Tour countries and companies and experience engineering design in a way impossible anywhere else! During the Global Product Development course we will increase our understanding of the important issues involved in globalization and how to acquire skills needed to manage product development in a global environment. This will be accomplished through study and on-site visits of companies in the U.S and Europe (Scandinavia and Baltic States). Specific issues to be addressed include how companies manage international product development and the challenges and opportunities associated with global product development. As we travel within 5 or 6 countries and visit 15 to 20 companies and organizations, we’ll explore developing product needs in unfamiliar cultures, designing for adaptability, managing distributed design teams, and manufacturing at remote and/or distributed sites. We will appreciate first-hand how global companies approach these issues and seek to understand design strategies related to concept selection, product architecture, economic modeling, CAD management, design reviews, prototyping, and manufacturing systems in a global environment. We’ll discuss and share how globalization and other design process affects us individually and collectively as a world and explore the impacts of manufacturing capabilities and decisions in a cross cultural team environment, and learn about the nature of business, engineering, law, and other disciplines in a global economy. The course is open to all majors, but preference will be given to engineering students.

Global Product Development
Denmark, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Finland
DATES
Spring Term 2022. On-Campus instruction will take place during the first few days of the term, followed by 14-16 days of international travel. Expected course duration will be from 25 April–18 May 2022.
HOUSING
We will stay in hotels along the way, traveling from the hotels to industry sites. Program directors will be arranging all hotel accommodations.
COURSES
Students register for ME 579 (3 credit hours of technical electives).
This class counts as a technical elective for undergraduate students.
Enrollment is limited to twelve students.
COST
$5,600–6,000
Includes Latter-day Saint undergraduate tuition (increased cost for non-Latter-day Saint students), all travel costs, including international airfare, in-country transportation, breakfast at most hotels, lodging, and group excursions.
Does not include personal expenses, lunches, and most dinners.
The cost of this program will be reduced by $1000 as a result of generous support provided by the Weidman Center for Global Leadership.
TRAVEL
Airfare is arranged and is booked by the program directors.
PREPARATION
Per university policy, all students are required to attend the safety lecture and cultural awareness lecture, which will be scheduled for a date near the departure date. These lectures will be part of a required two-day design workshop and seminar from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. held on campus the first few days of the term.
Part-time BYU students and non-BYU students will need to pay an additional tuition fee of approximately $304.
All participants are required to show proof of complete COVID-19 vaccination (including booster) at least two weeks prior to departure.
FUNDING SOURCES
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 and may be considered for other scholarships. They must indicate on their original online application that they want to be considered for financial aid.
Academic departments and colleges may assist with scholarships and grants.
Private grants and scholarships outside of BYU may also assist (see kennedy.byu.edu/isp/financial-aid/).
APPLICATION PROCESS
Students must be 18 years of age or older.
Complete the online application at kennedy.byu.edu/apply. A nonrefundable $35 application fee is required.
Applicants will be interviewed once the application is complete and will be notified via e-mail of their acceptance into the program.
Deadline: 28 December 2021
FACULTY
Christopher A. Mattson, a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, directs BYU’s Design Exploration Research Group. Mattson has taught and conducted research in the areas of engineering design, manufacturing, and global product development.
360C EB
(801) 422-6544
mattson@byu.edu
John L. Salmon, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, directs the XDL. Salmon teaches courses in systems engineering, CAD applications, and computer programming. His research explores methods, tools, and practices to enable advanced collaborative engineering in design and product development.
360D EB
(801) 422-7135
johnsalmon@byu.edu
SCHEDULE AND TIME COMMITMENT
By university policy, all students are required to attend the safety lecture and cultural awareness lecture, which will be scheduled during the first few days of the class. All course assignments will be completed and submitted by May 20.
INTERESTED STUDENTS SHOULD CONTACT
International Study Programs
101 HRCB
(801) 422-3686
isp@byu.edu
PROGRAM ADJUSTMENTS
International Study Programs (ISP) reserves the right to cancel this program, revise its offerings, or make any adjustments to the preliminary cost. If it becomes necessary for ISP to cancel a program, all program payments made to BYU ISP will be refunded to the student’s BYU financial account. ISP is the only office authorized to cancel any of its programs.