The Business Education Initiative (BEI) is a British study-abroad programme for students from

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

. It was run initially by the

Department for Employment and Learning The Department for Employment and Learning (DEL), (; Ulster Scots: ''Depairtment for Employ an Learnin''), was a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for t ...

but, since 2006, is delivered by the

British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lang ...

in association with the Department for Employment and Learning in

Activities

Each year approximately 100 students are selected to study business related subjects at participating

U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') may be a tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further education institution, or a secondary sc ...

s and

universities A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

. The majority of the student's transport and living expenses are met by the British Council while the US host-institution grants the students a fee-waiver or scholarship.

History

The programme was established in 1994 and to date approximately 1,350 students have participated. It has proven to be a once in a lifetime experience for the majority of the students who have graduated from the program.

Eligibility

Applications are accepted from pre-final year

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education, usually in a college or university. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, ...

degree or HND students studying at a Northern Irish

higher education Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...

college or university. In the past, the majority of students on the programme have come from the following institutions: *

The Queen's University of Belfast The Queen's University of Belfast, commonly known as Queen's University Belfast (; abbreviated Queen's or QUB), is a public research university A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is St ...

** St. Mary's University College ** Stranmillis University College *

University of Ulster Ulster University (; Ulster Scots: or ), legally the University of Ulster, is a multi-campus public research university located in Northern Ireland. It is often referred to informally and unofficially as Ulster, or by the abbreviation UU. It i ...

Belfast Metropolitan College Belfast Metropolitan College, also known as Belfast Met, is a further and higher education institution in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The college offers both vocational education and academic qualifications. With over 37,000 enrolments and an a ...

* South Eastern Regional College

Participating U.S. institutions

A list of participating U.S. colleges and universities for the 2010-2011 academic year is availabl
here ''(external link)''

External links

British Council

Department for Employment & Learning

* A history of the programme is available {{Education in Northern Ireland Business education in Northern Ireland Higher education colleges in Northern Ireland Organizations established in 1994 United Kingdom educational programs