International Experience

Competing in the Global Marketplace

An educational highlight of the Evening MBA program is a required international trip. The primary goal of the international trip is to provide a first-hand experience of the opportunities and challenges of initiating, continuing, and expanding business abroad.

Most of the organizations represented by the students in our Evening MBA program have international exposure, either as part of a multinational organization, sales abroad, or drawing from foreign suppliers. Successfully competing in a global marketplace is difficult if not impossible without experience overseas.

The trip lasts approximately ten days. The destination is selected with attention to the interests of students, educational opportunities the region provides, organizational needs, and worldwide trends.

There are two reasons why it would be difficult to duplicate the experience and match the growth that occurs during our international trip. First, the curriculum of the Evening MBA is designed to support the international experience and maximize its value. By the time you go on the international trip, the curriculum will have addressed many of the critical issues involved in operating in a global marketplace. Your coursework will have drawn on and integrated the extensive study of marketing, finance, economics, accounting, and operations, among others.

Second, we visit people and places that are not ordinarily available to travelers. Our program visits ministries and universities to learn government positions on trade, multinational operations, and economic policy. We also meet with expatriates and visit both domestic businesses and multinational divisions operating in the countries. These meetings offer important insights and a broad set of perspectives on business practices in the region. Even students with considerable international experience will find this trip adds new dimensions to their understanding.