Program Overview

Plus3 is a two-week, three-credit study abroad experience designed for freshmen business and engineering students. It allows students to travel to one of four countries, where they will tour local and multi-national companies, attend lectures, and interact with students from the host university. Each location will vary in terms of academic themes and cultural activities.

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Chile: Location Information | On-Site Faculty and Staff

China: Location Information | On-Site Faculty and Staff

Germany: Location Information | On-Site Faculty and Staff

Vietnam: Location Information | On-Site Faculty and Staff

Academics | Program Dates | Prices | Airfare | Housing Information | Program Requirements | Pittsburgh-Based Staff | Contact Information

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Viña del Mar / Valparaiso, Chile

During the two weeks spent in Chile, students will be immersed in a variety of dynamic educational and cultural activities. One of the main objectives of the program is for students to conduct research about a foreign company that is unlike those found in the U.S.; they will have the opportunity to visit and examine a wide variety of businesses. In the past, a few of the conglomerates have included: Codelco, Ventanas, Centauro, Gerdau Aza, Vina Indomita, and Lan Airlines. Students will also be exposed to an array of cultural activities including: an authentic Chilean Barbeque, a chance to see a Chilean Resort and Spa, the chance to learn Chilean dance techniques such a reggaeton and salsa, and the opportunity to go horseback riding. In the past students have visited sites in Chile such as Isla Negra and Santiago.

Faculty and Program Assistant

Dr. Jorge Abad - Faculty Director - Dr. Jordge Abad is an Assistant Professor of Water Resources Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering. He is the faculty director for the Earth Processess and Environmental Flows group within SSOE. Dr. Abad has led multiple groups to Chile with the Plus3 program.

 

Program Assisant Bio Coming Soon!

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Beijing, People's Republic Of China

During the two weeks spent at Tsinghua University in China, students will be immersed in a variety of dynamic educational and cultural activities. One particular aspect of the China program is that students get to reside at a University giving them a chance to communicate with foreign peers of the same age. Being that a main objective of the trip is for students to perform research on a foreign company to see how it is compares and differs from a U.S. company, they will have the opportunity to visit and research a wide variety of businesses. In the past, a few of the conglomerates have included: Hanwang, Lenovo, Taikong Panel, Capital Biotech Company, and Tsinghua Solar. Students will also be exposed to an array of cultural activities such as: sightseeing in Forbidden City, Tian'anmen Square, Fragrant Hill and Wanfujing Street. Additionally, students may have the chance to scale The Great Wall, visit the Beijing Zoo, as well as visit the Summer Palace.

Faculty and Program Assistant

Dr. Di Gao - Faculty Director - Dr. Gao is an Associate Professor and William Kepler Whiteford Faculty Fellow in the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering and is the leader of the Gao Research Group. Dr. Gao has led multiple trips to China with the Plus3 program.

 

 

 

 

Vanessa Sterling - Program Assistant - Vanessa Sterling is the Assistant Director of the Study Abroad Office and Program Coordinator for Pitt MAP. Fluent in Mandarin Chinese, Vanessa is currently a doctoral candidate in the History department, completing a dissertation on the politics of ethnicity in Northeast China. During her graduate career, she lived in Beijing for three years, doing research and working as an English teacher, editor and Canadian visa officer. She has also studied Japanese and French and can limp along in Italian. Given her travel experience, she is happy to advise all on where the best coffee shops are in Beijing, Bratislava, Buenos Aires, Cambridge, Cape Town, Fes, Kobe, Madrid, Paris, Prague, Rome and Venice.

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Augsburg, Germany

During the two weeks spent in Germany, students will be immersed in a variety of dynamic educational and cultural activities. Being that a main objective of the program is for students to perform research on a company that is unlike those found in the U.S., they will have the opportunity to visit and research a wide variety of businesses. In the past a few of the conglomerates included Audi, Eurocopter, Donauworth, Riegele, and Fujitsu Technical Solutions; this variety of companies gave students the chance to expand their understanding of the global market. Students will also be exposed to an array of cultural activities such as: dinner at authentic Bavarian Restaurant, visit to the 'Deutsches' Museum, as well as a concentration camp in Dachau. The two-week program will not be limited to Augsburg alone; students may also travel to destinations such as Munich, Berlin, Neuschwanstein, and Nuremburg.

Faculty and Program Assistant

Dr. Robert Atkin - Faculty Director - Robert S. Atkin, associate professor in the Katz Graduate School of Business, joined the University of Pittsburgh in 1986. A visiting faculty member at University College Dublin in the fall terms of 2000, 2001, and 2002, he has also taught MBA courses at the Czech Management Center and at Comenius University (Slovakia), in addition to numerous short courses in both the United States and abroad. Designer and developer in the mid-1990s of the first course for freshmen in Pitt's College of Business Administration, he is the proud recipient of several teaching awards.

Liz Adams - Program Assistant - Bio Coming Soon!

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Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

During the two weeks spent in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam students will be immersed in a variety of dynamic educational and cultural activities. One of the main objectives of the trip is for students to conduct research about a foreign company that is unlike those found in the U.S.; students will have the opportunity to visit and examine a wide variety of businesses. In the past, a few of the site visits have included: The U.S. Consulate, People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, Glass Egg Digital Media, Phu My Hung Corporation and Ascenx Technologies. Students will also be exposed to an array of cultural activities such as: an authentic Vietnamese dinner, lessons in the Vietnamese language and culture, and cooking lessons at a local restaurant. Additionally, students have the opportunity to sight-see around much of Ho Chi Minh City, as well as travel to the Mekong Delta.

Faculty and Program Assistant

Dr. David Berman - Faculty Director - Dr. Berman is coordinator of the Social Studies Education Program in Teacher Education in the University of Pittsburgh School of Education. Dr. Berman has extensive knowledge of Vietnam and served as a visiting scholar at the University of Ho Chi Minh City in 1992. Dr. Berman developed and continues to lead the Plus3 program in Vietnam.

 

Bryan Schultz - Program Assistant.  Bryan is the International Programs Advisor for the Swanson School of Engineering.  His portfolio of responsibilities include advising engineering students about study abroad, international internship, international service-learning, and international research opportunities.  In his free time Bryan enjoys long backing trips, painting, going to concerts, and exploring new places - especially those overseas.  Vietnam is currently at the top of his 'travel list' and he is excited to join Pitt students for this experience.  

Note: Plus3 Vietnam will travel from May 11 - May 25, 2013.

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Academics

Plus3 is a three-credit program. For CBA students, Plus3 fulfills one of the two foreign culture requirements. In most cases, Plus3 will fulfill a technical elective in Engineering - students should check with their department advisors.

The academic portion of Plus3 is comprised of 3 parts:

• Pre-Departure Orientations and Workshops - Students will meet with their faculty leader and cohort four times during the spring term. Lectures and projects will prepare students to go abroad.
• Field Study - While in-country, students will visit a variety of companies and attend lectures.
• Post-Program Project - Students will complete a project that acts as a summary for their experience. The exact nature of the project as well as due date will be set by the faculty member in each location.

Please click here for the course syllabus: Plus3 Syllabus.pdf

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Recommended Courses for Engineering Students

The following courses fulfill the engineering humanities and social science requirement and will prepare you for a broader understanding of the culture before you embark. 

• ECON 0500 - Introduction to International Economics
• HIST 1751 - Ancient Worlds
• GER 0001 - Elementary German 1
• SPAN 0001 - Elementary Spanish 1
• CHIN 0001 - First Year Spoken Chinese 

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Program Dates

Friday, 3 May 2013 - Pre-Departure Orientation

Saturday, 4 May 2013 - Students depart for host country from Pittsburgh

Saturday, 18 May 2013 - Students arrive at Pittsburgh International Airport

Note: Plus3 Vietnam will travel from May 11 - May 25, 2013. Orientation for Vietnam will be held on May 10.

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Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

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Prices

Pricing for Plus3 is as follows, for both CBA and SSOE students:

• $4,199 In-State
• $4,399 Out-of State

Program price includes: lodging for orientation in Pittsburgh and time abroad, tuition for three credits, airfare (see details below), transportation in-country, excursions, most meals.

The program price does not include the Study Abroad Fee ($300) or additional spending money (approx. $300-$500).  Please note that this is only an estimate and the money required while abroad will depend on lifestyle, souvenirs, etc.

Both CBA and SSOE offer $500 scholarships to students from their respective schools based on GPA. CBA students with a 3.25 and SSOE students with a 3.0 will automatically receive the $500 award.

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Airfare

Airfare is included in the program price. Airfare will be booked from Pittsburgh to the host country and back to Pittsburgh. 

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Housing

Students participating in Plus3 2013 will be housed in hotels in their respective cities. All hotels will include breakfast. More details will be given by the faculty leader and program assistant.

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Program Requirements

Plus3 is open to CBA and ENGR students only. Application requirements are as follows:

• 2.75 GPA for CBA / 2.50 GPA for ENGR
• CBA Students:  complete "Managing Complex Environments" in the fall or spring semester
• SSoE Students:  complete ENGR 0011 and 0012 (or 0711 and 0715)

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Past Experiences

"Though I had been abroad before, my experiences were nothing like what I encountered
during Plus3 in Vietnam. Plus3 accomplishes its goal of teaching about business and engineering in a unique environment, but the most valuable part of the trip is the experience of another culture that cannot be learned any other way but through firsthand experience."

- Eric Weston (Vietnam, Summer '12)

"Through my experience, I gained an international perspective; I learned how similar all of
humanity really is. I learned that people all over the world can work together despite differences to achieve a common goal."

- Alex Vallejo (Vietnam, Summer '12)

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Pittsburgh Staff

Brice Lynn is the CBA Study Abroad Coordinator. He manages Plus3, The International Internship Program, CBA Exchanges, and advises CBA students participating on Pitt-recognized programs. His international experience began like many others: with romantic images of tapas, flamenco, and the beaches of southern Spain. Brice found all of this and more, including fluency in Spanish and an amazing host family, when he spent a semester in Granada. Upon his return to the US, he put his new found love for study abroad to use as an intern in the Study Abroad Office, where he was able to share his passion and inspire students to take the leap and go abroad, and he is looking forward to doing the same in his new position! When not working, you can find Brice trying to replicate his favorite recipes from the Food Network or visiting one of Pittsburgh's many fine establishments for food and drink. Contact Brice Lynn by email or phone (412-383-7489).

Dr. Kristine Lalley became the first Director of International Engineering Initiatives in August of 2007. In this role she collaborates with many faculty members in the Swanson School of Engineering to create new opportunities for engineering students to have an international education experience, which includes study abroad, international co-ops and internships, international service-learning opportunities, and international research experiences. Kristine has been working exclusively with engineering students since 1999, and enjoys supporting their unique and challenging educational goals. 

Bryan Schultz - Program Assistant.  Bryan is the International Programs Advisor for the Swanson School of Engineering.  His portfolio of responsibilities include advising engineering students about study abroad, international internship, international service-learning, and international research opportunities.  Bryan received the prestigious Colorado Trust Fellowship to complete a Master of Nonprofit Management from Regis University and graduated with a BA in Political Science from Kalamazoo College.  In his free time Bryan enjoys long backing trips, painting, going to concerts, and exploring new places - especially those overseas.

Note: Plus3 Vietnam will travel from May 11 - May 25, 2013.

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Contact Information

Brice Lynn
CBA Study Abroad Coordinator
blynn@katz.pitt.edu
412-383-7459

Bryan Schultz
Swanson School of Engineering
International Programs Advisor 
brs115@pitt.edu
412-624-9823