IBUS 4071: Persuasion and Influence Across Cultures
Undergraduate Global Enrichment in Morocco & SpainProgram Dates:
This program is full but applications are OPEN for waitlist seats. You must email Program Manager, Mary Krebs, to notify her that your application needs review.
Class Sessions: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:45pm-4pm, spring semester 2026. This course meets for the full spring semester.
Overseas Program: May 14, 2026 - May 28, 2026. The travel for this course will interfere with graduation/commencement. Students wishing to participate in graduation ceremonies should find an alternate option.
Program Details
- Be more persuasive in all aspects of your professional and personal life
- Understand the psychology that underlies influential communications
- Have a toolkit for crafting communications that successfully influence behavior
- Be able to communicate more effectively in difficult situations
- Increase your cultural intelligence and cross-cultural communication
Course Description:
From getting your roommate to wash the dishes to getting your dream job or creating social change, our effectiveness depends on our ability to influence other people. This class is about the art and science of persuasion and influence. By learning multiple methods for influencing people across different situations, students will master the tools to become more persuasive in both their personal and professional lives.
Course Goals and Student Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course you will:
This program will spend approximately 4 days in Rabat, Morocco (with an optional day trip to Tangier); 4 days in Marrakesh, Morocco; and 3 days in Malaga, Spain.
Students should plan to book a multi-destination flight into Rabat, Morocco and out of Malaga, Spain.
The program hotel(s) will be conveniently located to program activities. Hotel specifics will be provided to participants in the program orientation. Because networking and community-building are essential components of the program, the expectation is that students will share a room with another program participant. If there are other accommodations that would support a student's access and inclusion on the program, there is an opportunity to request such preferences in the Housing Request Form after confirmation in the program. Guests are not permitted during the program. Breakfast will be provided daily at the hotels. A welcome dinner and closing dinner are also included in the program fee.
- 4 Foundational Marketing elective credits
- A-F grading
- This course meets for the full spring semester
- This program is open to Carlson BSB students in good academic standing. The application process may be competitive and space is limited. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance.
- Priority will go to students who have 100+ credits. If you are a student with alternative considerations, such as DRC accommodations for a reduced course load, please contact the Program Manager to discuss how we can support your application.
- Students with a GPA below 2.0 will be conditionally accepted pending a conversation with the Program Manager about academic success. Contact Program Manager with questions about eligibility.
U.S. citizens will need a valid passport to travel to Morocco and Spain. If you already have a passport, you need to check the expiration date and confirm that it is more than seven months after the program ends. If you do not have a passport, or your passport needs to be renewed, you will need to apply for one immediately upon confirmation.
A visa is a document that proves that travel into a particular country has been approved by their governing body. U.S. citizens do not need a visa for visits up to 90 days for tourism in Morocco or Spain. Non-U.S. passport holders should check with the Moroccan and Spanish consulates regarding visa requirements and fees. A consulate is a foreign government's official place of residence and representation in a foreign country. While consulates provide passports, birth registration, and many other services, they also have consular sections which issue visas for foreign citizens to visit, study, and work in their country. If you carry a passport other than a U.S. passport and are required to carry a visa into Morocco and/or Spain, you will be responsible for securing your visa; you will work closely with the Program Manager to make sure you have any University-specific documentation that you need.
To apply, please visit the Apply page. Students will be charged a $50 application fee. The priority deadline is at noon on October 15, 2025. Applications for programs that do not fill by the priority deadline will be accepted on a rolling basis until full. Applications to competitive programs will be selected via lottery. Students will be informed of their application decision in about seven to ten days after the priority deadline.
Most financial aid may be applied to study abroad. University of Minnesota students are eligible for education abroad scholarships. Please see Financial Aid and Scholarships for more information.
Up to 30 University of Minnesota undergraduate students.
This course meets for the full spring semester. It will be taught by Vlad Griskevicius, Associate Dean of Academic Innovation and Operations . The pre-departure classes are a fundamental component of the curriculum. These pre-departure classes are partly discussion-based given the broad range of diverse and complex challenges faced in international business, and therefore the quality of the student experience is dependent upon all students attending and participating in the pre-departure classes.
In order to be eligible to participate in the international portion of this class, students must maintain satisfactory academic performance as determined by the instructor. If your academic performance prevents you from participating in the international component of the course, you will not receive a refund of the program fee. Please bring any concerns about this directly to the Program Manager.
The program starts with a city tour and welcome dinner. The program includes guest lectures, company visits and cultural activities. Included in the program is time for a small amount of independent exploration.
Please contact Program Manager if you have additional questions about the schedule.
Cost
These estimates will vary based on student preference and exchange rates. All details are subject to change based on economic and international factors. Most financial aid may be applied to study abroad programs. All costs are subject to change prior to departure.
* Students should also maintain their U.S.-based health insurance plan while abroad.
** Costs are estimated for U.S. passport holders only. Non-U.S. passport holders should check with the Moroccan consulate regarding the visa application process and costs.
| Expense Type | Estimated Cost |
| 2025-2026 Tuition for 4 academic credits (included in the 13+ credit tuition plateau) | $0 |
| Program Fee (does NOT include international airfare between Minnesota and Morocco/Spain, but does include regional travel including flight from Morocco to Spain, hotels, program events, two group meals, local transportation, and international health insurance*) | $3,552 |
| International airfare (NOT included in Program Fee, above) | $1,600 (estimated) |
| Hotel Accommodation (included in Program Fee) | $0 |
| Passport/Photos and EVisa** | $180 |
| Textbooks | $50 |
| Daily Living Expenses (international cellular/data plan, local transportation- including 2 airport transfers, incidentals, laundry, etc.) | $400 |
| Meals (lunch and dinners not included in Program Fee). Estimate does NOT factor in alcohol. | $400 |
| Total: | $6,182 |