Before implementing new requirements in the Department of Resource Economics and Policy at the University of Maine, the research team conducted an investigation to find out what specific skills our students should have to apply themselves and their degrees in the international business arena. This question focused not only on skills for international applications, but broadly on workplace skills that graduating students might not be receiving from traditional classroom preparation.
A survey was distributed, and interviews and focus groups were held to elicit input from business representatives in the region. The team chose to synthesize its own study with research carried out at the state and national levels and the experience of our partners at the University of Florida to get a vision of the skills that would best serve UMaine students in international agricultural and environmental business. This skills study is summarized in the paper "An Expanded International Business Curriculum and Internship Program".
Based on these findings, new courses and curricula will be designed to give students the international experience and exposure that the project team hypothesizes is lacking. Options for providing such experience include student exchange arrangements with Canadian universities, cross-border internships, special short courses, and newly designed international components of existing courses. These options will be more fully developed in the second year of the project.
Contact information: 206 Winslow Hall, Orono, ME 04469-5782, (207) 581-3171, peggy.mckee@umit.maine.edu
