Taking learning to a global playing field: executive MBA students visit companies, government institutions, and cultural sites in Europe, including the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
BLACKSBURG, Va., Aug. 31, 2010 – A group of 22 executive MBA students in the Pamplin College of Business visited companies, government and professional organizations, and cultural sites in Germany, the Czech Republic, and Austria during their 10-day international residency program recently.
The group traveled to Berlin, Prague, and Dresden, and toured the small towns of Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic, known for its art and architecture, and Durnstein, on the Danube River in Austria.
High-growth companies are the focus of the executive MBA’s international residency trip, which has taken previous cohorts to such places as China, Vietnam, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Russia, Scotland, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and Hungary. The trip is aimed at giving students a first-hand look at strategies that have led to business success in other countries, says the program’s executive director Charles Jacobina. “Students get to see how the local environment affects business and experience other cultures.”
Professional travel and a class timetable that fits demanding work schedules are just two of the strengths of Pamplin’s executive MBA program, says Jacobina. “Our program is designed for experienced professionals, with or without business degrees.”
Its broad curriculum seeks to provide students with an understanding of the major elements of business. Classes examine the ethical and global implications of management and prepare managers for making decisions in a rapidly changing world, Jacobina says. “Our program is designed to integrate theory and practice. It aims to enhance the executive skills and personal confidence required for career advancement and to prepare participants to take their learning onto a global playing field. Lastly, it promotes networking opportunities among our students.”
The program is fully accredited by AACSB International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Classes, all taught by doctoral faculty, are held at Virginia Tech’s Northern Virginia Center, National Capital Region, every other weekend over an 18-month period. Students are recruited for cohorts beginning each September and February.
In addition to the executive MBA program, the Pamplin College offers three other MBA programs, aimed at meeting the different needs of full-time and part-time students.
Virginia Tech’s nationally ranked Pamplin College of Business offers undergraduate and graduate programs in accounting and information systems, business information technology, economics, finance, hospitality and tourism management, management, and marketing. Pamplin emphasizes technology and analysis that improve business, entrepreneurship that leads to innovation and innovative companies, international opportunities for learning and research, and an inclusive, collaborative community. It is named in honor of two alumni: the late Robert B. Pamplin, retired chairman of Georgia-Pacific, and businessman, author, and philanthropist Robert B. Pamplin Jr.