The International MBA Advantage in San Francisco

Business is most definitely a subject that breaches borders. With finance and trade booming across the globe, up-and-coming business leaders need to be prepared to take on these topics and stay relevant in an increasingly global and interconnected world. Acknowledging need, many business schools offer students the chance to specialize their MBA degree or major in international business, with the goal of preparing business students with the specific skills and knowledge to take on business around the world.

Even as business and entrepreneurship spread across continents, the Bay Area remains a center of technology and innovation. For students who want an international education based in a world hub of business tech, we’ve rounded up some of the top San Francisco international MBA programs.

Edward S. Ageno School of Business – Golden Gate University

With the opportunity to select concentrations for your MBA at the Ageno School of Business, globally minded students may opt to focus on either international business or global supply chain management.

The international business concentration at Ageno will train graduates for a business career in an international setting, preparing students for the ever-changing demands of a global market and economy. Twelve units are required to complete the concentration, with the option to take courses such as International Marketing, Managing People in International Settings and Legal Aspects of International Business Transactions, among others.

The global supply chain management (GSCM) concentration providees students with a competitive advantage in their field, offering courses that use real world application and projects which will make graduates a key part of any organization. In addition to six units of core courses, which include Supply Chain Planning and Control and Global Supply Chain Management Applications and Analysis, students will have the opportunity to select from electives for their next six units. This includes courses such as Sustainable Supply Chain Operations and Quality Management and Process Improvement.

Haas School of Business – UC Berkeley

MBA students attending the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley have a number of specialities to choose from for their degree, including global management. A cornerstone of the Berkeley Haas curriculum, global management offers students a number of study abroad opportunities, global management research centers and more than one-third of the full-time MBA class being made up of international students. Moreover, one of the most lauded programs at Haas—the International Business Development (IBD) program—sends roughly half of all full-time MBA students to work on consulting projects across the globe each summer.

International business students may also choose to earn a dual degree in a three-year MBA/MA program in global studies, expanding their knowledge of the field by taking courses from a variety of departments and schools across UC Berkeley. Student organizations may also provide an opportunity for Haas students to gain crucial global experience, with the chance to join groups like the International Development & Enterprise Club or to participate in the Global Social Venture Competition.

San Francisco State University College of Business

The San Francisco State University College of Business offers an MBA emphasis in Global Business and Innovation, will help train students with the skills necessary to succeed in an increasingly interconnected and technology oriented world. The program will help students be effective global managers by gaining the ability to reach across both markets and cultures to benefit the global community.

Students in the Global Business and Innovation emphasis will take the MBA core course requirements as well as two global business electives, two innovation electives, and one course in Global Learning Experience.

Stanford University Graduate School of Business

The Stanford Graduate School of Business MBA focuses on an international business education in a number of ways. In each student’s first year of study, participation in a Global Experience is a requirement for all MBAs. The Global Experience may take a number of forms, from a Global Management Immersion Experience, Global Seminars, Global Study Trips, Self-Directed experiences or through the school’s Stanford-Tsinghua Exchange Program.

In the second year of a Stanford MBA, students are given the opportunity to select from electives that will help them to focus their degree and expand knowledge in a specific area of study. Global Management is one of the many areas of emphasis Stanford offers, allowing students to dive deeper into this specific topic amidst an already intensely global experience.

University of San Francisco School of Management

Students at the University of San Francisco’s School of Management may choose to concentrate their MBA in International Business. The degree will aid students in subjects such as import/export trade, finance, marketing and consulting and equip them with the skills necessary to apply those skills throughout a worldwide economy. Possible courses students in the International Business concentration may include: International Finance Management, Global Product Development, Managing Across Cultures, Global Trends and Cross-Cultural Negotiation.

regions: San Francisco

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