Global Study Tours are an opportunity for students to learn firsthand about other business cultures. Students meet with leading executives, government officials, and alumni while visiting company headquarters, factories, and cultural sites. Students have an average of two company visits a day (8-10 throughout the week), and all meetings are mandatory. Study Tours last from 7 to 12 days, taking place over winter break and spring break, with occasional May or August tours.

Students are traveling on behalf of Columbia Business School and are expected to act as ambassadors of the School brand by actively participating in company visits and alumni receptions. The culture of study tours is open and inclusive to build and strengthen relationships between students. Tours have a minimum number of 20 students an a maximum of 40. Some tours may have lower caps for logistical reasons.

Only current, full-time Columbia Business School students are allowed to sign up (no significant others). Students with holds on their student accounts are not allowed to participate. Students not officially enrolled in the study tour cannot participate in any study tour activities. 

Registering for a Study Tour

Registering for a tour uses a Dutch auction method similar to class bidding. Each student is given upfront lifetime "Chazen bid points” that carry over from year-to-year. These bid points are separate from class bid points. There is only one round of bidding. Students are allowed to place their bids anytime during the bidding period. The lowest successful bid becomes that study tour’s “clearing price.” Students can secure spots on multiple tours; however, the student must ensure that they do not confirm spots on overlapping tours. No swapping is allowed. Bidding for winter tours generally takes place in September, and spring tour bidding takes place in mid-November.

Those not able to get on a study tour are placed automatically on a waitlist, ordered by highest to lowest bid amount. There is no separate waitlist round. Students that get off the waitlist are charged the bid amount they placed on the study tour, not the lowest “clearing price" for the waitlist, so make sure to bid what you are willing to pay. Students can add themselves to the waitlist at any point after the bidding period for no bid points by emailing chazen@columbia.edu. 

If a study tour does not fill to capacity during the bidding period and does not have a waitlist, it is open on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Study Tour Costs and Payment

Costs vary depending on the study tour. However, in general, tour fees include hotel (based on double occupancy), local transportation, some meals, guides, and tips. Students are expected to stay in the same hotel.

Payment is a two-step process: Students with successful study tour bids have 48 hours to pay a non-refundable deposit online or they forfeit their spot (bid points will be refunded). Four to six weeks before the trip, students make a final payment. Students are not able to increase their loan eligibility for a study tour unless they are doing an associated independent study.

Since students with holds on their accounts are not allowed to go on a study tour, it is each student's responsibility to reconcile his/her account prior to submitting their tour deposit. 

Withdrawal

Withdrawals not only create additional work for study tour organizers, but it also increases costs for students who are added later on. Therefore, once a deposit is made, the student is considered on the tour and deposits and bid points will not be refunded except for the reasons listed below (documentation may be requested):

• Personal, medical, and family emergencies
• Military service
• Court appearances, such as jury duty
• Visa denial

Please note that exceptions for classes and recruiting will not be made so please make sure to review the schedule for on-campus recruiting as well as block week courses prior to bidding for study tours.

Requests for withdrawal must be made in writing to the Chazen Institute at chazen@columbia.edu for consideration and include the reason for appeal and supporting documentation. If the request is approved, a refund will be credited back to the original credit card used for payment. Please note that monetary refunds of deposit and final payments will be given less any non-refundable fees and expenses already incurred (these fees will vary from tour to tour). NOTE: If the drop is made after the final payment deadline, the student may be responsible for the full cost of the tour depending on the cancellation policies of the respective study tour.

Travel Precautions

Vaccinations and immunizations are recommended for many global destinations. Please review the latest health and safety information from University Health Services and schedule travel appointments if need be. Health Services is particularly busy leading up to school breaks, so please schedule an appointment as early as possible.

The Chazen Institute reserves the right to cancel a study tour due to low enrollment or other circumstances which would make the study tour non-viable. If a study tour is cancelled, your deposit and bid points will be refunded.