Intensive Learning Experiences (ILE)

The Rice Core Residential is a curriculum required, in-person intensive learning experience held on Rice University’s campus in Houston, Texas, during a student's 1st year, preferably in the first 6 months. It is offered at the end of the Winter & Summer quadmesters and runs from a Wednesday evening through Sunday afternoon. During this 4-day Intensive Learning Experience, students will complete two 1.5 credit courses to fulfill the 3-credit Rice Core Residential requirement. The Rice Residential fee for this event is $1,000 ($500 for each course). Rice Business will book and cover your room at a hotel near campus, where you are required to stay for the duration of the Rice Core Residential. 

Courses

MGMT 513 | Negotiations
Jing Zhou 

Managers and professionals cannot be successful without possessing effective negotiation skills and strategies. The purpose of this ILE is to help you understand the processes of negotiation in a variety of settings. It will cover a broad spectrum of negotiation problems faced by managers and professionals and helps students develop negotiation skills by tackling a series of important topics central to effective negotiation. We address each topic experientially by: 

• Preparing for and simulating a variety of negotiations 

• Analyzing the students’ negotiation outcomes and strategies

• We integrate the students’ experiences with negotiation theory during class debriefings. Readings complement the classroom experience and reinforce key messages from debriefings.
  
  

MGMT 514 | Organizational Change
Scott Sonenshein

Over the course of your life you have already encountered—and will continue to encounter—the need to lead change or, at a minimum, adapt to change. In this intensive learning experience (ILE), you will learn the scientific concepts and practical tools to become more effective at leading change. You will learn, discuss and put into action important concepts and frameworks for leading and managing organizational change. 

Your participation in this course will: 

• Provide you with effective frameworks and concepts for leading organizational change

• Improve your competencies as both a leader and participant in change

Schedule Overview

• Hotel check in will begin at 3:00 pm on the Wednesday of Residential.

• On Wednesday, there will be a Residential Kick-Off event where you can check in for Residential, receive your packet and swag, as well as enjoy some complimentary drinks and light bites. 

• Classes will begin at 8:00 am every day, Thursday to Sunday.

• Classes will end at 6:00 pm on Thursday and Saturday, and at 12:30 pm on Friday and Sunday.

• You will either take MGMT 513: Negotiations on Thursday and Friday, and MGMT 514: Organizational Change on Saturday and Sunday or vice versa. 

• Classes will end on Sunday at 12:30 pm. There will be a late checkout until 2:00 pm at the hotel.

• Beyond classes, there will be evening events on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

While optional to enroll in, students are encouraged to return to the Rice Residential/Intensive Learning Experience in their 2nd year to take elective courses. The elective course(s) will follow the same schedule as the core residential and will also take place Thursday through Sunday afternoon. Students will be participating in either two 0.75 credit elective courses equaling 1.5 credits in total, or one 1.5 credit elective course that will take place all four days. There are two Rice Residential course fee options. Option 1) $1,000 fee which includes a room at the same hotel the students taking Core courses stay at. Option 2) $500 fee that only covers the course fee. Students who choose Option 2 will be responsible for their own stay and transportation to campus.

Available every Winter and Summer quadmester, the elective course offerings will be focused on emerging topics in business and may vary each quad.

2025 GLOBAL FIELD EXPERIENCE

The Global Field Experience is a core course that applies key strategy lessons learned in a student’s first year of courses. The 1.5 Global Field Experience is offered in the Winter and Summer Quadmesters and includes an opportunity for students to travel in the final week of the class to work with clients and present findings in person. The in-country portion of the course is held Monday through Sunday with an ILE fee of $2,000 if a student elects to travel.

Designed to be an interactive and experiential learning opportunity abroad, the course combines virtual class sessions and project work with a real client in Central or South America. The in-country portion of the course provides political and economic lectures, speakers, site visits, and final project work with the team’s assigned client.

Students may obtain the Global Field Experience credit in one of two ways:

Whether students enroll in the travel or non-travel section, all students will complete a consulting project with a client and submit the same deliverables.

§   Enrolling in the Global Field Experience international travel immersion 

§   Enrolling in a Global Field Experience non-travel immersion 

Requirement & Eligibility

Students are required to enroll in the MGMT 515: Global Field Experience (GFE) alongside 4th-Quadmester coursework or directly after completing 4th-Qudmester coursework. There is no waiver of prerequisites.

For planning purposes, students will be required to commit to the travel or non-travel section prior to enrollment.

2025 Travel & Class Dates for Global Field Experience

Summer 2025 Global Field Experience

• Class 1: Saturday, August 16 10:30am – 12:00pm (Noon)

• Class 2: Saturday, August 23 10:30am – 12:00pm (Noon)

• Orientation: Saturday, August 30 11:00am -12:00pm (Noon)

• In-Country: Sunday, September 21 - 27, 2025

*Location, flight, and travel logistics are shared upon time of enrollment.

Drop Policy

Students who choose to drop MGMT 515: Global Field Experience outside of the required quadmester will be required to enroll in the GFE non-travel section in the following quadmester. The option to travel is only available in the required quadmester.

GFE Guest Policy

With the core intention of the GFE to be a core academic and cohort bonding experience, it is against university policy for a guest to join a student on the Global Field Experience. Students who violate the policy will be subject to a financial penalty of $500 as a consequence of the policy and code of conduct violations. Please review the full policy here.  

Travel Costs

·      The University covers double occupancy lodging, ground transportation related to academics while abroad, travel insurance for the duration of academic program dates, program administration, and logistics costs.

·      Students are responsible for paying the $2,000 ILE fee, purchasing international airfare, meals, personal expenses, and visa fees (when necessary). This is not an exhaustive list of possible expenses incurred.

§ *Note: Rice University will only bill you the standard $2,000 ILE fee if you plan on traveling.  If you opt out of travel, you will not be billed the ILE fee.