All first-year business majors and pre-business students*. 

*You must be 18 years or older at the time of travel

*Pre-Business students are only eligible for FGX Zurich 

Beginning September 26 through October 3, students can enroll in an FGX program on a first-come, first-serve basis. All eligible students will receive an email to their official CU email address with a link to register on September 26th. Similar to course registration, once a program is full it will no longer be available. Students will be confirmed in their program in early October.

FGX Course: BADM 1260
Students who confirm FGX enrollment are enrolled in a 2-credit spring term course (BADM 1260) associated with their program destination. Class meets once a week and focuses on the core concepts of international business and location-specific history, politics, and culture. The class travels either during spring break or after the semester ends in May with a faculty leader and a staff leader for a week-long academic experience abroad, including business visits and cultural tours.

Adding/Dropping BADM 1260
Students cannot add BADM 1260 themselves. Once a student confirms enrollment, Leeds Global will register students into the correct course section. When registering for spring courses, students must plan to be available for their designated FGX course section. Students cannot drop BADM 1260 themselves. Please view the details below regarding financial implications related to course withdrawal and email leeds.global@colorado.edu to request the withdrawal.

Waitlist
If all programs are full, a waitlist option will become available. Students can select to be considered for the waitlist and indicate which program is their top choice. After the program confirmation deadline, students on the waitlist are notified if their first-choice program, or another program, has availability.

  1. Enroll early. Spots are first-come, first-serve. Plan to enroll when it becomes available in September! 
  2. Use program affiliation to your advantage. Some programs offer exclusive admission for students enrolled in Leeds-specific programs (PREB, DLF, DSP, LHP, LSP, BEWiT, etc.).

There are no language requirements. However, students are encouraged to learn key phrases to enable communication with locals.

Once a student has signed their letter of commitment in October, a non-refundable deposit of $500 will be placed in their CU Account. The program balance will then be added to spring tuition. Balance deadlines are based on the Bursar's Office deadlines.

Please note that FGX program fees only cover ground and air costs. The 2 credits that correspond with the BADM 1260 class are included in tuition fees.

For in-state students, as long as you do not exceed 18 credits, you will not pay extra in tuition, as the cost remains the same for taking 12-18 credits. For out-of-state students, the cost of tuition is the same regardless of credit hours taken. For more information on tuition, please visit the Bursar’s Office webpage.

  • Round-trip group flight to and from the country of destination
  • Domestic transportation within the country
  • Ground transportation to and from the airport and during daily scheduled activities
  • Scheduled business visits and cultural tours
  • Accommodations for the duration of the program (students will share a room with another student(s) of the same gender)
  • Breakfast in the host country
  • Welcome & Farewell Dinner
  • Health Insurance during travel dates (Student must bring debit/credit card to handle emergency medical payments. Claims can be made afterward for reimbursement)

  • Tourist Visas (if necessary, based on your country of citizenship)
  • Meals (lunches and dinners)
  • Personal Expenses (souvenirs, snacks, water, etc.)

A roundtrip group flight is included in the cost of all FGX trips. The travel provider negotiates group rates for FGX flights in order to provide the most affordable airfare. Students cannot choose to opt out of paying for the group flight.

All students on Spring Break FGX programs must travel to and from the destination with their group. This is because students will have classes at CU Boulder before and after their Spring Break FGX program.

Students on May FGX programs must travel to the destination with their group. They may choose to extend their stay abroad, and in doing so would forfeit the return leg of their group flight. Please review the following information if considering plans other than returning on the group flight:

  • All students must travel to the destination together on the group flight.
  • If students wish to extend their stay abroad, they must purchase a one-way ticket home and would not be refunded any portion of the group flight.
  • Students must inform their faculty leader of their plans to forfeit the group return flight prior to departure.
  • Students must complete 100% of the FGX program prior to departure.
  • Students will be financially responsible for any no-show fees charged by the airline (this rarely occurs but is possible).
  • Students not returning on the group flight are responsible for all aspects of their time abroad after the conclusion of the FGX program including accommodations, food, transportation, visas, safety, etc. 

Yes! All Leeds first-year students may apply for a partial need-based scholarship through the online FGX application. This partial scholarship will not cover the entire cost of the program. Scholarships are in the range of $1,000-2,000. Decisions will be made based primarily on financial need.

Students may use Federal and State financial aid to pay for the program.

CU offers General Scholarships, but the application window does not open until November, which is after the deadline to commit to FGX. There are also Leeds General Scholarships, but that application window does not open until December. Please note that the "Buffs Abroad" scholarship offered by the CU Education Abroad Office cannot be applied to FGX programs.

Once a student has signed the FGX Letter of Commitment, a $500 non-refundable deposit charge will be placed on their account. This deposit is non-refundable. Please do not commit to FGX until you are absolutely sure that you will be able to participate in class, the trip abroad, and can financially support the experience. This is due to the fact that reservations including flights, accommodations, tours, dinners, etc. are made months in advance based on the number of students who commit during the fall semester, which is why there are consequences to withdrawing after the confirmation deadline. 

If a student decides to withdraw during the spring semester, the amount refunded (excluding the deposit) will be based on the travel provider’s costs incurred up to that point.

Student Forms
Students must complete all required CU Education Abroad forms in the fall semester. Timely completion of these forms is required. 

Students will also be required to complete additional forms as requested by the travel provider.

Passport
Students must have a valid* passport in their physical possession by the first day of spring semester classes. This means all participants will have to apply for or renew their old passports by November of the fall semester. Failure to do so could result in the inability to participate in the experience abroad. *The 6-month passport rule states that your passport must be valid for another six months after you depart the country you are visiting (i.e. If you depart the FGX country on May 17th, 2024 your passport must not expire before November 17th, 2024). 

Responsible/Responsive
It is imperative that students respond promptly to and complete all tasks asked of them by those affiliated with FGX.

Punctuality/Preparation
Students are expected to be on time for flights and daily program activities. Tardiness will not be accepted. Students should be appropriately dressed and mentally prepared according to faculty/staff/guide instruction. 

Engagement
Students are expected to be engaged with all aspects of the program including business visits, city tours, cultural events, etc. from start to finish of the scheduled daily activities. Students are expected to show a high level of professionalism at business visits, as well as ask thoughtful questions and give guest speakers or hosts their undivided attention.

Safety
Students are expected to abide by all safety precautions as outlined by CU Education Abroad, your program leaders, and the travel provider. 

Conduct
Students are expected to behave according to the University of Colorado Student Conduct Code and the rules and expectations asked of them by Leeds, the CU Education Abroad office, and their program leaders. Students should be aware that they represent themselves, the Leeds School of Business, the University of Colorado Boulder, the state of Colorado, and the United States of America when they travel on FGX programs.

Alcohol
In most cases, first-year students can legally consume alcohol in their host country. Responsibly consuming alcohol on an FGX program is a privilege. If a student demonstrates that they cannot responsibly handle this privilege, it will be removed. 

Examples of irresponsible drinking include, but are not limited to:

  • Making alcohol an important aspect of time abroad
  • Arriving late to daily activities as a result of alcohol consumption
  • Hungover, tired or bored as a result of alcohol consumption
  • Misconduct of any kind as a result of alcohol consumption
  • Drinking in excess until no longer able to make good decisions 

Drugs
The use of any recreational drugs will result in immediate dismissal from the program at the student’s expense. Drug laws are often stricter in foreign countries and in some extreme cases, can result in years in prison or even execution. Marijuana use, while technically legal in the state of Colorado, will not be permitted abroad.

FGX flights typically depart on the last Thursday or Friday of the spring semester. Students living in dormitories must abide by their dorms' moving policies and dates. If a student is participating in an FGX program that departs a day or more after they are to vacate their dorm, it is the student's responsibility to plan accordingly for this brief lapse in housing. 

International students will be responsible for researching and obtaining any necessary visas for FGX participation. Leeds and CU do not offer visa advising services. International students should also check with the International Student and Scholar Services office to learn how participation may affect their US student visa.

FGX is not a vacation. It is an academic program. 

Students will be engaged in business visits and cultural tours all day long. Some days will begin early and some days will end late. At the end of the day, students will have free time to explore the host country. 

  • Passport
  • Tourist Visa, if necessary (usually only for International Students)
  • Clothes for business visits as instructed by the faculty leader
  • Comfortable clothes and shoes for cultural tours
  • Preparation for expected weather (hat, sunscreen, umbrella, jacket/coat, etc.)
  • Money for meals and personal expenses (cash and credit/debit cards) 
  • Some form of debit/credit card to handle emergency medical payments (claims can be made afterward for reimbursement through provided health insurance)
  • Notebook and pen for business and cultural visits
  • Camera
  • Water bottle
  • Smartphone to communicate with the group via group messaging applications
  • Small day pack
  • Toiletries
  • Prescription medication (enough to last the entire program in the original labeled bottle)

  • Valuables (jewelry, electronics, etc.)
  • Large items (sports equipment, stereo, etc.)
  • Excessive clothing and shoes
  • Alcohol, recreational drugs & paraphernalia

  • FGX academic experiences abroad can be exhausting. You will likely fly through the night through multiple time zones and then maintain a full schedule of activities for the duration of the program. Students should be prepared for long flights, early mornings, and a packed schedule of daily activities.
  • FGX academic experiences abroad can also be strenuous due to climate differences, cultural differences, time changes, different government regulations, and being away from the comforts of home. Students are encouraged to embrace these new and exciting challenges to the best of their ability. Students are also encouraged to speak with a program leader if they are having difficulty adapting to these new circumstances.