CIMBA Italy Study Abroad Program

CIMBA, a international business consortium, is a strong study abroad program. During a single semester, each student receives 30+ travel days to explore Europe. An average student travels up to 9-12 countries in a semester. Practically unheard of anywhere else!

Not only do they offer extensive travel time, but they also provide professional development seminars that allow you to grow and enhance your skills, resume, and expand your global network.

CIMBA - "Be Your Best"

I absolutely LOVED the program! I took statics for engineering credit as well as a GenEd and both were super easy to stay on top of and do well in! The professors were extremely supportive, and the people on the program were so much fun! We got to travel every weekend too so you weren't tied down to campus if you wanted to explore more of Europe, and the office was really helpful in planning out how/where to travel. The professors all understand that you're there to get the most out of your study abroad experience, so the classes weren't extremely demanding, and homework wasn't assigned over the weekend so you could focus on your travels. It was very structured and safe, the campus was beautiful, the food was delicious, and I loved every second I was there! You won't regret it - study abroad through CIMBA! :)

CIMBA is such a unique study abroad experience because you get the best of everything: social life, enriching classroom content, leadership experiences and cultural immersion. With 25 days free to travel independently, I got to see a lot of Italy and Europe. I made friends from other US universities that I will be connected with for life. The LIFE and LEAP leadership and personal development programs gave me lots of self confidence and opportunities to develop personally and professionally. I would recommend the CIMBA program to anyone.

I loved living on campus in a small Italian town while taking classes and traveling Europe on the weekends. I feel that I learned more through my CIMBA classes than any class at my home institution. The professors are passionate about what they teach and are always there to answer any question you have. The program is made so that the time during the week is devoted to going to class, studying, and seeing the small Italian towns around Paderno del Grappa, while the weekends are free to travel as we please. I was able to visit 3 different countries while on the four week program!

Campus in great small town. About 25 built in travel days to go anywhere in Europe. Intimate class structure. Several leadership opportunities. Access to fitness center and sports courts/fields. Dorm life, which is actually great, because you quickly home with a whole new group.

Being a part of the CIMBA program was the experience of a life time. After going through LIFE and LEAP, I really felt that my life took a turn in the right direction. I was given tools to improve my ways of thinking and skills to use when making decisions.

I think a HUGE part of the experience was the amount of independent travel time that was given. Almost a month worth of travel. By going to new places and not always speaking the language, I was able to get even more experience in problem solving and also a new understanding of other cultures and expectations of other cultures.

Academically, the classes were well structured, I felt that I would have gotten the same education if I had stayed in Iowa for the semester. I think the professors were also aware that we traveled on the weekends and gave us plenty of class time to work and meet with groups for group projects. They were all there to help us learn and give us advice about leadership in the real world.

Overall, CIMBA changed my life in more ways then one. This program specifically stands out from others because of the importance they place on leadership and how to change your way of thinking to work strategically for the rest of your life. Best decision of my life! #CIMBALOVE #Spring14

CIMBA (Consortium of International Management Business Analysis) focuses on personal and leadership development in the heart of Northern Italy through the University of Iowa. I went through the graduate program and also worked as an onsite coordinator. CIMBA offers an incredible opportunity for Americans who want to work full-time and study part-time for the MBA. They offer this position to two people each year so that there is a rotating group of coordinators (with a total of four coordinators each year). This package includes paid tuition, shared apartment with one other coordinator, shared punto car (the lion), stipend per month, food allowance, and one flight home per year. The full time MBA program is one year, but if you apply and get to do the work/study program, it take two years.

Day to Day-
Work: 40+ hours per week of work so it is NOT just about travel and fun. It is hard work but very worth it. Many long days and long evenings with Italian cultural events and dinners - all free and great local experiences. Work with both Americans and Italians so a lot of cultural differences to be learned. Italian language is not necessary but I definitely recommend learning it because it makes you become part of the culture so much more and connect with so many more people. The work consisted of administration type work, projects, meeting with students, taking them to the hospital if needed (which can be an all day process), and working on presentations.

School: Classes are on the weekends all day each day starting in October and lasting until April of each year. One weekend off per month. Each class is two weekends long followed by an exam and then another class begins. It is a lot to retain in such a short amount of time. There are also a lot of leadership and personal development workshops throughout the week, and they have students wear sensors to read their heart rates during classes for testing/regulating emotions. Typical classes range from 10-25 people and American professors fly in to teach the courses. Each student is required to complete a consulting project in a team given to them in January and presented in April. The full time students live on campus and are typically consists of a wide array of people (the director says on purpose) with some more difficult than others. Each student is also required to go through a program called LIFE which is a 2.5 day leadership program consisting of a variety of environments in which students experience different emotions so that they can overcome them. The group tends to bond extremely well during this time. I would highly recommend being very open to this experience and focus on building/encouraging the people around you, even if the experience itself is uncomfortable for you.

Highlights: small work/class environment, work and study with Italians, classes consist of many different cultures, the region is absolutely beautiful and authentic, a great local Italian town (very small) at the base of Mt. Grappa, wonderful nature, fun trail runs and hikes, great cafes, italian folk dancing, easy to travel to/from, very simple lifestyle, and the friendliest local people

Difficulties: not ideal for someone who likes the 'big' city or many things to do in the evenings, hard to learn the language unless you challenge yourself and go out of your way to learn and practice with locals, difficult to get around unless you have a car (which coordinators do), work and school can be very time consuming some weeks

Important to pace yourself, take initiative to become a part of the culture (very worth it and key to enjoy it to its fullest), meet and get to know Italians at work/school, participate in local activities and learn the language, and encourage others to do the same. It seemed that those who didn't enjoy it did not experience the culture well and they were ready to go home after a half year or year. They felt lonely and bored when it can be so much more than that with a little effort! I met some of the greatest people in my life who are Italian and some of my best friends - I think that is definitely an advantage to being in such a small place. Be very open and positive in regards to the class structure and workshops- some of it doesn't make sense but will help in the long term. It absolutely changed my life but I don't think it's for everyone!