It's no surprise to that commerce is truly global today. Large international conglomerates choose locations for their operations based on factors such as cost, availability of efficient transportation, and the educational level and language skills of local residents. One firm may have its headquarters in the United States, engineering and design offices in Europe, manufacturing operations in China, and call centers in India or the Philippines.
How do leaders of such corporations ensure that all of these widely-dispersed parts work together effectively? MBA programs are increasingly tailoring their curricula to help students understand today's global business environment. A recent U.S. News and World Report article takes a look at several programs that have integrated on- and off-campus educational components focused on best practices in global business.
The Opus College of Business vision statement states that our programs strive toward "excellence in educating highly principled global business leaders." The curriculum in our MBA programs is constantly evolving to ensure that this vision becomes a reality. Professors routinely integrate international case studies into the curriculum to help students understand the challenges and opportunities posed by today's business environment. Each year, MBA students have the opportunity to learn first-hand about global business practices through participating in courses abroad.
All Executive UST MBA students complete a course called Global Systems, which includes a 10-day international residency as part of the curriculum. While studying abroad is not required in our other MBA programs, the number of Evening and Full-time UST MBA students participating in study abroad options has been increasing in recent years. Currently, more than 50 students are taking part in two overseas J-term courses in London and Hong Kong. Another study abroad course will take place in late May; three options are expected during J-term 2012. On occasion, students even create their own study abroad options, as discussed in this March 2010 post.
Finally, don't forget that our international students contribute greatly to classroom discussions about global business. The Full-time program alone enrolls students from five continents. The most recent issue of B. Magazine looked at the contributions of our students from China in the context of the global business environment of the 21st century.
