Global Product Development: Europe

Study Abroad Spring 2010

What is Study Abroad?

One of the main benefits of studying abroad is the opportunity of working closely with BYU professors. As a result of small class sizes and students/professor interaction, you will get to know your professors well. Furthermore, each course features learning experiences designed to actively involve you with the people, history, arts, attitudes, and traditions of your host countries.

While studying abroad, an important part of your educational experience will include visiting sites related to your course work. Visits to cultural sites as well as other field trips such as museums, cathedrals, monuments, and theatres related to your course work will be enhanced by studying about the places before and discussing them after your visits.

Country Sites

The tentative itinerary includes visits to England, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Hungary. Visits to companies such as, Goodyear, Delphi, BMW, BD Medical, Caterpillar, BMW, Bausch and Stroebel, IDEO, PDD, and Alcoa are in the process of being arranged as well as tours of universities such as Compiègne University in France and Budapest Technical University.

Semester    Dates
Spring        27 April–25 May 2010

The first week of class is spent visiting engineering companies in Utah and Salt Lake counties. The second and third weeks are spent in Europe. And the fourth week is spent comparing/contrasting and presenting findings.

Program Details

The program objectives include understanding some of the important issues involved in globalization and to acquire skills needed to manage product development in a global environment. This will be done through study and on-site visits of companies in the U.S and Europe. Specific issues to be addressed include how companies manage international product development and the challenges and opportunities associated with global product development.

The learning objectives are:

• Understand issues associated with a global product development including developing product needs in unfamiliar cultures, design for adaptability, managing distributed design teams and manufacturing at remote and/or distributed sites, and appreciating first-hand how global companies approach these issues.
• Understand design strategies related to concept selection, product architecture, economic modeling, CAD management, design reviews, prototyping and manufacturing systems in a global environment.
• Appreciate the challenges in managing product development across different countries, cultures and languages, and how companies apply appropriate tools and processes to address these challenges.
• Understand why outsourcing is such a big deal with companies.
• Understand how globalization affects you personally.
• Understand the design and manufacturing capabilities of other countries and how companies leverage these capabilities (work with, deal with, manage) in a cross cultural team environment.
• Understand the integrated nature of business, engineering, law and other disciplines in a global economy.

Course Requirements

• ME 579 Global Product Development (three credit hours): This class counts as a technical elective for undergraduate students. Enrollment is limited to sixteen students.

Where do Students Live?

• Students will use existing university housing in Europe and/or hotel accommodations.

Preparation for Study Abroad

• All students who are accepted into the program are expected to register for a one-credit-hour, pre-departure preparation class held Thursdays from 4:00 to 6:00 P.M. during the second block of winter semester 2010.
• Part-time BYU and non-BYU students will need to pay an additional tuition fee of $220 (approximately).

What Funding Sources are Available?

• Regular BYU tuition scholarships, Pell grants, and Federal Insured Student Loans may be applied to Study Abroad Programs.
• Students who submit the financial aid section of the ISP application, and who have a current FAFSA form on file at the Financial Aid office (A-41 ASB), will be considered for a Study Abroad scholarship.

Application Process

• Application deadline is Friday, 27 November 2009.
• Early applications are encouraged.
• Complete the ISP online application at https://kennedy.byu.edu/isp/online/app/home.php.
• Contact the directors for an initial interview once your application is complete.
• ISP’s Study Abroad reserves the right to cancel this program, revise its offerings, or to make any adjustments to the preliminary cost estimates due to conditions beyond its control.

How Much Does This Cost?

• Approximately $4,800–5,100
• Includes LDS, undergraduate tuition (increased cost for graduate and non-LDS students).
• Does not include personal expenses, or extra activities.
• Thanks to college and department subsidies, students may expect to pay about $3,400–3,700.

Interested Students Should Contact:

Jordan J. Cox and Christopher A. Mattson have taught and conducted research in the areas of engineering design, manufacturing, and global product development.

Jordan J. Cox
164B FB
(801) 422-3627
cox@byu.edu

Christopher A. Mattson
435G CTB
(801) 422-6544
mattson@byu.edu    

ISP
101 HRCB
(801)422.3686
isp@byu.edu

Fulton College of Engineering and Technology | Mechanical Engineering Department