Student Exchange Report
Cass Business School
Spring 2013
Name of the University: Cass Business School
Exchange semester: Spring 2013
I. PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before leaving Norway
- When and how did you receive information from the exchange university?
I received some basic information in the beginning of December from the exchange
office in London. The pre-departure guide gave information about the school, the
different faculties, housing and different social activities.
-
Any difficulties in preparing (application, housing, contact, courses, etc)?
I did not experience any difficulties in preparing for my leave to Cass Business
School. I got great guiding from both exchange offices regarding both housing and
when choosing the courses.
Applying for a visa (if applicable)
- How did you apply for your visa?
Norwegian citizens don’t need visa to study in the UK and therefor I did not encounter
any problems or had any cost regarding the application for the visa
Travel
- How did you travel to your destination? Any problems?
I travelled with plane from Gardemoen to Gatwick Airport 17th of January and did not
experience any problems at all. I should have booked the train ticket from Gatwick to
Liverpool Street online as I could have gotten it cheaper.
Housing
- Was housing provided by the university, or did you have to find your own housing?
There was some housing provided from the university and in the first email exchange
students had the opportunity to apply for housing. I decided to stay at a private student
apartment as I felt that was better for me, regarding my preferences.
-
What support did you receive from the school in locating housing?
We got information about the housing, rooms and the rent and how we could apply for
housing provided by the school.
-
Any special issues or good ideas for prospective students?
Try to find good opportunities to stay private online, as this could be both cheaper and
better regarding privacy.
Costs
Rent
Books
Food
Transport
Other
8460 NOK
200 NOK
See comment
720 NOK
1000 NOK
Food is much cheaper than compared to the prices in Norway. The monthly expenses
could vary a lot as it is quite normal to eat some meals in different restaurants with
another exchange student.
Expenses related to transport could also vary based on how much you travel as it is
better to get a “pay as you go” Oyster travel card.
Culture and language
- Did you have any language problems with the faculty or other students?
I did not have any language problems with the faculty or other students. In some
coursework I could have some difficulties understanding some of the Chinese
students.
-
How were the possibilities to experience the country and the culture?
It is important to remember that London is quite a cultural city with great
opportunities to experience the country and the culture. I used some of the time during
the weekends to visit museums, drive to the countryside or visit different areas of
London
Cultural and social effects from the exchange experience
- How do you think the exchange experience will affect you from a cultural and social
point of view?
I think an understanding of culture is important to understand people and their
thinking. I did spend a lot time with other exchange students from different countries
and had the opportunity to talk about their countries, what challenges they are facing
and reflect over the differences.
-
How do you think the exchange experience influences your future career possibilities?
I have a better understanding of the difference in the working environment in Norway
and the UK and with a greater network it would be easier for me to reach out and take
the “challenge” of working abroad.
II. ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Please describe:
- The school and its surroundings (give a short summary)
Cass Business School is the business school of City University London and is among
the best and well recognized business schools in the world. The undergraduate school
is located near Angel station and not so far away from Bunhill Row (graduate).
Cass Business School is ranked 2nd in the UK for undergraduate education in business
and management studies in “The Guardians Good University Guide 2013”.
-
Current faculty divisions and special areas
Cass Business School is organised around three core faculties
 Finance,
 Management,
 Actuarial Science and Insurance
Cass Business School is currently the largest provider in Europe of Specialist masters
courses. These courses are geared towards the global financial service industry with
more than 18 programs.
-
Approx. number of students (graduate and undergraduate) and number of exchange
students
Undergraduates: 1300
Postgraduates: 1300
Doctoral students: 100
Exchange students: 100
-
Study structure
The study structure is quite different than compared to BI. There was more focus on
practical coursework and practical understanding during the exams.
Course registration
- Were you able to register for courses before arrival?
I was not able to register for courses before arrival but could get all information needed
from the internet and register a “pre-course” sheet and learning agreement with more
courses than my “final” courses.
- If not, when did you register? Any difficulties?
I had to register during my last day of introduction week!
- When and how long was the period for adding/dropping courses?
During the introduction week we could add and drop courses if we wanted to.
Academic calendar
Arrival date:
First day of the semester:
Last day of classes:
Examination period:
Any special events/holidays:
Other:
17th January
22th January
12th April
8th – 12th april
No
Arrival
- Was the administration and faculty well-prepared for your arrival?
The administration was well prepared with all the information we needed and did also
arrange tours of the school and the classes. We also got backpacks and other things that
covered our “basic school needs”
- Did the school’s students participate in the reception of the exchange students?
No, there were not any regular students during the reception
-
Describe the introduction week?
The introduction week started with a lot of information and a tour of the school and the
area around the school. We also had the opportunity to get a quick class or their internet
based school terminal. On the evening of the second day the international office arranged
a reception with food and drinks, which were a great opportunity to get to know each
other.
The International Office
- Is there an international office?
Yes, the international office was in Drysdale Building 3rd floor.
-
As an exchange student, did you receive sufficient and relevant information? In
English?
The international office was very helpful and provided all the information we needed.
Social activities
- How was your relationship with native students?
I got to know some native students during class discussions and coursework, but I spent
most of my free time with exchange students.
- How was the relationship among the exchange students?
The relationship among the students on exchange was great as most of us were in the
same situations. There was a Facebook page where everybody registered and gave
information about different activities.
- Is there a student organization, and if so, are the exchange students a part of it?
There were many different organizations but none of the exchange students took part.
- Are there any special activities and gatherings for exchange students?
No, but I think they could take part in any of the social activities arranged by the school
organization.
III. ACADEMICS
In the classroom
- Describe the teaching style.
The teaching style was bit different than BI. It was more active, personal and direct.
- Language of instruction? Any problems?
Not any problems regarding language!
- How would you evaluate the level of study in relationship to the level at BI?
The level of study is the same as BI, but with some extra effort the students have a great
opportunity to learn and take use of it in future. Many of the courses I had were quite
relevant to what I want to work with and therefor I had a great time discussing different
topics with other students and teachers.
- Is the teaching primarily practical or theoretical?
This depends on the course, but most of the courses at Cass has a more practical approach
compare to BI.
- Did professors use cases, group work or lectures (or a combination)?
The professors use a combination of cases, coursework and lectures. This might vary from
teacher and coursework.
- How is the workload compared to that at BI?
The workload is the same as compared to that at BI, but for great results the teacher
expected great use of time and the students had to show understanding of both theory and
practical use.
-
Describe the relationship between professors and students.
The professors were very helpful and answered all questions both orally and online
when they had the opportunity. I felt that most of the professors were quite personal
and used time to get to know the students (depended on the size of the class)
-
Describe the relationship between the students in the classroom.
I had all of my classes with mix of native and exchange students. The relationship
between the students were friendly with a hint of competition. Many of the students
had work experience and great knowledge.
Course materials
- Describe the course materials used (books/literature, online articles, Powerpoint, etc).
The course materials used was a combination of different books and articles. But most
of our course material was research based.
- In which language were the course materials?
The course material was in English.
-
How do you estimate the level of the course materials in comparison to BI?
The level of the course material compared to BI was at a higher difficulty level. As
mentioned earlier most of the coursework was research based and at BI we are not that
used to reading research based papers.
- Were materials used for detailed knowledge or a broad overview of a subject?
This totally depended on the coursework but mostly the materials used for detailed
knowledge of a subject.
Exams
- Was the exam based on the course materials or on the lectures?
The exam was based on both the course materials and the lectures.
-
How was the course evaluated (include all that apply)?
o Final exam (include form: written, oral, home assignment, presentation, etc.)
o Mid-term exam
o In-class quizzes throughout semester
o Small assignments and/or papers
o Presentations
o Group work
o Class attendance
o Class participation/debates
o Activities outside of the classroom
o Other – if other, describe.
This did vary among different coursework. Mainly a course was evaluated with one
midterm exam or practical coursework and a final exam.
Library and technology
- Do students have easy access to the library and its resources?
Students could use their student card to get access to the library and its resources. The
library had longer opening hours compared to BI!
- Were computers provided around campus/in the library?
There were many computers provided around the campus, but to get access you had to be
at the library at the time!
- How is technology used in teaching or to distribute information?
The teachers used powerpoint and moodle to distribute information.
Description of courses
Course code & name
Example:FIN123
Finance
FR2203 Company
Valuation
FR2208 Risk Analysis
and Modelling
FR2209 Portfolio
theory and
Investments
IF2210 Asset
Management
Master/
Bachelor
Bachelor
Exam form
Prerequisites
None
Bachelor
4-hour written
exam
Alternative
Approved
as
Elective
Comments
None
Elective
Bachelor
Alternative
None
Elective
Difficult
Bachelor
Alternative
None
Elective
Useful
Bachelor
Alternative
None
Elective
Useful