How important are travel and education experiences abroad to achieving success in the global economy? That’s almost a trick question since the answer is a resounding v-e-r-y. The ability to work well with an array of people and cultures other than your own has never been more critical. Studying abroad during your MBA is one of the best stepping stones to cross-cultural competence.
Such experiences offer MBA students a unique opportunity for personal growth and development. Immersing yourself in a new culture gives you a firsthand understanding of international business practices. This exposure broadens horizons and fosters adaptability, communication skills, and a global perspective—essential traits in today’s business world.
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Why Studying Abroad During Your MBA is So Valuable
Studying abroad helps you break out of routines and prepares you for navigating other challenges throughout your career. Like many business schools, the NYU Stern School of Business offers full-semester and shorter options, known as Stern’s DBi Program. Second-year student Sarah Sprole recently took advantage of a two-week program in New Zealand and shared her experiences on the NYU Stern blog.
“Going on this DBi pushed me to try new things and leave my comfort zone for a few weeks and I’m so glad I had this opportunity!” Sprole said. “Over the course of the two week program, I learned a lot about the business challenges and opportunities in NZ, got to experience new things, deepened my friendships with my classmates and met Sternies in other programs.”
“My favorite lecture was on the Maori culture and customs and how they have permeated throughout the norms of the businesses in New Zealand,” she explained. “We also spent a lot of class time discussing and debating the pros and cons of the risk aversion culture generally observed by Kiwis.”
A Highlight of B-School
Studying abroad during your MBA is also a potential gateway to a global career. Interactions with individuals from various countries—peers, professors, professionals—expand your professional network. These connections can open doors to international career prospects you may not have considered.
Bonnie Kong (Duke Fuqua MBA ’19) spent eight weeks at the Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) in Holland through Fuqua’s Outgoing Exchange Program. Kong called the term-long exchange one of the highlights of her business school experience.
“Because class sizes were small, I was able to establish relationships with many of the current students and understand Dutch culture on a deeper level,” she explained. “I am grateful for the insights I gained and the friendships I made, as they will be valuable to my career and personal development.”
Do Top B-Schools Have an International Experience Requirement?
Meanwhile, the full-time MBA program at Kellogg School of Management offers quarter-length study options at 25 partner schools. While abroad, students focus on global leadership opportunities—for example, studying luxury marketing in France, family businesses in South America, or finance in London.
Living and learning in a foreign country can be challenging, especially if you’re not fluent in the local language. But with the right support, preparation, and a willingness to dive in, it can be an enriching experience.
“Studying abroad and navigating a new country and a new school is a perfect chance to jumpstart growth,” said Kalyn Chang. She did a quarter-long exchange program in Singapore with Kellogg’s partner school INSEAD.
It gave me a fresh start where I was able to apply what I learned during my first year of business school in a new setting with new people. —Kayln Chang Kellogg MMM ’24.
“Without my usual group of friends to lean on, I was pushed out of my comfort zone and became more independent and confident as a result,” she noted.
Potential Considerations
While the experience is priceless, it’s not all smooth sailing. There’s the money factor to consider. Studying abroad can be pricey, with travel and living expenses adding up. So, before you go, it’s wise to crunch the numbers and look into scholarships to ease the financial load.
Then there’s the academic side of things. MBA programs are notoriously jam-packed. So, fitting in a study abroad stint might take some serious juggling. You’ll want to ensure the credits you earn abroad will transfer back home, so planning is critical.
If you’re considering studying abroad during your MBA, here’s what to remember. First, think about your personal and professional goals and how going global fits into the picture. Then, do your homework. Check out different programs, talk to alums, and get the inside scoop on what to expect.
With a bit of planning and a whole lot of enthusiasm, studying abroad can be a game-changer. It’s a chance to broaden your horizons, make connections worldwide, and grow in ways you never imagined.
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Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team.
Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS.
During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...
Kerry
Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).
During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions.
Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and ...
Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally.
Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM. For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...
Geri
Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).
In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds. Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students. In additio ...
Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years.
Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...
Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years. In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee.
In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School. Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...
Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...
Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB).
Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...
Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications. She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics.
Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...
Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford.
Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...
Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise.
During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year. Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...
Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies.
In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...
Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team.
During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students. She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...
Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS).
During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...
Erin B.
Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business.
At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...
Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director.
Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants.</sp ...
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