FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SDSU INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PROGRAM LAUNCHES “TRANSAMERICA”
First Undergraduate Triple-Degree Program for Chile, Mexico and the United States

SAN DIEGO, Wednesday, February 18, 2004 – San Diego State University announced today the launch of TransAmerica, the first transnational triple-degree program partnering the United States with two Latin American countries. TransAmerica is one of only two international triple-degree programs in the country. The other is CaMexUs, which debuted in 2002 and links SDSU with universities in Canada and Mexico. Both are undergraduate programs focusing on international business.

“Our academic strength in Latin American Studies, our long-standing exchange programs with partner universities, and our location on the Mexican border make San Diego State University an extraordinary institution for students wishing to study in Latin America,” said SDSU Provost Nancy Marlin.

Students in the TransAmerica program will study at universities in Chile, Mexico and the United States for a minimum of one year in each country and graduate with three degrees: a Bachelor of Arts in International Business with an emphasis in Spanish and Latin American Studies from SDSU; the Licenciatura en Negocios Internacionales from the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC) in Tijuana, Baja California; and the Licenciatura en Negociaciones Internacionales from the Universidad de Valparaíso (UV) in Viña del Mar and Valparaíso, Chile.

“Through our international degrees we are preparing our students well for the new economical market realities forming overseas,” said Teresa Cisneros-Donahue, director of the TransAmerica program and many other International Business exchanges. “TransAmerica unites us with Chile, a new trade partner to the United States, and will help expand our academic relations with them.”

Students are already enrolled in the program, with several scheduled to study in Chile next month.

Jon Heaps, 26, is a junior at SDSU leaving for Mexico in the fall. He hopes to earn this triple-degree to get more involved in the globalization of American products and import/export between the United States and Latin America. “That’s the way our economy is going. I would be more of an asset to a company after being able to speak the language and having lived in Chile and Mexico for over a year.”

In order to complete the triple-degree, students must take approximately 79 units in International Business courses, half of which are completed in Spanish at TransAmerica partner schools, in addition to the 49 units of General Education requirements at SDSU.

For more information about the program, contact Cisneros-Donahue at (619) 594-7297.

TransAmerica is the latest in a string of recent achievements in international education by SDSU. SDSU’s International Business program was ranked 11th in the nation by U.S. News and World Report in 2003. Also, the Institute of International Education’s (IIE) “Open Doors 2003” report ranked SDSU third in the nation among doctoral-intensive institutions for students studying abroad.

San Diego State University is the oldest and largest institution of higher education in the San Diego region. Founded in 1897, SDSU offers bachelor's degrees in 79 areas, master's degrees in 67 and doctorates in 14. SDSU's nearly 34,000 students participate in academic curricula distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information log on to www.sdsu.edu.

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