Asia study abroad program

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Who sponsors ASAP? 

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Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY.  Well-known in the Northeastern US, Marist has approximately 5,000 undergraduate students and 1,100 graduate students. Marist is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Higher Education (http://www.msche.org) and the School of Management is accredited by AASCB, the international accrediting body for business schools.

 

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When is ASAP offered?

Fall semester only.  Departure/return dates are early September -- mid to late December.  These dates are subject to change depending on flight availability and cost.

 

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What places are planned for 2023?

Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan

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Is Asia safe?

Yes.  Every place we go is as safe or safer than the majority of cities in the US.  In prior programs, the only injuries have been self-inflicted, the most serious being a fractured arm from an unsuccessful attempt to jump a barrier while jogging.

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Where do we stay? 

Mostly hotels, though we may also stay in hostels, on overnight trains (with sleeping berths), maybe even a sleeping room on a boat depending on where we go.

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How do we travel? 

Primarily flights, though in SE Asia where distances are relatively short between some cities, we’ll take a bus. 

 

We also may travel by boat or train (including overnight train with sleeping berths).

 

Travel in a particular city may include train, skytrain, monorail, subway, tuk tuk, motobike (as a passenger), taxi, Uber, Lyft, or boat.

 

 

 

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How’s the food?   

In a word, delicious.  Asians value fresh, unprocessed food and ASAPers generally like every local cuisine they encounter.  Picky eaters can almost always find Western food if they want to stick to something they know.

 

Can I find vegetarian or vegan meals? 

Vegetarian options are almost always easier to find in Asia than in most of the US.

 

Just as in the US, vegan options are less plentiful though still available. Asian cuisine seldom includes dairy products, though eggs are a common ingredient in many Asian dishes. 

 

If you want a vegetarian or vegan meal, you can ask the server to have it made at no extra cost.

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Is food expensive? 

Food is generally a lot cheaper than in the US. In Tokyo, food is priced similarly to the US, though less expensive options are available if you search them out.

 

Is food plentiful? 

Food is literally everywhere you turn in Asia.  With respect to the ready availability of good food, the US is a food desert compared to Asia. 

 

Do Asian really eat ramen?

Indeed they do, but ramen and all other noodles are made fresh on-site, usually right in front of you.

 

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Who participates in ASAP?

Students from any school in good standing both academically and behaviorally; sophomore level or higher; 2.5 or higher overall GPA (exceptions on a case-by-case basis).  

 

Those majoring or minoring in business or international studies will find a good fit between ASAP courses and graduation requirements.

 

What type of person is best suited for ASAP?

These traits and characteristics work best with the ASAP experience:

• Curious and adventuresome; open to new experiences

• Adaptable, flexible

• Self-disciplined, conscientious, responsible

• Hard-working and solution oriented, helpful

• Emotionally stable and mature

 

Example:  Imagine landing in Bangkok, taking the Airport Link to connect to the Skytrain to get to the hotel and next morning walking out to the sidewalk to buy your breakfast of fresh pineapple and fresh watermelon from a sidewalk vendor with his fruit cart, fresh pomelo from a fruit stand, and fresh fried chicken from yet another sidewalk vendor.  Not a traditional breakfast, but all delicious, all safe, and all cheap.  You may have some culture shock, but you'll probably like it. 

 

I like to do my own thing from time to time.  Will that be possible on ASAP?

Absolutely.  In fact, doing your own thing is a requirement on ASAP, not just a possibility.  ASAP is not a “tour.”  It’s a study abroad program that places you in many different venues where you are allowed, encouraged, and even required to explore.  Prior to arrival in the next location, an ASAP team will prepare and deliver a country or location briefing to the entire ASAP group so you’ll know what to expect and you decide what you want to see and do.  Those who do their own research for a location and arrive there knowing what they want to see and do are the ones who get the most from their ASAP experience.

People differ in their desire to go solo or with a group; letting each person decide is the norm of ASAP.

 

Will I be able to make friends within the group?

Everyone does.  The awkwardness of meeting people at the airport for the first time to embark on a 15-week study abroad experience together fades on the plane ride from the US to the first location.  

 

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What classes are offered?

The following 3-semester credit hour classes are the usual offerings:

• Organizational Behavior

• Ethical Decision Making in Business

• Financial Management

• Marketing Principles

• Legal Foundation of Business

• Cultural Studies:  Asia and the World

• World Religions

 

Course delivery for most courses -- Organizational Behavior, Legal Foundation of Business, Financial Management, Marketing Principles, and World Religions -- is face-to-face on-site.  Business Ethics and Cultural Studies will be a blend of on-site and interactive Skype meetings.  

 

Other courses are possible depending on students’ curricular needs and the number of students needing a different course. 

 

How many classes do I take? 

You must be full-time and take between 12 – 15 credit hours.  No ASAP student may drop below 12 hours.

 

When and where do we have class? 

Any day of the week and anywhere we find a suitable location.  On long travel days, we don’t have time or a place to have class.  Thus, classes are scheduled around the travel schedule, not around the calendar, and the class venue changes with location. 

 

 

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How much does ASAP cost?

Costs can be broken down into 2 categories: 

• Tuition & Housing and

• Out-of-Pocket

 

You pay Marist College the Tuition & Housing fees.  You pay for Out-of-Pocket costs as you incur them.  

 

Tuition & Housing for 2023: 

• Coming soon...

 

Out-of-Pocket cost for travel, food, visas and personal expense: 

 

Travel Expenses (estimates based on actual costs if booked February 2023)

• Flight cost = $1,750

  • Includes roundtrip transoceanic flight plus all in-region flights. 

• Bus/train/boat/airport transfer = $500

 

Food = $2,400 (estimate; differs by person)

 

Visas = $210 (if you process them yourself)

  

Personal Expenses = Differs by person depending on spending habits. 

 

Will ASAP cost me more than the estimates above? 

 

That depends on your day-to-day choices.  

 

Example 1:  Flights, once booked, are a fixed cost.  But pack too heavy and incur an excess baggage fee and your flight will be appreciably more expensive than for the ASAPer sitting next to you who packed lighter.  Pay that same excess baggage fee for multiple in-region flights and your travel costs have increased appreciably.

 

Example 2:  Everyone has to eat, though not all choose to eat at the same places or order the same entrees (some expensive, some cheap).  If you spend an average of $5 more per day on food than another ASAPer spends, your food costs are almost $500 more for a 14-week program.  With the exception of Japan where meal costs are comparable to US prices, food expense across almost all of Asia is considerably less than in the US so eating both well and cheap is possible.  

 

Day-to-day personal spending habits have the most influence on your overall costs.

 

 

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Deadline? 

End of April with later consideration possible based on a case-by-case basis. 

 

How do I apply?

Complete the online application here:

https://www.marist.edu/study-abroad/how-to-apply#Semester

 

After I apply, how do I find out more information? 

 

Once you’re accepted, you’ll start receiving emails to let you know what to do, including how to apply for visas, what to bring, what to leave at home, how to pack, what e-books to buy, which ASAP group you’re in, and a host of other information so that you’re well informed about your responsibilities as well as about the region.  If you do your part, you’ll be well prepared to board the flight in September to begin your ASAP adventure.