MBA Global Experiences for a Global Economy

You’ve probably heard of “the Grand Tour.” It was a key fixture of a higher-level education from the 1500s through the 1800s. The idea of the grand tour was that, near the completion of his formal education, a young man (or woman, in later years) would travel Europe and “learn about the world.”

While wealth and privilege are still associated with travel today, the number of students able to participate in study abroad has grown. No longer just a rite of passage for aristocrats, graduate students at the University of Maryland can also enjoy the benefits of learning from travel.

Full-time MBA students at the Smith School have an opportunity to participate in formal study abroad during the second year of their program. In 2020, MBA global business courses included Brazil, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Trips take place during winter break. Students learn about megaproject management, business opportunities in emerging economies and how to run a successful consulting project in a foreign country.

Many students take winter break of their first year, spring break or even time between their summer internship and the start of school to travel as well. If your family and finances allow for a brief (or extended) excursion to a place that’s foreign to you, go for it. 

Here’s a quick reminder of some of the benefits you attain through global travel, global coursework or global immersion:

• Business is done differently in different parts of the world. Improve your flexibility, tolerance for ambiguity and cultural understanding by seeing how work is done elsewhere.
• Language and culture can impact meaning. It never hurts to have a firsthand reminder of the many ways this can impact day-to-day situations.
• Meet new people. Hear new perspectives and have your assumptions challenged concerning “the way things have always been done.” Think differently.

–By Miranda Taylor. Taylor is a 2020 MBA candidate. She is originally from Minneapolis, and worked as a science writer and digital content strategist in the health industry before coming to Maryland Smith to pursue an MBA.

Photo: Image from the author’s winter break, which included time in the pictured city of Arequipa, Peru.