Best Schools in International Management: Overview

TopMBA.com looks at how the top business schools in international management are encouraging their students to think and act globally. 

What are the attributes of the best business schools in International Management? "Almost everyone in today's global world is impacted by international events. An MBA graduate is even more likely to be directly involved in these events. Consequently, the international element and international understanding is critical for the future success of an MBA student," says Dr Janet Shaner, Director of MBA Marketing at IMD in Switzerland.

The whole IMD programme is based around international management - it is not a specialisation - which explains their high ranking in the QS TopMBA.com Global Recruiter's Top 100 Business Schools. "Our objective is to be the "global meeting place" so we bring students from all over the world to learn together at IMD," says Dr Shaner. The IMD MBA program has 90 students from 44 different nationalities. Meanwhile INSEAD's reputation and position at number one is also helped by its diverse student intake - and the fact they have a campus in Fontainebleau in France and Singapore, with regular exchanges between students. The 2007 MBA class had 882 students, representing 71 nationalities, all part of Dean Frank Brown's drive to "create the next generation of transcultural leaders".

The skills that students learn in international management of finance, marketing and management across borders make graduates stand out to employers - especially multinational ones. Olga Molina, European Sourcing Project Manager of British American Tobacco Russia, says: "People who want to be successful in multinationals should demonstrate such skills as cross-cultural savvy, understanding of the complexity of economic, political, cultural factors that are affecting the businesses and the capability to have a helicopter view of your business acumen.  We expect that students with an MBA degree in International Management possess these skills and, more importantly, have had the chance to practice them during the courses."

One way that many schools help students practice these skills is by sending them abroad to study and work. "A hallmark of Georgetown's MBA program is our global residency, where students take on consulting projects for foreign organizations and Fortune 500 companies operating overseas," says Jett Pihakis, Associate Dean of MBA Programs at the McDonough School of Business.  "Our students have worked with Credit Suisse to study real estate demand in Dubai.  They've worked with Pepsico to develop a fish-based snack food in Vietnam.  In South Africa, our students worked with the country's International Marketing Council to analyze American interest in the 2008 World Cup. Georgetown's global residencies give students a hands-on experience with business problem solving at the international level.  They provide the kind of deep immersion in foreign cultures that can only come from doing business in another country."

Students from the USC Marshall IBEAR MBA Program, now in its 30th year, also have the chance to study and work abroad, including international consulting projects for a Global 1,000 corporation:  "As part of the IBEAR MBA students will gain international experience," says Vice Dean Doug Joines. "In Japan we were able to arrange for them to visit a range of business, from entrepreneurial start-ups - which are rare there - to big companies like Sony. This represents a great opportunity for the students." The reason Marshall are able to arrange these trips is because of their alumni - the Trojan Family. They have 70,000 members, in 70 countries from the business school. "Having a worldwide network of well-placed people who are willing to take your call and help where possible is invaluable in trying to do business, particularly when you're dealing with foreign operations. And the strength and range of the Trojan Family is a powerful thing," says David Bloom, Associate Dean.

David Bach, Associate Dean of the MBA at IE Business School in Madrid, sums up the strength of the alumni network: "The alumni groups are one of the most powerful tools a candidate can use in terms of career development and job searches. You will find that you are often only one degree of separation away from the company or sector you are interested in, and that fellow alumni will go a long way to opening doors or giving you the key tips and ideas to get in front of the right people."