Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday, our weekly exploration of the details, distinctions and developments of the leading MBA programs.
Over the last decade most business schools have sought ways to provide relevant, hands-on international business exposure within the confines of a two-year degree. The solution that many schools have arrived at is “study trips,” which allow students to spend 1-2 weeks exploring the business environment of another country over the summer or during a mid-semester break. Depending on the school, these trips may be organized through an elective course, by an administrative office, or through a campus student group.
For instance, the Chazen Institute at Columbia works with individual students and clubs to organize study trips to countries or regions of interest, while Chicago’s International Programs Office coordinates short-term summer exchanges to Austria, Brazil, France and Germany. Several other business schools offer students academic credit for their travel abroad. At HBS students are able to earn 1.5 credits for their work abroad over the summer between the first and second year, provided they keep a weekly journal and submit a final paper. At Wharton and Tuck, however, study trips are often closely integrated into full-semester elective courses, with students participating in hands-on consulting projects with firms, and sometimes other teams of MBA students, from outside the U.S.
As knowledge of other cultures and business practices becomes more important to the daily life of business it will become ever more important for students to gain exposure to international business during the MBA program. Since study trips range from informal and self-directed to formal consulting engagements for academic credit, applicants may want to consider the type of study trip that would best complement their prior international experience and keep this in mind as they research MBA programs. For more information on the details of schools’ study trip offerings be sure to check out the schools’ websites or consult the Clear Admit School Guides!
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