and excellence
in teaching and research. Classes have approximately 20 students, and emphasize
the international learning environment with a focus on current international events
and trends.
Italy Study Abroad Course Equivalencies
CIMBA offers students many opportunities to earn outside the classroom. Some of
the activities students can expect during the semester program include:
- Company Tours and Guest Speakers
- Faculty Advisory Groups
- Career-Development Seminars
- Recreational Activities
- Language Exchanges
- Cultural Field Trips and Dinner Excursions
- Phi Beta Delta Honor Society
An optional experience available for semester CIMBA students is through the CIMBA
Advantage Program (CAP). CAP provides students an exciting, hands-on learning environment.
CAP activities begin during the first two weeks of the CIMBA program. Cross-Cultural
Awareness seminars are scheduled throughout the semester.
CAP Program
LEAP (Learn, Enrich, Achieve and Perform):
The LEAP program allows students an opportunity to enhance their leadership skills,
personal growth and development while also learning subject material in an international
setting. Students becoming certified through the Kepner-Tregoe’s leadership program
which is a unique and prestigious resume building opportunity.
LEAP Program
LEAP
Program Brochure
Kepner-Tregoe Certificate
LIFE (Leadership Initiative for Excellence):
The LIFE program is an exciting and powerful leadership program that integrates
values, purpose, and personal change to helps students develop their inner leader
qualities. LIFE allows students to practice and enhance key leadership competencies
such as effective communication, decision-making, teamwork, focus, and interpersonal
skills.
LIFE Program
CIMBA employs students to work as resident assistants (RAs) which helps offset the
on campus living costs. A number of positions are available each term. The amount
is listed on the position description. Being an RA allows students to share their
knowledge of the program with new participants while they continue to enhance their
own international experience. RA’s work approximately 13 hours per week during the
semester and 10 hours per week in the summer. Applications are due November 1st
(spring), May 1st (fall) and March 1st (summer).
Resident Assistants
Position Descriptions
Paderno is located near the base of Mount Grappa, which is a great resource for
hiking and sight-seeing. There are other outdoor activities nearby such as rafting,
horseback riding, and bicycling. There is also fantastic shopping located in Asolo,
Bassano del Grappa, and Venice, as well as some outlet stores like Northface, Benetton,
and Diesel. There is also an open-air market in nearby Crespano del Grappa held
every Sunday morning that is easily within walking distance. A movie theatre and
bowling alley are within driving distance as well as some great restaurants. Paderno
itself has several restaurants and cafes within walking distance that students enjoy.
During a semester program there are more than 25 days of scheduled travel time (2
weeklong breaks and 2 long weekends). During the summer program there are two long
weekends scheduled for travel as well as opportunities to travel before or after
the program.
Travel breaks are purposely not structured so that students have the flexibility
to travel where and with whom they choose. There is usually at least one other person
who has the same interest in traveling to a particular destination so there are
plenty of opportunities to meet and get to know many people. Courses are scheduled
to encourage travel opportunities for students. Convenient rail connections allow
visits within Italy and to France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and many Eastern
European countries. Students can travel virtually anywhere. They have gone to Egypt,
Morocco, Ireland, Spain, Croatia, Greece, etc.
Students are housed in residence halls in a gated campus facility. The availability
of single occupancy rooms may fluctuate from semester to semester, if double rooms
are required, students are given the opportunity to choose roommates. Most rooms
have a private bath, bed, desk, and closet. Linens are included and are changed
weekly by the house keeping staff.
Living at CIMBA Resources
For a semester or summer program, all students with at least sophomore standing and a 2.75 GPA
are encouraged to apply. Strong consideration will be held for students with at least a 2.5 GPA.
The program is open to all majors but is most attractive to Business,
Communication and Journalism majors. Acceptance to the program is dependent on several
factors. Candidates are reviewed based not only on grade point average, but also
on whom they are as a person. Students who meet both the academic and general requirements
of the program generally are accepted. Students find the CIMBA application materials
online; the actual applications are submitted online and the remaining required
documents are sent via mail or e-mail. The program operates on a rolling admissions
basis and could fill before the deadline occurs. For this reason, we strongly encourage
you to apply as soon as possible.
Students must apply to both UNL and to the CIMBA Program separately. Candidates are reviewed by
CIMBA based on grade point average and who they are as a person. The program operates on a
rolling admissions basis and could fill before the deadline occurs. For this reason, we strongly
encourage you to apply as early as possible.
To apply for the CIMBA program, students must complete the online application through the
CIMBA website.
UNL students apply as "NON-UI Students" since the program is through the University of Iowa.
Students must submit a $40 non-refundable application fee, an academic or professional letter of
recommendation (for semester program only), an essay (part of online application), an updated resume,
an official UNL transcript, as well as complete the CIMBA application.
Students are also required to complete the UNL Study Abroad application through Education Abroad's
online program, MyWorld. Search for "CIMBA" in the left-side
search box, select the undergraduate or graduate level program and click "Apply Now".
Apply to CIMBA
In general, if you meet the academic and general requirements of the program, and
if all application materials are received prior to the deadline, you will probably
be accepted.faq01 Remember, the program operates on a rolling admissions basis and
could fill before the deadline occurs. For this reason, we strongly encourage you
to apply as soon as possible.
Actually, the Italy program is very affordable and is often equivalent to costs
incurred during a regular semester at UNL. There are numerous ways for students
to travel cheaply throughout Europe, but it all depends on the individual's travel
style. Students can spend an infinite amount of money, but the budget travelers
can save on almost every aspect of travel and still experience as much, if not more,
than the ones who spend more. Budgeting is your best bet!
Financial aid and scholarships through UNL generally apply towards the CIMBA program.
Check with the UNL Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid to see if your current
financial aid package and scholarships can be applied or if there are others available,
(402) 472-2030. Students can search for scholarships through the
CIMBA scholarships webpage,
the Education Abroad scholarships webpage,
and the CBA scholarships webpage.
Classes are taught in English by professors in exactly the same manner as you would
expect at UNL, but with the added benefit of coursework related to international
issues.
All Consortium students will receive a transcript from the University of Iowa. Students
should consult with an academic adviser to determine how classes will count towards
their degree.
Foreign students studying in Italy are generally not eligible to work on a formal
basis during their period of study.
The campus is located in the middle of the small town of Paderno del Grappa. Facilities
include a tanning bed, pool, basketball and tennis courts, athletic fields, and
a television room with a wide array of movies available, a game room with ping pong
and pool tables, a gym with free weights, treadmills, and more.
There is a computer lab with Internet access on campus with enough computers to
satisfy the needs of all CIU students. There may be times that you will have to
wait for a computer, but this is rare. Having your own computer is usually more
of a hassle than a convenience.
Travel breaks are purposely not structured so that students have the flexibility
to travel where and with whom they choose. It is up to the students to find travel
partners/groups. There is usually at least one other person who has the same interest
in traveling to a particular destination so there are plenty of opportunities to
meet and get to know many people.
Public transportation is a breeze. Buses run regularly from Paderno to local towns
and train stations at an affordable rate. Schedules can be found on campus. If a
bus is not available you can take a taxi, always ask for the fare before you choose
your taxi because fares can be competitive. Trains are also convenient for your
travel breaks. The Venice or Treviso airports are also convenient ways to travel,
especially when going long distances, some very cheap fares can be found from Venice
to popular European destinations.
There are pay phones located on campus; calls can be made with phone cards purchased
at a small convenience store called a tabacchi. The full semester participants will
be able to purchase or rent cell phones. Students can also make calls from one computer
to another at no cost using a program called Skype. In order to do this, both the
caller and the receiver must have the Skype software which can be downloaded for
free. Additionally, students may pay by the minute to call from a computer to a
regular telephone line for a very low rate. In order to use Skype, a headset with
microphone is required. These may be purchased in the U.S. at major retail stores
or at select stores in Italy.
The office on campus is equipped to send FedEx packages. There is also a post office
in Paderno for mailing letters and packages. If you plan on shipping things home,
consider shipping them through the post office by ground mail. It takes 4 - 6 weeks
to arrive but is a lot cheaper than shipping by air. Stamps can be purchased at
most stands that sell postcards and in a tabacchi.
All letters and packages can be sent to:
Your name
CIMBA (insert semester) Program
Via S. Giacomo 4
31010 Paderno del Grappa (TV)
Italy
Remember, when sending packages, a customs declaration form must be filled out.
This form will ask for the value of the contents of the package, this means the
commercial value. Always declare no value for the contents of the package or else
there will be a customs fee upon the package's arrival. If you do not intend to
resell the items that are shipped to you, which is most likely the case, then also
clearly mark on the declaration form and on the package: FOR
PERSONAL USE ONLY, NO COMMERCIAL VALUE.
ATM's are located all over Europe with English as an optional language. There is
one ATM located on campus and one at the local bank. Most banks offer on-line banking
services, which makes it easy for students to keep track of account activity while
abroad. Credit cards are also a convenient and safe way to spend money and more
places are accepting them every day.
More program information is available in the International Affairs resource center
at 420 University Terrace, P.O. Box 880682, Lincoln, NE 68588-0682; (402) 472-5358.
For specific information regarding CIMBA, contact Italy program coordinator, Megan
Friesen at 402-472-2310.
