Undergraduate Programming

“…one that combines an openness to and awareness of diversity across countries and markets with a propensity and ability to see common patterns across countries and markets.” – Financial Times

Different authorities may take different approaches to define a global mindset. The important thing to remember is that people with a global mindset can understand differences among cultures and business practices and welcome the opportunity to learn about similarities.

CGB defines ‘Global Mindset’ by seven competencies or attributes that those with a global mindset exhibit. Contact CGB for more information on how to develop a global mindset.

Seven Competencies of the Global Mindset

1. Tolerance of Ambiguity — Ability to navigate unclear or uncertain situations without feeling stress or anxiety. Comfort with vague instructions or information.
2. Global Business Savvy — Knowledge of business environments and growth drivers (institutional, geographic, cultural, and economic) that operate in and between countries.
3. Passion for Diversity — Willingness to seek out and consider diverse viewpoints, appreciate the values and beliefs of others, and collaborate on diverse teams.
4. Cultural Curiosity — Interest in learning about cultures and world events, and taking the initiative to seek out more information about local contexts.
5. Adaptability — Ability to overcome challenges and be resourceful when faced with difficult situations.
6. Self-awareness and Humility — Confidence in oneself without overestimating one's abilities while valuing the experience and backgrounds of others.
7. Relationship Building — Eagerness to interact with new people and develop a strong network built on communication, empathy, and mutual respect.

The International Business (IB) Agility Labs are short-term virtual case challenges that allow undergraduate students to learn from global business leaders and collaborate with international peers. Students will benefit from exposure to an international company, work on teams with business students around the world, and gain hands-on case experience to build their resumes and CVs. Through these labs, students gain multiple global perspectives in a fast-paced, intensive, and hands-on competition while working on a real global business issue.

Learn more about IB Agility Labs

Maximizing Maryland Internship Program

Maximizing Maryland is an internship program where students gain professional experience with a Maryland company. Students are matched with a small to midsize enterprise internationalizing their business and seeking Maryland Smith talent to help them do so.

Stay tuned for details on the Maximizing Maryland Internship Program for summer 2025.

Eligibility: Open to all business majors.

Faculty champions: Mary Beth Furst, Associate Clinical Professor, Marketing and Philip Evers, Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management

The internship program is paid through a stipend and students work on assigned teams. More information on the company is provided during the application and matching process. Students work on projects focused on anything from eCommerce and digital marketing strategy to supply chain operations and compliance. Students are matched with companies according to the student's experience and the company's needs during this 2+ month, part-time summer internship.

This internship is not for academic credit. Students interested in receiving credit for summer internships may be eligible to register for one of several courses offered through the Smith School.

Questions? Contact Marina Augoustidis, maugoust@umd.edu.

Leveraging Your Global Mindset is an online module geared to help students translate their global experience into their career and is sponsored by the Office of Career Services and the Center for Global Business. By watching this module, students reflect on their global experience, analyze specific skills that they developed or enhanced through their global experience, and develop techniques to translate their global experience in an interview and on their resume.

Embassy Day is a Smith students’ first introduction to a global mindset and the launching point for their self-guided discovery of the competencies that make up a global mindset. Embassy Day is a two-part event of Smith Start, a year-long orientation program for first-year business students.

Part 1: Global Competencies for the 21st Century Workplace

Event highlights & video

Part 2: Embassy Visits

Students will be contacted directly with registration instructions.

Embassy Day is an opportunity to learn about an embassy's culture, business, and society. Embassy visits will take place either in person in Washington D.C. or virtually.

Embassy Day is hosted in collaboration with the Undergraduate Programs Office.

The International Business Student Organization strives to foster professional relationships, connect students with international opportunities, and enhance the mindsets of students at the University of Maryland to prepare them to become global leaders. Through regular meetings, professional development activities, professional speakers, community service, and social activities we seek to develop a network of students with the guidance of the faculty advisor and the Center for Global Business.

Find out how you can become a member

IB Trek in Maryland

Save the date: Thursday, November 15, 2024

The IB Trek in Baltimore is intended to expose undergraduate and graduate students to concepts in international business while highlighting industry right here in Maryland. Students who participated in the IB Trek in Baltimore heard from companies that range in size, industry, and sector and were introduced to the various ways a company does business across borders, business culture, and life as a business professional.

Read about last year's IB Trek in Maryland during International Education Week.

The Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) Student Pathways in International Business course is a one-credit winter term program designed to help students earn the prestigious CGBP certification, highly valued by employers nationwide. As part of the CGBP Student Pathways Program, this course offers an in-depth exploration of global business topics and prepares students to excel in the CGBP exam. More information about the certification is provided below.

Info session presentation

The Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP), managed by NASBITE International, is a nationally recognized certification sought by employers around the country. It confirms applied knowledge in international trade and export management and shows potential employers that the holder brings the level of global expertise and professionalism that is required in today’s competitive environment.

The center offers the CGBP Student Pathways Cohort Program, a structured program intended to prepare a cohort of students for the CGBP exam and introduce them to and engage them with NASBITE International.

The program is comprised of a mix of four synchronous sessions and asynchronous study to prepare students to take the CGBP exam. The program offers facilitation by a CGBP professional, access to take the CGBP exam, networking and relationship-building opportunities, and NASBITE International Membership (a $75 value) which includes:

• CGBP study guide
• Preparation support
• Expert Helpline
• LinkedIn Student Group
• CGBP Practice Exam
• Other networking opportunities

Enrollment, requirements

• All interested students are eligible to register.
• Students enrolled in the program will have the option to take the CGBP exam at any point during their program at Smith or up to six months after graduation.
• Students will have to enroll themselves to take the exam and pay upfront.
• Students will be obligated to submit their results to CGB to verify their passing of the CGBP exam.
• If a student passes, CGB will reimburse them the exam fee of $195.00.
• If a student does not pass the exam on the first take, the student will not be reimbursed the fee for the exam.
• If a student does not follow through with exam commitment, the student will not be reimbursed the fee for the exam.

Structure

• The course will be held synchronously and asynchronously over the winter term and a student must take the course before they can sit for the exam.
• Synchronously: Students will meet with a CGBP professional four times over two weeks for two hours. The confirmed course schedule is below. 
• Asynchronously: Students will be assigned readings and other assignments correlated to each of the four domains of the CGBP exam.
• The final content provided and how each session is devised is ultimately up to the CGBP professional.

Suggested calendar/content:

The Positive Impact Internship is a way to learn from companies in Brazil that strive to make a positive impact on the world. Students are placed on multicultural teams to work on a real business problem focused on social impact. 

Questions? Contact the Center for Global Business at smithglobal@umd.edu.

The Global Business School Network Beyond Conference unites students, educators, and professionals worldwide to address key challenges in business. Participants explore how business schools are innovating to positively impact society, promote inclusivity, and advance sustainable practices, all while adapting business education for the future.

Social Logistics Challenge

The Social Logistics Challenge immerses learners in a digital environment that fosters teamwork, collaboration, and innovation to solve societal issues using logistics principles and technology. This year, teams are tasked with identifying a social logistics problem in their community and proposing a viable business solution. The solution should align with one or more of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, consider human factors, involve relevant stakeholders, and address technological disruptions where applicable.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CONFERENCE AND CONTEST RULES

Teams from the Smith School should notify the Center for Global Business by emailing smithglobal@umd.edu.

The Business International Studies Network (BisNet) helps connect business schools that have a focus on international business to opportunities for students to develop a better understanding of business in a global context.

Complete the application by Wednesday, September 18 to be considered to compete in the BisNet International Case Competition this fall.

When: November 7 through 13, 2024
Cost: $500 USD per team (covered by the Center for Global Business)

Case Information:

Doing Business in Argentina

This case examines the challenges and opportunities of doing business in Argentina. It highlights Argentina's economic and political transformation in the decades leading up to 2024. The case gives an overview of some of the main obstacles faced by businesses operating in the country, contrasting these with the efforts undertaken by the government to improve the country's business climate. This is illustrated through the discussion of a business dilemma in which Latam Airlines considers re-entering the Argentinian market. 

Learn more about the competition or download the flyer.

For more information please contact smithglobal@umd.edu.

CGB Presents: NASBITE International Student Case Competition

NASBITE is the leading authority and industry standard for global business education, trade credentialing, training and practice.

The competition provides an opportunity for both undergraduate international business students as well as graduate business students to solve a real-world challenge posed by a U.S.-based international business. The goals of the NASBITE International Student Case Competition are:

• To provide college and university students the opportunity to work collaboratively on a creative solution to a real-world international business challenge, and to put their research, presentation and networking skills to work.
• To provide the sponsoring company access to the very best international business students presenting potential solutions to their international business challenges.
• To provide a solid foundation for student involvement and participation within NASBITE International.

The Center for Global Business (CGB) will cover any associated fees for participating. This is supported in part by CIBE, a Title VI grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

NASBITE International is the leading authority and industry standard for global business education, trade credentialing, training and practice.

Apply through CGB to become a member of NASBITE International and receive access to the annual conference, network with international trade professionals, and earn the Certified Global Business Professional credential.

CGB Presents the NASBITE Exporter Summit

The 8th annual National Small Business Exporter Summit will take place on Wednesday, October 23, 2024. Sessions will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST. The Center for Global Business will stream the summit in Room 2509. Students are encouraged to register but can attend sessions as their schedules allow.

For the agenda and more information, please go to the NASBITE website.

Students interested in participating should complete the registration with the Center for Global Business by October 18. 

Contact smithglobal@umd.edu for questions.

BMGT 454 Global Marketing COIL
Section 0101

Be a part of the first COIL course at the Smith School.

COIL courses - standing for Collaborative Online International Learning - bring students together with their peers abroad to work on cross-border challenges within the context of a course already part of the Smith School curriculum. This is your opportunity to gain a global mindset and international business skills - and add real experience to your resume.

Course

BMGT 454; Section 0101

Course Description

How do you market your product in countries other than your domestic market? Designing and selling products in other countries requires an understanding of the global cultural, economic, political and legal environment. In the first 8-10 weeks, you will be working on the COIL, which is a joint project with students at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands. You will be divided into teams of six people, 3 from here and 3 from Utrecht. You will be developing an export plan for an American company to introduce a product to the Netherlands market. The Utrecht students will be developing an export plan for a Dutch company to introduce a product to the U.S. market. You will comment on each other’s plans and help each other understand your domestic market better.

In the rest of the course, we will talk more broadly about marketing in other countries.

This involves decisions made on the four P’s (product, price, promotion, place). We will examine the marketing issues and opportunities facing companies that do business outside their domestic markets.

Learning Outcomes

1. To be able to work better with people from different cultures in international marketing contexts.
2. To sensitize students to economic, political, cultural and legal differences among nations as they affect marketing opportunities and operations.
3. To enhance students' understanding of the international marketing management process, especially as it relates to the strategy and implementation of the four Ps.
4. To develop a marketing plan to export a product to another country.

Prerequisites

BMGT 350

Instructor

Dr. Amna Kirmani is the Dean’s Chair of Marketing and the Ralph J. Tyser Professor of Marketing at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. She received a PhD in marketing from the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University and an MBA from Cornell University. She has taught at Duke University, the University of Florida, and Southern Methodist University. Her current research interests include marketplace morality, persuasion knowledge, and branding. Her work has been published in several journals, including the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Marketing, and Journal of Consumer Psychology. Her papers have won the Paul Green Award in the Journal of Marketing Research, the Maynard Award in the Journal of Marketing, and the Best Paper Award in the Journal of Advertising. She was also designated a Fellow of the Society of Consumer Psychology, a lifetime award. She has served as president of the Association for Consumer Research, director of Smith Doctoral Programs, co-editor of the Journal of Consumer Research, and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Consumer Psychology.

Download the complete course information

Pre-authorization is no longer required to register for the course.

Student Global Leadership Board

Join the info session on Tuesday, November 19 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. to learn about how you can apply to serve on the first CGB Student Global Leadership Board. 

The Student Global Leadership Board (SGLB) is a student organization consisting of 4 undergraduate, 1 master’s, and 1 MBA student who would work closely with the Center for Global Business to represent the student voice in global programming. SGLB members will work closely with CGB, Smith faculty, and students to help shape and promote programs that align more closely with students’ needs and interests. 

The purpose of the Student Global Leadership Board is to:

• Represent the student voice: Act as a bridge between the student body and the Center for Global Business to ensure programs align with students’ needs and interests.
• Enhance Global Opportunities: Bring forward new ideas to expand and improve global experiential learning, including international business treks, case competitions and global networking events.
• Foster Leadership Development: Offer students a hands-on leadership role, where they develop project management, communication, and collaborative skills.
• Create Lasting Impact: Work together to shape programs and initiatives that will leave a legacy of enhanced global learning experiences for future students.

By being a member of the SGLB, you will gain:

• Skills in international education and student services
• Experience in program development and coordination
• A deeper understanding of international business teaching and learning
• A broader international education network 
• Interpersonal and communication skills 
• Access to leadership training workshops
• Recommendations for other opportunities

Required skills and expectations:

• Previous leadership or involvement in coordinating with students is required
• Self-starter and ability to work independently toward project goals
• Ability to pitch in fresh ideas in order to increase awareness amongst the students
• Effective communication (verbal and written)
• Project management skills
• Organizational skills
• Ability to meet every month

How to apply:

• Applications will be open on 19th Nov till before the winter break.
• Group Interview during 2nd week of Jan
• Board formation and welcome of SGLB in February.

Apply today

Grand Global Challenges Competition

Earn a chance to compete in the Loyola Marymount (LMU) International Business Ethics and Sustainability Case Competition (IBESCC) in Los Angeles, CA.

In collaboration with the Center for Social Value Creation, the Center for Global Business presents the Grand Global Challenges Competition, a new internal competition open to all students, undergraduates and/or graduates, at the University of Maryland interested in how ethical and sustainable solutions can be applied to the Sustainable Development Goals and global business challenges.

Date: Friday, February 14, 2025

The winning team will earn a spot in the be provided the opportunity to go to LMU in Los Angeles, CA and compete on behalf of the University of Maryland in the IBESCC. Stay tuned to learn more.

The Grand Global Challenges Competition will provide a similar structure to that of the IBESCC as a means to help prepare the team that will compete in the IBESCC. The GGCC will test a team’s ability to apply ethical reasoning to practical global issues and recommend solutions to sustainable development in an international setting.

Competition Details

• Each team that registers to compete must confirm their intent to compete (if selected) in the IBESCC at LMU in LA, CA from April 9-12, 2025.
• Each team chooses its business-related topic to present. The topic should have an ethical component and be related to one of the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Please refer to this list of examples as context when choosing your topic.
• The presentation consists of a 15-minute live, virtual presentation, and will be followed by a 5-minute Q&A and feedback session.
• Teams should explain the legal, financial, and ethical dimensions of the business problem and then recommend a solution that would be viable on all counts. These might include:
  • Identify the financial impact of the problem and the financial implications of the solution. A detailed financial analysis is not necessary if there is an explanation of how (and to what extent) the problem raises or lowers the company's costs or profits; the costs of your solution; whether the company can afford your solution; etc.
  • Identify laws, regulations, or court cases that effectively restrict or regulate what the company may do. Significant fines or settlements may affect the financial analysis.
  • Teams will be expected to utilize a secular, philosophical framework that discusses ethics in terms of the tangible good and/or harm experienced by those affected (human or otherwise). Because this is a business competition, DO NOT use technical, philosophical terminology or cite philosophers. The ethical analysis is geared towards business and should refer to the organization's mission statement, code of values/conduct, etc. as well as the SDGs impacted by these issues.

Team Makeup

Teams can be made up of 3 to 5 students each. Teams can be made up of any mixture of graduate and/or undergraduate students from any program at the University of Maryland. Teams are encouraged to create multi-disciplinary teams.

Registration

One student will register for the entire team. Each team registration should include details (contact, resume, etc.) for each student on the team.

Register here

Semester study abroad is great way for students to expand their global mindset.

The study abroad process includes a number of factors including financing, course transfer, choice of destination, and more. Students must speak with their academic advisor and the Center for Global Business before committing to a study abroad program.

Business Exchange

The Smith School has set up agreements with universities around the world that offer business courses in English each semester. Smith students pay the University of Maryland tuition to participate in these programs.

Learn more about business exchange partners

Engage in an experience that will broaden your global mindset by fostering cultural curiosity and adaptability. The Smith School's short-term programs provide students with the opportunity to apply a comparative international lens to their business education and professional careers.

Winter Break Courses

Information for Winter 2026 will be announced in April 2025.

Information Session

Read about previous short-term study abroad programs: 

• Undergrads Reflect on 2020 Winter Study Abroad
• Smith Undergraduate Students Explore the World

If you have questions about study abroad programs please contact CGB at smithglobal@umd.edu.

The Global Summer Internship Program

Gain professional experience abroad and earn 7 credits

Spend the summer of a lifetime working in Sydney, Singapore, Auckland, Madrid, Dublin, Prague, or Buenos Aires at a for-credit internship. Students travel abroad for a 7-credit internship.

Experience first-hand the challenges and opportunities of working in another country and with people from different cultural backgrounds. Based in one of seven exciting locations around the world, the internship program gives students an international experience that is invaluable for professional development and building one's resume

How to Apply?

Applications open November 1, 2024, and are due February 1, 2025.

Program Fees

The program fees below reflect what will be charged to the participant's UMD student account. The program fees below do not include the non-refundable Education Abroad Fee ($700) and required international health insurance ($92 estimated). The program fee does include housing (shared apartments or similar), and instructional costs (7 credits, cultural activities, some group meals, and on-the-ground support). Housing and instructional costs vary by location.

Program Dates

*Meal plan and costs included

Eligibility

• Open to all undergraduate UMD majors who are second-year sophomores and above.
• Students must have at least a 3.0 GPA.
• Students must be in good academic and judicial standing with the university.

Scholarships

#SmithGoesGlobalFund Scholarship – up to $2,700

Smith students can apply for the #SmithGoesGlobalFund Scholarship to help reduce the out-of-pocket costs of study abroad such as airfare and personal expenses. Learn more about the #SmithGoesGlobalFund Scholarship in the ‘#SmithGoesGlobalFund Scholarship’ section on this page.

Questions?

Contact CGB at smithglobal@umd.edu.

Apply for the #SmithGoesGlobal Fund Scholarship to help reduce the out-of-pocket costs of study abroad such as airfare and personal expenses.

How to Apply

• Check to ensure eligibility (see eligibility section below).
• Apply to a study abroad program in MyEA AND apply to the Education Abroad Fund Scholarship. Make sure to check the study abroad application and Education Abroad Fund Application deadlines.
• Complete the #SmithGoesGlobal Fund application below by the deadline.

Apply for the scholarship

Students will be considered for a scholarship based on their responses in the application form, the Education Abroad Fund Scholarship application, and their study abroad program information. Applying for this scholarship has no bearing on a student's study abroad program application.

Application Deadlines and Notification Dates

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply, students must:

• be a current business major.
• have applied or are in the process of applying to their first study abroad program at UMD.
• have completed a FAFSA and received financial aid.
• have completed an application to the Education Abroad Fund Scholarship (deadlines: September 26 or March 1).

Scholarship Amounts

Questions? Contact smithglobal@umd.edu.

Enroll in a language course abroad and apply for the $1,000 Business Exchange Language Scholarship. This award seeks to encourage students to pursue language learning opportunities while studying abroad on a business exchange or direct enroll program. 

How to apply

1. Check to ensure eligibility (see eligibility section below).
2. Apply and commit to a business exchange or business direct enroll program.
3. Complete the application below by the deadline. As part of the application, students must submit proof of registration in a language course.

Apply for the Business Exchange Language Scholarship

Students will be considered for a scholarship based on their responses in the application form, their proof of registration in a language course, and their study abroad program information. Applying to this scholarship has no bearing on a student's study abroad program application.

Upon completion of their study abroad program, students must submit proof of successful completion of the course (transcript or letter from host institution verifying successful course completion) in addition to one or two other deliverables that will be used for marketing purposes.

Scholarship amount - $1,000

The scholarship award will be applied to students’ UMD account.

Application deadlines and notification dates

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply, students must:

• be a current business major. 
• be committed to a business exchange and business direct enroll program.
• be registered for a language course (credit or non-credit bearing).

Questions?

Contact smithglobal@umd.edu.

While English is a universal business language, acquiring and mastering a foreign language can often give professionals a competitive advantage when doing business abroad. Language competency can often be the gateway to understanding cultural and societal norms that a business person would otherwise not know. For these reasons, CGB partners with the University of Maryland School of Language, Literature, and Culture (SLLC) to encourage Smith School undergraduates to enroll in language programs.

SLLC offers an array of programs in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish as well as programs that bring together language and business.

If you are an undergraduate interested in learning more, please see the SLLC website or email CGB at smithglobal@umd.edu.

In collaboration with the UMD Summer Language Institute through the UMD School of Language, Literature, and Culture, the Center for Global Business may award up to $5,000 of tuition, room and board to participate in either the Arabic, Persian, or Korean Summer Language Institute this summer.

To be eligible for the Global Business Summer Language Institute Scholarship you must be a current business (major or minor) student enrolled in a U.S. academic institution. It is recommended to apply to the Summer Language Institute before applying for the scholarship. Check back in Spring 2025 to apply for the 2025 Summer Language Institute Scholarship.

Dates: May 18-May 26, 2024

Location: Medellin Colombia

Apply by: April 8, 2024

The Center for Global Business is offering full funding for the week-long Global Student Leadership Council program.

To be eligible:

• Current undergraduate student at the Robert H. Smith School of Business
• Availability and ability to travel to Medllin Colombia from May 18-26, 2024
• Student leadership experience

Join other student leaders in a week-long workshop in Medellin, Colombia. The experience will be a mix of academic sessions, networking, professional development opportunities, and cultural activities. See the full agenda.

Apply by April 8, 2024, to be considered for this fully funded week-long experience.

Apply for the Global Summer Leadership Council

For questions: smithglobal@umd.edu