It’s time for another look at the programs, resources and opportunities that help differentiate the leading business schools. Today we will examine the options available to help incoming Fuqua students start the school year on the right foot.
All Fuqua first-year students participate in the recently-introduced, four-week Global Institute pre-term program. The Institute, held in August before the start of classes, consists of two core courses designed to help students gain a more nuanced understanding of the global business environment and enhance their collaborative leadership skills.
In addition to the mandatory Global Institute, Fuqua offers a Summer Math Review Course and a Language Institute in the weeks before New Student Orientation to help students build targeted skills before the start of classes. Although all students are generally invited to participate in these courses, the Admissions Office recommends or requires enrollment for particular students with weaker math or English skills. Because the programs meet during the same time period, it is impossible to complete both, but the administration reports that few, if any, entering students need extra preparation in both subjects.
The Language Institute, or LI, begins in mid-July and is designed to help international students build English speaking, writing and listening skills, orient to the academic environment at Fuqua, and begin creating friendships with other students. The LI, which costs $3,370 in the 2009-2010 academic year, is divided into four phases of teaching and support. In the optional first phase, students who would like to complete individual preparatory work with a tutor are encouraged to arrive in mid-July for tutorial sessions. The intensive two-week Language Institute makes up phase two of the program, and during this time students complete English diagnostic assessments, language tutorials, experiential learning projects and case study analyses. Classes during phase two meet from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day, with mandatory social events and team meetings often scheduled for the evenings. Phase three begins once LI participants start the Global Institute course. The LI faculty use the “live” academic setting of the Global Institute to give LI participants detailed feedback and suggestions for improvement before the first term of classes begins. Finally, entering students who participate in the LI are eligible to receive continued language support through individual counseling or small group work throughout their time at Fuqua.
For more information on pre-term and international orientation programs at Fuqua or other leading business schools, be sure to talk with current students or check out the Academics section of the Clear Admit School Guides!
Read the full article: Trivia Tuesday: Pre-Term Programs at Duke’s Fuqua School