Welcome to CIMBA!

For more than 20 years, we’ve been leading the way in delivering a global business and leadership education that immerses students in the Italian culture and fosters travel in Italy and throughout Europe.

CIMBA is one of the few study abroad programs that focuses not only on academics and cultural exploration but also on personal development and leadership growth. So students walk away not only wiser about the world, but also about who they are; their strengths and weaknesses. Our leadership and development curriculum, created by faculty in our Leadership Institute, is supported by one of the most comprehensive, highly personalized, one-on-one coaching programs in the U.S. and abroad. Many of our students walk away with certificates in leadership and personal development, problem-solving and decision-making—all of which are valuable knowledge- and resume-builders. They also walk away more confident. According to a 2014 CIMBA Student Satisfaction Survey, 97 percent of students reported that participating in CIMBA study abroad increased their: cultural competency, curiosity of other cultures, confidence navigating other cultures, and understanding of other traditions. 

According to Frontier and Amerispan, 90 percent of employers believe students who study abroad are likely to have skills including: cross-cultural communication skills, independence, cultural awareness, maturity, and flexibility; 73 percent say study abroad is important when evaluating resumes for junior-level positions; and 80percent of HR executives say it is important for overseas job placement.

As the cost of higher education continues to rise we know cost and value are important. In 2019, 95 percent of our students reported a good return on investment after studying abroad, and 92 percent reported their CIMBA education was a good value. It’s also worth noting that for students paying out-of-state or international student tuition rates at their home institutions, it is often less expensive to attend CIMBA.

The price you see for your student’s study abroad program includes tuition, room and board, dining services, laundry, a twice-weekly cleaning service, and more. Airfare is separate, but we’ll help advise your student on how to find the best fare.

Our curriculum has the power of the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business AACSB accreditation behind it. That means, unlike many study abroad experiences, our credits are widely accepted in the U.S. and beyond. Our program is built around core and elective business, economics, journalism, and engineering courses students might otherwise take at their home institutions. For example, they could take accounting, finance, marketing, communications studies, or Italian at CIMBA instead of at their home universities.

We take academics seriously. CIMBA students are required to attend class, and if students aren’t in class, we check on them. If they are ill, we have an on-campus nurse available.

CIMBA has full-time staff in the U.S. and Italy (many of whom are bilingual/multilingual) who provide support for travel to campus and beyond, health care, culture, logistics, language, housing, clubs, student organizations, and more.

Our program is small and all of the classes are taught in English, which makes it a great stepping stone for first-time travelers. For those who have already studied abroad, there are plenty of ways to immerse oneself in the language and culture of Italy. For example, all of our study abroad students learn “survival Italian,” but some enroll in our beginning Italian language course.

Our students take part in more travel than nearly any other study abroad program. Our semester students have more than 25 travel days, and summer students have two long weekends of travel. All of our students get to choose their destinations. To assist them with travel logistics, they take a travel seminar at the beginning of their CIMBA experience. Our students are known for traveling throughout Europe.

Paderno del Grappa is a quiet community—home to roughly 2,200 Italians. All of our students live on campus in single or double rooms, and tuition includes three meals a day. A security guard also monitors our front gate.

Students don’t need to be a business major to attend. In fact, we regularly enroll students pursuing sociology, graphic design, journalism, psychology and more. With proper planning, our semester students can also complete a business minor.

CIMBA is part of a dynamic and thriving consortium of more than 35 U.S. universities led by our degree- and credit-granting institution, the University of Iowa. Students from our consortium schools, and those outside the consortium, are welcome at CIMBA. As you consider studying with CIMBA, please visit our CIMBA and Your University section.