Field Study in International Business FAQs

What Field Study in International Business (FSIB) is:

FSIB is a second-year elective course. It is a full course with the expected hours and work demands generally higher than for conventional Tuck courses. It is a real-world practicum in consulting with an actual client project. It is a serious client-driven, client-supported program.

What FSIB is NOT:

An FSIB project is NOT an expense-paid vacation in an international venue for students or faculty advisors. These projects are serious, real-world consulting assignments, and the client expects results similar to those delivered by McKinsey, Bain, BCG, or other leading consulting firms.

The difference between FSIB and the Tuck Global Consultancy (TGC) program is:

The Center for International Business markets the FSIB program to potential clients as the Tuck Global Consultancy (TGC). Therefore, outside of Tuck, the program is best known as TGC.

How FSIB is funded:

FSIB is entirely client-funded. The total client costs include a fee of $33,500 per project to cover part of the Center's administrative costs, plus visas and immunizations for student teams and Team Advisors. The client also pays for the out-of-pocket travel and lodging costs of the Tuck team and Team Advisor. No other fees are paid by the client. There is no profit margin in an FSIB project, meaning that Tuck does not benefit financially from the program. The client pays for the actual costs and no more. The important point here is that this is not a course funded by the Tuck School or your tuition.

Acceptance into FSIB:

The number of students accepted into the FSIB course depends entirely on the number of paid consulting assignments the Center can generate. With six students on each FSIB team, it takes one client project for the Center to enroll every six students into the course. Thus, the student acceptance into the course is completely market-driven. In some prior periods, we have had more students wanting to take part in FSIB than we have had clients. The result was that the Center was not able to place all interested students on a team.

FSIB and student-exchange participation:

You may participate in the FSIB if you plan to do an exchange term following the in-country portion of the project. For example, doing an exchange during the Fall Term will preclude you from a Winter Track project, but not the Summer Track. Understand that there is substantial work that occurs upon returning from overseas, and even while overseas, and you must commit to the entire project in order to participate.

Elements of the FSIB course are:

The course includes a rigorous international component, often in a developing country. Because of Tuck's academic year, the three-week in-country portion (Phase Two) of FSIB is done either before or after the Fall Term. The course credit value will be counted for the Winter Term, regardless of project timing.

The Phases are as follows:

Phase One: Takes place in the US, prior to travel, lasting 4 to 6 weeks; the workload during this phase is equivalent to a mini-course

Attend a one-hour kickoff meeting after country assignments have been made
Choose a team coordinator at that meeting
Attend several one-hour conference calls/on-campus meetings to be introduced to the client and project (hours that do not conflict with internship work schedules or classes)
Prepare client engagement letter (in most cases we have a general understanding with the client about the project, but it is necessary for teams to refine the scope of work, deliverables, and other project specifics with the client)
Sample Engagement Letter (doc)
Prepare a preliminary project workplan for review and approval by the client (this needs to be reviewed and confirmed before starting the in-country portion of the FSIB; Tuck does not have a confirmed consulting assignment until the client signs off on the project proposal submitted by the team in this phase)
Sample Project Workplan (PDF)
Review the materials provided by the client
Begin secondary research (reading on the sector of concern and research on the company itself BEFORE contacting the client is encouraged)
With the client's assistance, set up a substantial number of appointments for the first week in the country

Phase Two: Completed in the project's international venue, lasting 3 weeks

Meet with the client to confirm the detailed objectives and scope of the in-country work
Set up a substantial number (40+) of additional appointments
Conduct appropriate interviews
Provide daily updates to faculty/junior faculty
Continue secondary research, but focus principally on primary research
Begin synthesis and analysis
Prepare a preliminary presentation
Present a two- to three-hour preliminary PowerPoint presentation to the client
In-country private travel is also possible on weekends, work permitting (after Phase Two, students who wish to travel privately for some days are welcome to do so, at their own expense)

Phase Three: Returning to Tuck, after travel, lasting 4 to 6 weeks; again, the workload during this phase is equivalent to a mini-course

Meet regularly - two 90-minute class times per week are reserved for FSIB work in the term following your return
Meet several times with your faculty supervisor to review your progress toward final presentation and report
Complete research, synthesis, and analysis
Prepare final conclusions and recommendations
Hold three or more one-hour conference calls with the client within four weeks after your return to Tuck
Present a two to three-hour final presentation to the client and faculty two weeks after conference calls; this may be done at Tuck, via videoconference from Tuck, or at the client's US office
Deliver PowerPoint slides and supporting materials (interview summaries, background data, etc.) to the client, with copies of all to the Center for International Business

The course objectives for FSIB are:

FSIB is learning by doing. It is an actual consulting experience for a real client, with deliverables, timetables, deadlines, uncertainties, and unexpected events. The course prepares participants for international business, particularly consulting, through hands-on experience in a challenging overseas environment. The FSIB experience requires Tuck students, working as a team, to use, integrate, and focus their [Tuck] learned skills on a real-world project.

In summary, FSIB is:

The FSIB course is open to all second-year Tuck students. But remember, the number of students accepted depends entirely on the number of clients we ultimately recruit. Typically, at the Spring [Term] Orientation, the Center only has a couple of clients willing to commit to projects for the Fall Term. Regrettably, there still exists much ambiguity and uncertainty during the spring and summer about how many students can be accepted into the course. Many clients commit to a project at the last possible moment.

Outcomes:

Thus far, the Tuck FSIB teams have completed 127 assignments in over 45 countries since 1997. Here is a summary of several projects:

Nike: Determine whether the company's internal and external systems to monitor factory compliance with the Nike Code of Conduct in Turkey are effective. Are there gaps between reporting and reality? How can the company close those gaps?

Eli Lilly: Project the future of the market for pharmaceuticals in the Thai and Korean markets. To do so, map the prospective evolution of healthcare delivery and purchasing decisions.

Hewlett-Packard: Analyze current distribution patterns for medical products in the markets of Vietnam and Indonesia and recommend one or more distribution systems that will fit.

Intel: Assess the capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses of Intel's position in Poland to determine its optimal position in the nation's Internet businesses.

Walt Disney: In Vietnam, analyze and recommend ways to improve inventory controls and retail store layouts of Disney Consumer Products' Vietnamese distributor. In India, benchmark Disney brand consumer products.

Citibank and the International Finance Corporation: In India, assess the feasibility of and design a new financial product - a student loan system.