elcome to the IDP Inquirer, highlighting the experiences of IDP programs students, instructors, internship employers, and graduates. We hope it helps you get acquainted with our programs, Berkeley, and what it's like to live and study here.

Student Voices | Meet an Instructor | Working in the USA
| IDP Success Story | IDP Insider

Introducing Our Students

Who enrolls in the IDP programs? There's no single answer, but each term opens with one certainty: IDP students come from all parts of the world.

The latest group now in Berkeley is no exception. These students arrived on 12 January for the IDP programs' spring 2009 term from places as far-flung as Turkey, Togo, Korea, and Kazakhstan. They traveled from throughout Europe—from Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Ukraine, Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. They came from the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australia, representing six continents and 24 countries in all.

Of the spring term's 126 students, the largest contingent is from Brazil. Enrollments from Spain, Turkey, Korea, and Taiwan also are strong. In recent years, the IDP programs have attracted more students from these five countries than from anywhere else.

There's always room for a new nation in the mix, however. For example, the IDP programs enrolled its first students from Togo and Kazakhstan this spring.

Whether someone from your country is already part of the IDP programs or your arrival would add a new place to the list, you are assured a warm welcome and an opportunity to learn with and from accomplished young professionals from around the world.

Student Voices

The Best of Berkeley

The Overall Experience
"What did I like best about my time in Berkeley? EVERYTHING! And when I say everything, I mean everything—the staff at UC Berkeley Extension, my classmates, my instructors, my classes, all the new concepts I learned, the food, the weather, Telegraph Avenue, San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge and Bay Bridge, restaurants, Union Square, Pier 39, Oakland, Monterey, Walnut Creek, Lake Tahoe, and friends."

Yamil Valencia Lascar, Colombia
International Business and Finance IDP

Good Advice
"You are going to study, work, and share great times with people from all the continents. Be serious and organized during the weekdays, and enjoy the wonderful place—California—on the weekends. Even if sometimes things get hard—exams, teamwork, interviews—sharing them with people you meet there will make it a doable and enriching experience. The key to success is organization."

Ignacio Ortiz de Mendivil, Spain
Finance IDP

The Educational Experience

"IDP gave me an opportunity to interact and work with people from around the world and taught me to be an effective team player. IDP is not only about gaining theoretical knowledge; the best part is that it focuses on real-world applications through case studies and team projects.

The best thing about my time in Berkeley is that the entire learning process was productive as well as interesting and enjoyable. Berkeley is a wonderful place for students, and it is certainly a home away from home."

Krittika Raychaudhuri, India
MBT: Business Administration and Finance, Internship

Meet an Instructor

Al Mattison, Marketing

If you want to know about marketing in the United States, there's no better place to learn than in Al Mattison's classroom.

Mattison, an IDP instructor for almost four years, brings decades of professional marketing experience to his teaching. Now a marketing and advertising consultant to a variety of large and medium-sized businesses, he spent 20 years with the 3M Company, where he rose to the position of marketing and advertising vice president overseeing five divisions.

He's equally committed to sharing what he knows about marketing. In addition to teaching in the IDP Programs, Mattison has been a UC Berkeley Extension instructor for 12 years. He also has served on the academic committee of the American Advertising Federation for more than 10 years.

"I've always worked with international students and find it rewarding," says Mattison. "I've been enjoying the IDP programs immensely. Students come here with strong backgrounds in different disciplines and are very eager to learn how we do things in the United States."

Mattison turns to real companies and products, including Bridgestone tires, Subway restaurants, and San Francisco's Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, to teach his students about marketing, advertising, and integrated marketing communications. He also draws on his own professional experiences for case studies.

"Students say I love to tell them great stories, but those stories are what's going on in the world," says Mattison. "I also assign real-life projects, and they have to come up with a marketing plan for a particular product or service. They work in teams of no more than five people, provide periodic reports, and give a presentation. I take the role of the client."

Participating in these teams is also a learning experience for Mattison's IDP students. He explains, "They work with groups of students from different countries. That way, students learn different approaches, or how things might be done in Korea versus Brazil. It's good for everyone-including me-to hear someone say, 'In my country, we do it this way.' We can compare and discuss how we might do it here. The mixing of cultures is very good."

This kind of experience is typical of Mattison's teaching style. He jokes, "I also show a lot of DVDs of case studies so my students don't have to listen to me all the time."

Working in the USA

Internship and IDP Add Up to Opportunity

What might it be like to intern with a U.S. company? For Ji Eun Park, who came to the IDP programs from Korea, an internship meant an opportunity to get involved in all facets of a company's business.

Ji Eun was an intern with Media Vision USA, a San Francisco company that provides conferencing, electronic voting, and interpretation systems. There, she had varied marketing responsibilities, from writing press releases, to working on search engine optimization, to participating in trade shows and conferences.

"She saw what it takes to hold a conference, from start to finish," says Fardad Zabetian, Media Vision's CEO. "She was a key member of the company. Even after she left, I called her in on a project basis."

Zabetian was so pleased with Ji Eun's work that he recruited another IDP student intern for the next term. Kyoko Okawara, an IDP student from Japan, is involved in research, statistical analysis, and business development for the company. Now, Zabetian hopes to add two students in a single term. Meanwhile, Ji Eun's internship experience has led her to a job offer and a new career in the Bay Area.

Zabetian believes his company's work with international organizations, including the United Nations, banks, and governments is well suited to IDP interns. He says, "It's good to have people here with different experiences and who speak different languages."

Media Vision USA helps to ensure that IDP interns have a productive experience by providing an initial week of training in which they learn about the company's products, operations, accounts, and activities. Then, the interns' success depends on their willingness to assume responsibility.

"Students need to get involved and take it seriously. If someone is just looking for a big name to put on a résumé, this isn't the right company," says Zabetian. "If someone is interested in having a good, hands-on experience in a real business environment in the United States, then our company is a good choice."

IDP Success Story

Markus Kramer

You can study in the IDP programs for as few as four months, but the programs' impact on your career lasts far longer. We recently heard from Markus Kramer, a native of Switzerland who completed the Project Management IDP back in 2000 and now lives and works in the United Kingdom. Now a network development manager for Harley-Davidson Europe Ltd., Markus reports that he continues to benefit from his experience in Berkeley.

"Today, I manage a cross-cultural team who jointly contributes to the success Harley-Davidson enjoys in Europe. The diversity of backgrounds and geographic locations of my team is in a way a reflection of the students I studied with during my time at IDP/Berkeley. I feel my time during my project management program at Berkeley has contributed a lot to the skill building needed for me to succeed in what I do today…

After Berkeley, I went on to a top-notch executive MBA program at the SAID business school at Oxford University. Yet again, the diploma program in project management at Berkeley was a key element in helping me achieve this-not only in terms of the experience, but also in terms of its name and the recognition of its quality education.

So, in short, thank you, IDP and Berkeley. I learned a lot and made great friends for life!"

Apply for May Admission Now

The deadline to apply for admission to the IDP Programs term beginning 7 May (the summer 2009 term) is coming soon. If you currently live outside the United States, you must apply by 27 March. If you are already studying in the United States and plan to transfer to the IDP programs this summer, your deadline is 17 April.

All of your application materials must be submitted before we can consider you for enrollment, so making sure now that you have everything required is important. We hope to see you in Berkeley in May!

For full details about applying to the IDP programs' summer term that extends from 7 May to 14 August 2009, visit our website .

Important Changes

International Business is Now Global Business Management

All of the IDPs are designed to reflect the most current business practices. As a result, in May the International Business IDP will become the Global Business Management IDP, acquiring both a new name and an updated curriculum that includes courses in global supply chain management and negotiating. What remains unchanged, of course, is the high quality education every IDP provides.

See the course descriptions for the Global Business Management IDP.

Admission Requirements Changing

Beginning 20 November 2009, UC Berkeley Extension will no longer accept the TOEIC exam as a measure of English language proficiency. If you are considering which exam to take to qualify for admission to the IDP programs, please refer to the list of approved tests and required scores.

Program Overview

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