UCLA Travel Study

Global Studies:
Business Leadership, Communication & Culture:

Perspectives from Japan

  • Dates

    July 7 – August 2, 2023

  • Location

    Tokyo

  • Eligibility Requirement

    COVID-19 vaccine + booster required for participation by program provider

  • Program Fee

    UC Undergrads: $7,600

    UC Grad Students: $8,200

    Visiting Students: $8,200

    Fees are subject to change by action of the UC Regents: View full fee disclaimer

*2024 Program Information Coming Soon!*

The overall program objectives are to nurture your growth as an effective, multicultural leader in global business, as well as to increase your knowledge about business and leadership across Asian cultural contexts. In this program, we will place special emphasis on cultural diversity and local models of leading and understanding business.

We will also examine the attributes of successful communication. Whether attempting to motivate, influence, or connect to others, or simply to get a message across in a manner that is memorable, concise and easy to understand, communication matters. In our communication course, we will examine the attributes of successful communication – how to make effective presentations, how to be aware of and plan the impression that you make in your communication, delivery strategies and techniques, visual and verbal persuasion principles, how to build arguments with supporting evidence, the art of “business storytelling,” how to communicate and persuade in business contexts across cultures, and other related topics. We will also discuss cultural variables in strategic communication.

Curriculum

Program Courses

All students will enroll in two required courses while attending the program:

  • GLBL ST 110A (5 units)
  • GLBL ST 110B (5 units)

Course Descriptions

GLBL ST 110A (5 units):  Strategic Business Communication

GLBL ST 110B* (5 units): Business Leadership: Global Perspectives

*Can be applied towards the Diversity requirement for the College of Letters and Science, School of Music and Public Affairs. 

Prerequisites:

UCLA Global Studies majors– GLBL ST 1, 102, 103, and 104 
Other majors and Global Studies minor– No prerequisites

Description:

GLBL ST 110A, STRATEGIC BUSINESS COMMUNICATION, seeks to improve students’ strategic communication skills. The course examines the attributes of successful communication – how to make effective presentations, how to be aware of and plan the impression that you make as a presenter, visual and verbal persuasion principles, delivery strategies and techniques, how to build a logical argument with supporting evidence, the art of “business storytelling,” how to communicate and persuade in business contexts across cultures, and other related topics. The course seeks to enhance one’s strategic communication, persuasion, and executive presence abilities. Group presentation and influence techniques are also covered.

GLBL ST 110B, LEADERSHIP: GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES, takes global and diversity views on what is required to lead organizations. This is especially important as today’s business world is a global community. The course employs a diversity framework throughout as it helps students develop their critical global leadership abilities, as well as better understand the dynamics of organizational environments and systems as they impact global leadership progression and growth. Said differently, the overarching course objective is to nurture one’s growth as an effective, multicultural leader in the context of global business. This course’s conceptual frameworks are grounded in principles of individual, group, and organizational behavior. The course will expose students to different theoretical perspectives of leadership, with an emphasis on the development of skills that support effective leadership and diversity awareness.

Courses fulfill UCLA Global Studies major/minor requirements (automatically); courses fulfill Asian Studies major and East Asian studies minor requirements.

Syllabus/Schedule

TBA.  Syllabus and schedule are subject to change at the discretion of the instructor.

Budget and Financial Aid

Budget Estimate UC Undergrads UC Grad Students Visiting Student
Program Fee  $7600  $8200  $8200
Textbooks  $100  $100  $100
Airfare  $1700  $1700  $1700
Meals  $1200  $1200  $1200
Spending Money  $800  $800  $800

Program fee includes registration and course fees, accommodations, program excursions, local transportation pass, daily breakfast, and health insurance. 

Airfare, textbooks, additional meals, and any COVID-19 testing required for travel are additional.

Fees are subject to change by action of the UC Regents. View full fee disclaimer.

Document Fee

Non-UCLA students will be charged a $50 Document Fee. This is a one-time document fee which covers fees for first-class mailing of official transcripts, diploma and much more. Please visit the Registrar’s Office Website for more information. Matriculated UCLA Students: Please visit the Registrar’s Office Website for document fee information.

IEI Fee

All undergraduate students will be charged a $61 IEI fee per summer. The IEI (Instructional Enhancement Initiative) fee is a course materials fee that is charged in order to support the use of technology in undergraduate education at UCLA. 

Budgeting

We recommend that you budget accordingly to cover optional sightseeing, laundry, internet cafes, emergencies, etc.  How much to budget depends on your travel, entertainment and souvenir choices. It is always best to overestimate your spending. Take the time to research the cost of living in your destination and the activities you want to participate in while abroad.

Purchasing Airfare

Please do not purchase airfare until instructed to do so by your Travel Study Program Coordinator.

Financial Aid

Financial aid for Summer Sessions Travel Study programs is available to qualified UCLA students. All other students should inquire about financial aid at their home institution. For details about the financial aid application process, please visit the Financial Aid section of this website.

On Location

Accommodations

Students will reside in a hotel in Tokyo. Hotel rooms will be double occupancy and students will have breakfast provided daily. 

UCLA Travel Study reserves the right to change housing location. Should this be necessary, we will arrange comparable accommodations elsewhere.

Meals

Breakfast is included on a daily basis. There will also be group meals for  the welcome lunch and farewell dinner.   

Please let us know when you apply for this program if you have any special dietary needs as well as any physical or medical conditions. We will advise you accordingly.

Excursions

This program includes cultural activities and guided tours in and around Tokyo as part of its curriculum.  Final details and a full itinerary will be available to program participants at a later date. 

Limited free time is built into this program for independent sightseeing. If you plan on traveling, we recommend that you plan to do so after your program ends and that you budget additional spending money.