Michigan Ross Reimagines Study Abroad For Greater Access

Molly Burke has big international ambitions. The freshman at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business hopes to study and eventually work abroad, and she knows global experience is key.

But, for almost any student, cost is also part of the equation.

So when the chance to earn credit abroad over spring break came up, Burke jumped on it. She and 11 other Ross undergrads headed to Austria for an intense, one-week marketing course at the Vienna University of Economics and Business.

The course, designed and taught by WU Vienna faculty, is part of a new short-term global immersion model Ross is piloting this year. By shifting away from the traditional (and more expensive) faculty-led approach, Ross hopes to make study abroad more affordable and accessible to more students.

“The new price structure played a significant role in my decision to attend,” says Burke, who is majoring in business administration with minors in Real Estate Development and History of Law and Policy.

“The value it offered was incredible. Given the high costs often associated with international programs, this was a rare chance to gain global experience without a high-cost barrier.”

MORE STUDENTS, MORE ACCESS

Jessica Oldford, managing director of Ross Global Initiatives, understands that affordability can be a deciding factor. As a first-generation, self-funded college student herself, she’s long prioritized access when designing programs.
Particularly after the pandemic, the cost of study abroad programs skyrocketed, and she and her team started rethinking what global immersion could look like.

University of Michigan already partners with more than 35 international universities, offering about 80 semester abroad opportunities with 33 of them specific to business education. Some of these partner schools, especially in Europe, have more students wanting to come to Ross for semester exchanges than Ross can send in return. This creates an asymmetrical exchange in which Ross has a “surplus” of exchange credit it can use.

Instead of letting those unused spots sit idle, Ross got creative.

“We already have amazing partnerships with different schools around the world. We decided to reach out and see if we might collaborate in a different kind of way,” says Oldford, managing director of Ross Global Initiatives.

They proposed a new model: Instead of sending faculty overseas for short-term immersions – which often require costly third-party providers for logistics – why not tap into the expertise of the partner schools themselves?

Ross’ partner schools already have the space, the faculty, the networks, and the infrastructure. “They also have local expertise. They know the hospitals, they know the area. Going through the pandemic gave me a different appreciation for that,” says Oldford.

This semester, Michigan Ross is testing the model with two custom-designed immersions. The first was the one-week, 1.5-credit marketing course at WU Vienna. It cost each student about $950 plus airfare. For comparison, last year’s faculty-led spring break trip to Italy ran about $3,000.

In May, nearly 40 students will travel to Aalto Business School in Finland for a three-week immersion. The sticker price is around $1,500, but with donor support, students will pay closer to $350 out of pocket.

The lower cost is paying off. Applications to Ross’s short-term immersion programs jumped from 72 last year to 156 this year. The number of confirmed participants grew from 27 to 93.

“The headline, in my mind, is just more access. That’s what makes me and my team so excited,” Oldford says. “We’re not exchanging money, we’re exchanging experiences. That, to me, is the heart and spirit of study abroad.”

A WEEK IN VIENNA

The Vienna Spring Program was an immersive course titled Marketing for a Better World, taught by Eva Marckhgott, assistant professor at WU’s Institute for Marketing & Consumer Research.

The course tackled big questions typical of a Michigan Ross classroom: How can marketing do more than sell? How can it address real social challenges like climate change, mental health, or inequality?

With only a week, students got right to work. They explored how marketing intersects with social issues and consumer behavior. They also tackled a live case study with Waterdrop, a health-focused drink brand looking to expand into the U.S. market. Working in diverse teams, Ross students joined peers from WU and other exchange programs to develop strategies and present recommendations directly to Waterdrop executives.

“For me, one of the biggest academic highlights was working on the Waterdrop case study,” says Ross sophomore Vanessa Perozo. “As a hands-on learner, I appreciated Professor Eva giving us the opportunity to visit the Waterdrop store for a firsthand customer experience, and presenting our 25-minute findings and recommendations to the company.”

Senior Hussein Yassin chose the course looking to deepen his understanding of marketing’s potential for social impact.

“Having university faculty lead the course helped me gain a deeper understanding of how business is taught in Europe,” he says.

“Studying in a class with students and faculty from different parts of the world was incredibly valuable. Engaging with them has broadened my understanding of how people from different backgrounds interact with businesses in their daily lives.”

Outside the classroom, students explored Vienna’s history and culture including a group trip to Salzburg. Meals and hotel accommodations were included in the price.

Burke left Vienna with more than just marketing credits. She gained new insights into how AI is reshaping the industry as well as the confidence to pitch with conviction.

“Throughout the course, we had to defend our ideas in front of our peers. Working with students from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds challenged me to adapt my communication style, ensuring my pitches were clear, compelling, and universally understood,” she says.

“The fast-paced nature of the program meant that I had to quickly refine my ability to present ideas effectively, a skill that will certainly benefit me in both academic and professional settings moving forward.”

A MODEL FOR THE FUTURE

Ross sees this as just the beginning. In May, a larger cohort of nearly 40 students will travel to Aalto Business School in Finland, where they’ll take classes alongside Finnish and other international students.

Michigan Ross students can choose between five three-credit courses taught by Aalto’s world-class faculty: Influential Organizational Communication; Current Topics in Digital Business; International Strategy; Grand Strategy: Concept, History, Applications, Lecture; and Negotiation Analytics.

“We’re already working very hard to offer a couple more of these types of programs for next year,” Oldford said. “We are looking at different geographies while maintaining those trusted partnerships. The biggest thing for us is offering high academic quality while creating access.”

The model could also be a blueprint for peer schools struggling to fill faculty-led programs due to rising costs. Oldford sees potential for more collaboration across institutions. The goal is to open doors so that more students can take part in global experiences if they so choose.

Oldford has met with the students travelling to Finland in May. Only one had ever before been to the country.

“They were just so excited. I think it’s going to be a really good experience all around.”

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