Foreign Travel in North American MBA Programs

Since the early 1990s, graduate schools of business in North America increasingly have relied on short overseas study trips to give students an international experience. Shorter trips have been shown to be more cost-effective and lead to more student participation than study-abroad programs and internships. This article presents the results of a survey of international travel at North American MBA programs and the types of exposure students received during the travel. Although travel is not required extensively, student participation is widespread and granting of academic credit is typical. Students conduct a variety of activities abroad, including coursework and projects.