- The Berkeley MBA Advantage

A Global Focus

Global experience is an increasingly integral aspect of the Berkeley MBA experience. Global business is part of many courses, including courses with a specific focus on international topics, such as Global Strategy and Multinational Enterprises, and Doing Business in China. You are encouraged to take advantage of international opportunities, such as spending a semester abroad, attending international seminars, planning study trips to other countries during breaks, or serving as a consultant through the International Business Development program, which places students with organizations around the world for three-week projects.

Serving as a consultant through the International Business Development (IBD) Program

One of the Haas School's most heralded experiential electives, International Business Development (IBD) sends 80 Berkeley MBA students to work in small teams with a variety of clients for three weeks each summer on consulting projects in various countries. In 2002, an IBD team worked with Vinhos Barbeito, Madeira Lda, a winery in Portugal, to develop a financing and construction strategy for a new winery. The recommendations developed by the team formed the basis of the company's strategy, and in late 2008, that new winery was inaugurated, helping to solidify Barbeito's stature as one of the top Madeira wineries.

Read about other IBD projects.

Spending a semester abroad

International Exchange Programs
Nothing compares to the experience of attending a foreign university and getting to know students in another country for an entire semester. Berkeley MBA students may embark on an international exchange program in the fall semester of their second year. They pay the normal Haas fees and may earn up to 12 units toward their MBA degree while abroad. In addition to semester-long exchange opportunities, Berkeley MBA students may earn academic credit through short-term international seminars held during semester breaks. Recent destinations include India, Brazil, Chile, and China. International exchange programs are offered in the following locations:

London Business School (LBS), London, England
L'Ecole Des Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC), Jouy-en-Josas, France
IESE Business School (Instituto de Estudios Superiores de la Empresa), Universidad de Navarro, Barcelona, Spain
Rotterdam School of Management (RSM), Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Scuola di Direzione Aziendale (SDA), Bocconi, Milan, Italy
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Hong Kong

Attending international seminars

Offered each year in countries such as China, India, and Brazil, international seminars introduce students to a country's culture, history and business environment. Rather than focus on specific industries, students examine a variety of companies and industries to develop a broader international perspective.

Planning study trips to other countries during breaks

Student clubs organize regular study treks to Asia, Latin America, and Europe. A recent trip to Israel enabled students to meet with former Israeli prime minister and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Shimon Peres and top business leaders.

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