UNF's International Business Program

The University of North Florida is dedicated to offering experiential learning opportunities to our students. All students may receive international exposure, whether that means studying abroad, participating in overseas internships, or taking classes with guest faculty members from an international partner university. In the International Business (IB) Program, we know that the collaboration between students and professors is the driving force behind transformational learning in higher education. We endeavor to give students and faculty the necessary support to take that experiential learning to a higher level, expanding opportunities globally. These experiences prepare our graduates to succeed in their careers and to enhance the Northeast Florida business community, and beyond. They become not only academically prepared but also globally and interculturally aware.

IB Mission & Vision

Vision

The International Business Program aspires to facilitate the development of positive global citizens characterized by an understanding of the economic, political, social, cultural and environmental diversity and sustainability of the world.

Mission

The University of North Florida is dedicated to offering experiential learning opportunities to our students. All students may receive international exposure, whether that means studying abroad, participating in overseas internships, or taking classes with guest faculty members from an international partner university. In the International Business (IB) Program, we know that the collaboration between students and professors is the driving force behind transformational learning in higher education. We endeavor to give students and faculty the necessary support to take that experiential learning to a higher level, expanding opportunities globally. These experiences prepare our graduates to succeed in their careers and to enhance the Northeast Florida business community, and beyond. They become not only academically prepared but also globally and interculturally aware.

Goals

The International Business Program aims to be a resource for all students, faculty, and staff UNF by providing 

• assistance for academic departments in creating and implementing strategic internationalization plans;
• academic support for faculty in developing study abroad programs and internationalizing their classes;
• facilitation and development of international faculty exchanges, including connections for joint research and teaching abroad;
• academic and intercultural advising for domestic students participating in study abroad programs throughout their journeys;
• support for returned students to apply the intercultural competences gained through their experience abroad into tangible skills to use in their professional careers.

International Business Advisory Council

Our Advisory Council is a link to the professional community and industry practices for our program. These dedicated individuals provide input on relevance of our overall programs of study and specific aspects of the curricula in today’s global business landscape. They assist us in pinpointing specific competencies and skills students should possess to make the International Business Flagship Program more competitive and generate better informed, more interculturally aware graduates. Our members also help assess the college’s competitive environment by advising on strategies to not only recruit students to the major or degree programs, but also to identify internship and career opportunities.

		Earle Traynham, Ph.D. Emeriti Professor Previous Provost University of North Florida			John R. Duda Chairman and CEO Summit Exercises and Training
		Kerry Flack Vice President National Account Management Allstate Benefits			Juan Sebastian Marentes Manager PGA Tour
		Andrea Hartley Executive Director GlobalJax, Inc.			Joffrey Heine Director, Operations Technology APR Energy Company
		Tami Mak Vice President T.Mak’s International Inc.			Jonathan Mann Sales Executive Aon Risk Solutions
		Karina Person Senior Accountant CIT Group			Kristin Culleton Vice President, CIB Central Management Deutsche Bank
		Maria Isabel Montoya Executive Director MiAddvantage Global Marketing & Communication			Carsten Demuth Founder/President Demuth Capital
		Alexis Vigil Owner Outstanding Contract Management, LLC

International Business & Study Abroad Team

Contact Information

		Andrés Gallo, Ph.D Director of International Business Professor of Economics (904) 620 -1694 Dr. Gallo specializes in international economics issues, with focus on Latin America and economic development. He has written more than 30 research papers and participated in numerous conferences as presenter and speaker. He has focus on the political economy of property rights in diverse areas, including the US patent system, biotechnology and property rights in the context of economic development. Dr. Gallo has applied econometric techniques to address different issues in these areas of research. His teaching expertise includes international economics, econometrics, economic development, study abroad and Latin American economics. He has taught in several universities around the world and has led several study abroad courses to Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, Guatemala, Spain and Ghana.
		Kate Mattingly Learch, MBA Director of Study Abroad, International Business (904) 620-2521 LinkedIn After studying Spanish in Mexico and Italian and art history in Italy, Kate completed her undergraduate program in Linguistics at the University of Florida, and spent two years teaching English in Kazakhstan as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer. She then returned to UF to earn an MBA with a concentration in Marketing and spend a summer studying the economics of the EU through the University of Manchester.  In 2007, Kate came home to Jacksonville to join the UNF International Business Flagship Program, and co-created Global Engagement in 2020.  She maintains membership in NAFSA Association of International Educators and the Institute of International Education, and has given conference presentations on topics such as UNF’s GlobalMBA program, creating undergraduate dual degree programs, and building international alumni networks. Kate has studied Spanish, Italian, and Russian (though she speaks none of them fluently, unfortunately!)  Kate cherishes the relationships she builds with colleagues overseas and the exciting international, transformational, academic opportunities she helps create for students in Northeast Florida and beyond.
		Colleen Morris, M.S. Advisor for Semester Study Abroad, International Business (904) 620-5317 LinkedIn After studying abroad for two semesters in Aix-en-Provence, France, Colleen earned her BA in international management and French from Moravian University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. After college, Colleen moved to NYC and worked for a decade in global marketing and public relations roles in the tourism and hospitality industry. While working for Atlantis resort in the Bahamas, she completed an MS in tourism management and customer relationship management from New York University. During her time at NYU, Colleen worked as a graduate research assistant studying global economic impacts on the tourism industry, and volunteered for the International Institute for Peace through Tourism in Geneva, Switzerland. Later in her career and after advocating for over ten years for her own children with learning differences and health challenges, Colleen became an exceptional student education teacher. After a move to Jacksonville, she spent the last few years in the classroom teaching ELA, math, social studies and science to K-8 students, as well as, on the field coaching cross country. Colleen treasures the relationships she has built with her students, peers, and colleagues from all over the world, and watching them grow and flourish in their academic and professional journeys. She is excited to merge her experience in global business and education, in the field of international higher education, and inspire Coggin students to pursue studying and working abroad opportunities.
		Peter Denyer, BA Advisor for Faculty-Led and Summer Study Abroad, International Business 904-620-5124 After studying abroad in Bilbao, Spain while living with a host family and completing his degree in International Relations at California State University, Chico, Peter received his TEFL Certificate and moved back full time to Bilbao as an English Teacher. During his time living in Bilbao, he improved his Spanish, although not fluent, and even learned some of the basic words in Euskara, the local Basque language. Peter grew up in the Bay Area in California as a tri-citizen (United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom) hosting international students from around the world. Moving to Jacksonville and entering the field of international higher-education to help UNF students study abroad and assisting international students at UNF makes his international experience go full circle. He has traveled to Canada, Mexico, Spain, France, England, Germany, Belgium, Italy, and the Czech Republic. Agur!
		Globi International Business After numerous years travelling and studying overseas, Globi decided to return to its alma mater, UNF. Globi graduated from UNF summa cum laude with major in International Business and a minor in Global Studies. UNF students and staff alike have fallen for Globi's bubbly personality, willingness to adapt to new environments, and love for learning. Besides hanging out on campus and promoting study abroad, Globi enjoys checking for new connections on social media (Facebook).

Giving Back to International Business

Providing meaningful experiential learning opportunities requires investment devoted to creating programs, establishing partnerships, and supporting student travel and academics. As such, there are several opportunities to partner with us in facilitating the development of our students and supporting the Northeast Florida community.

Give Now

To support our mission, click the button above and select "Designation: International Business Studies", or contact Coggin Development.

Opportunities to Support our Mission

Student Scholarships

These scholarships are intended for the wide range of academic programs offered through IB. Scholarship funding helps increase diversity via outreach to under-represented populations of students. Lack of financial resources and visibility may otherwise prevent certain students from fully participating in our study abroad programs.

International Programs

Faculty-led Study Abroad Programs

Students participate in a study abroad program led by UNF faculty. These programs are an effective instrument to introduce students to other cultures and differences in international markets.

Summer Study Abroad Programs

Students spend a summer term in one (or two!) of 10 programs in different countries. They take classes from local faculty at a partner university, and live in the local culture. Classes are taught in English, making these programs extremely accessible to a large population of students.

Semester Exchanges

Students who are more independent or have already participated in an entry-level study abroad, can spend a full semester or year at one of our partner universities as exchange students. These opportunities offer deep cultural immersion; students may enhance their language skills and become proficient living in a foreign culture.

Dual Degree Programs

IB offers dual (or double) degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. These academic programs require a strong commitment from our students, but they exemplify the unique learning opportunities at UNF.

• Undergraduate Dual Degrees: students who participate in undergraduate double degrees complete two years of classes at UNF and then two years of classes at one of our partner universities. These programs culminate in the awarding of two bachelor's degrees, one from each university. Spending two academic years abroad, taking several classes taught in another language, completing an overseas internship, and receiving two degrees sets these students apart in the job market and opens up diverse options for their future careers. Currently, IB offers double degree programs in France, Spain, and Germany.
• Graduate Dual Degree: our GlobalMBA program is a unique program in its class, as it provides a 15-month long academic program around the world. UNF partners with the Technische Hochschule Köln (Cologne, Germany), the University of Warsaw (Warsaw, Poland), and Kyungpook National University (Daegu, South Korea). Students live and study in these four locations as an international cohort, and receive two master's degrees: an MBA from UNF, and a Master of International Management and Intercultural Communication jointly conferred by Technische Hochschule Köln and the University of Warsaw.

Coggin Delegation

This student buddy program facilitates integration of international and domestic UNF students so they may work together toward deeper intercultural understanding. International exchange students are paired with UNF students and participate in activities organized by the Coggin Delegation. This program is open to all UNF students, regardless of their planned study abroad programs or majors, and allow us to increase the internationalization and intercultural exposure of our college and campus.

Faculty Development

Internationalization and international programs are one of the most important sources of faculty development and retention. Faculty look forward to having these opportunities to participate, enhance their research prospects, and create richer learning environments for our students. Among these opportunities are the following:

Coggin Faculty Exchange

Coggin faculty members may participate in a short-term exchange program with our partner universities. This IB-funded activity allows them to develop relationships, assess research opportunities, promote the Coggin College of Business and UNF, give guest lectures, and organize study abroad programs and other academic activities for our students.

Incoming International Faculty Members

IB provides for international faculty from our partner universities to teach at UNF and bring their unique multicultural perspectives to our students. In this way, we enhance internationalization and promote dialogue among our domestic students and faculty.

Internationalization Events

Throughout the year, IB hosts a slate of events to promote intercultural awareness and enhance UNF's internationalization efforts. These include but are not limited to the following:

• annual UNF program study abroad fairs
• International Education Week programming
• National Study Abroad Day events
• faculty workshops on developing international programs
• student workshops for double degrees
• study abroad student pre-departure and re-entry orientations
• study abroad information sessions in partnership with UNF departments (e.g., LGBTQ Center, Coggin Diversity and Inclusion, student clubs, etc.)
• community events...and more!