USA
MULT-UB 137: Global Business of Chocolate: Sustainability, Strategy & Hawaii | With a focus on the cocoa industry, explore Hawaii's agriculture industry and how cocoa serves as a microcosm of the global economy.
Stern Around the World in the USA - SPRING 2025
The cocoa industry today serves as a microcosm of the global economy and faces considerable ecological, economic, social and cultural challenges that need addressing on a global scale. This course will study the fascinating world of chocolates over its entire value chain from bean to brand, exploring topics pertaining to history and culture, cultivation and economic development, business and economics, marketing and branding, international politics and trade, science and nutrition, sustainability, farming, child labor and water management, as well as future of the industry in a world dealing with climate and developmental challenges. The ideal locations for growing cacao are tropical regions that fall within 20 degrees latitude north or south of the equator, in areas that are warm, humid, with plenty of rainfall, but also with sufficient shade and drainage to avoid waterlogging. Hawaii is the only US state that has a climate conducive for cacao cultivation. Although it is not a major supplier to the global cacao market, Hawaii produces limited quantities of high-quality cacao. Insights derived from this course will be relevant not only to the chocolate industry, but also to several others that grapple with similar issues on a global scale.
The required trip to Hawaii will include a tour of a cocoa farm, as well as visits to other agricultural producers on O’ahu Island and Hawaii Island/Big Island.
No application required! But attending or viewing an Info Session is required when enrolling in this course (requires Zoom sign-in via NYU SSO).
- This course is open only to NYU Stern students who meet the prerequisites (see below).
- Enrollment is done through Albert for this course.
- Enrollment is first-come, first-served, based on your registration time.
- If the course fills up, there will be a Waitlist. Set up the ‘Edit Swap’ function on Albert to ensure you’re not stuck on the waitlist.
- If you successfully enroll, you will be contacted via email with next steps. See additional details below.
Course Overview
MULT-UB 137: The Global Business of Chocolate: Sustainability, Strategy, and Hawaii Trip
3 credits | Mondays & Wednesdays 11:00am - 12:15pm
Course: Spring Semester | Spring Break Travel March 2025
Instructor: Professor Sunder Narayanan (snarayan@stern.nyu.edu)
Course Objectives
1. Understand and analyze global value chains with a special emphasis on the cocoa industry.
2. Apply frameworks for country, industry and company analysis to global competition in the cocoa industry.
3. Study the cultural, social, and environmental factors affecting the cocoa industry.
4. Understand the role of cocoa and other agricultural products in Hawaii’s local economy.
5. Delve into the local culture and economy of Hawaii.
This course includes a required trip to Hawaii (O’ahu Island and Hawaii Island/Big Island) during March 2025 Spring Break. The trip will provide first-hand exploration of the cocoa, as well as other Hawaii agricultural industries and tours/activities designed to delve into the local economy and culture of Hawaii. Participants will be required to take the group flight that is arranged by NYU Stern to and from New York City. Deviations are not permitted.
This 3-credit course can count towards:
- Marketing Concentration Elective
- Sustainable Business Elective - Issue Area
- General Stern Elective
*Please note: a max of one SAW travel course can be applied per concentration or minor
Eligibility
This course is open to NYU Stern students - Sophomores and up - who meet the following prerequisites:
- Must be in good academic and judicial standing with Stern and NYU
- Must be enrolled at Stern in New York City during the semester you take the course
- First Year students are not eligible to enroll in this course
- Attending or viewing an Info Session is required when enrolling in this course.
Program Timeline
| Date | Event/Deadline |
|---|---|
| Week of November 18th | During registration for Spring 2025, you will register yourself via NYU Albert. (Open enrollment with waitlist as long as space remains available). All Stern undergraduate students who are registered for this course will be automatically evaluated for the need-based SAW: USA Stern Global Immersion Scholarship. Viewing an Info Session is required when enrolling in this course (requires Zoom sign-in via NYU SSO). |
| Mid-December | You will receive an email with next steps - including information on confirming your spot by submitting the program contract along with a copy of your valid Travel ID (see information below). You will also be notified if you have received a SAW: USA Stern Global Immersion Scholarship. If so it will be automatically applied to your Spring Bursar bill to offset the program fee. |
| End of December | Deadline to submit contract with copy of your Travel ID |
| Early January | Spring NYU Bursar bills due |
| January 10, 2025 | Airline ticketing deadline - no additional trip participants can be added after this date. This is also the deadline to drop this course. |
| Week of January 20, 2025 | Class begins in NYC |
| Mid-March | In-class trip pre-departure session |
| Morning of Friday, March 21, 2025 - morning of Friday, March 28 ,2025 | Required Hawaii trip - this trip has a required group flight to/from NYC to Hawaii - everyone must take the group flight - no deviations allowed (see draft itinerary linked below) |
| May | SAW: USA class ends |
**Participants will be required to take the group flight that is arranged by NYU Stern to and from New York City. Deviations are not permitted.
Estimated Expenses
Please note: Although you will register for this 3-credit course as part of your Spring schedule, NYU tuition and registration fees do not cover the additional fees for the trip.
| You are Responsible For: | Estimated Expenses: | Notes: |
|---|---|---|
| Travel, Housing & Program Fee - including required group flight | $3,800 | Global Immersion Scholarships available (see below). |
| Personal Expenses | *$350 – $400 | *Estimate. |
| Checked bag fee ($40 per flight - 3 flights) | *$120 | Only required if you decide to check a bag |
The Travel, Housing & Program Fee will be required of all participants* (see scholarship info below). It will be added to your Spring 2025 Bursar bill, which will be due in early January. Please check the NYU Bursar’s website for the Spring 2025 payment deadline. Please note: the program fee is non-refundable after January 10, 2025 unless the trip is canceled by NYU Stern.
The Travel, Housing & Program Fee covers:
- Required group round/trip bus to/from airport in NYC
- Required group flight to/from NYC
- Group hotel in Honolulu & Kona, Hawaii
- Some meals as noted on itinerary
- Local transportation
- Group excursions
SAW: USA Stern Global Immersion Scholarship
All Stern undergraduate students who register for this course will be automatically evaluated for a Stern Global Immersion Scholarship.
- This need based award is to help cover the additional travel cost of participating in this program. Awards granted to eligible students will cover up to the cost of the Travel, Housing & Program fee for the travel portion of the class. Following is the estimated SAW: USA Travel, Housing & Program Fee for Spring 2025 (which includes the cost of the required group flight):
- Travel, Housing & Program Fee SAW: USA: $3,800 (includes required group flight)
- Students must have a current FAFSA or CSS Profile application on file with NYU to be considered for an award. Students will be notified if they will receive a Stern Global Immersion Scholarship - and if so, the amount - according to the schedule above.
- *Note: If you have already received a Global Immersion Scholarship for another SAW short-term program, you will still be automatically considered for a scholarship for this program as well. However funds are limited and second scholarships cannot be guaranteed. If a second scholarship is awarded it will be minimal and will only cover a small portion of the program fee.
Travel ID and Health Insurance Requirements
Travel ID: Participants must show valid identification at the airport checkpoint in order to travel. For U.S. Citizens this means a valid Driver License or photo identity card issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Non-US citizens can show their valid passports. Please view the TSA website to see the full list of IDs accepted for domestic air travel.
Health Insurance: Participants must have valid health insurance in order to participate in this domestic course/trip. NYU requires that all students registered in degree-granting programs maintain health insurance. Most likely you already have the required coverage, but you will be asked to submit your valid insurance coverage information to confirm your enrollment in the course.