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“I went to South Africa for a field application project with three other students. The project involved analyzing the South Africa education system for a nonprofit in the U.S.”

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International Opportunities

When you learn at Wharton, you can lead anywhere in the world. Business is the means for creating opportunity around the world, and Wharton's commitment to global engagement prepares you for every challenge in the international business environment. You learn the language of global business, engaged with complex interconnected global issues, gain opportunities to study and travel abroad, and become an empowered global citizen.

Wharton partners with schools around the world to provide extensive resources for in-depth, well-rounded international experiences. Our unmatched, hands-on global opportunities range from first-year courses to electives, from majoring in Multinational Management to doing a joint or dual degree in international business or participating in our wide variety of global initiatives, alliances, and exchange programs.

On our Philadelphia campus, 38% of the most recent MBA class was international, representing 70 different countries, and many of our MBA students have a wide range of international work experience. Our faculty, who themselves come from dozens of different countries, work on global research topics and consult with local and national governments around the world, helping to draft policies, implement strategies, and train top international leaders.

The following programs offer a range of international opportunities:

Degree Programs in International Study

Students who wish to pursue a full interdisciplinary degree program in international affairs, or foreign language and cultural studies in conjunction with business, may apply to the joint MBA/MA–Lauder program at Penn's Lauder Institute of Management and International Studies or to Wharton's interdisciplinary degree programs with the Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University's Washington campus or the Harvard School's Kennedy School of Government.

Courses and Majors

Our commitment to giving students a strong global perspective begins with required first-year courses in Global Strategic Management and Macroeconomic Analysis and Public Policy. You can gain international expertise and experience by majoring in Multinational Management or taking electives like Geopolitics, International Finance, and Comparative Management.

Wharton-INSEAD Alliance

Through the MBA Student Exchange Program of the Wharton-INSEAD Alliance, Wharton students may spend seven weeks at either of INSEAD's Fontainebleau, France, or Singapore campuses. Wharton students earn full course credit and can take advantage of INSEAD's career management and alumni networking opportunities in these regions.

Wharton Global Immersion Program (GIP)

An optional, for-credit program, the GIP is divided into 5 weeks of focused study on a particular region followed by a 4-week overseas study tour. Students meet with senior executives and government officials to develop a better understanding of a region's cultural, social, and business environment. In recent years, the program has taken students to Africa, China, Southeast Asia, and South America. The program runs in May and June, which gives students the flexibility to return from the GIP study tour to begin summer internships. Approximately 135 first-year students take part in this program each year.

Global Consulting Practicum (GCP)

Students explore problems of international business and gain the skills of consulting, with GCP, an elective, cross-functional, globally oriented course that can be applied toward the requirements of several majors. Since 1978, over 1000 Wharton MBA students have helped more than 250 companies develop market entry strategies for North America and elsewhere, and have added over $300 million in annual sales to their clients' U.S. revenues. The GCP is currently working with partner schools in Chile, China, Colombia, India, Israel, Peru, and Spain. (For more about the GCP, see the Wharton Alumni Magazine article: GCP: The Value of Experience.)

SEE MORE ON THE GLOBAL CONSULTING PRACTICUM

Wharton International Volunteer Program (WIVP)

This program provides an organized platform for students to travel abroad and apply their business skills in settings that promote economic development and improved quality of life in developing countries. Projects are typically consulting engagements that help private organizations with operations, business planning, startup strategy, financial projections, and costing. They usually take 2 to 4 weeks over the summer and may take place in India, Asia, Africa, or South America. (For more about the WIVP, see the Wharton Alumni Magazine article: Community Service to the World: The Wharton International Volunteer Program)

Global Career Treks

Students and MBA Career Services co-organize Career Treks within the U.S., as well as to international destinations in Europe, Asia, and South America. Students travel to the region for a series of group informational interviews with prominent companies. In 2008, students traveled to more than 150 companies based on student interest and included sectors such as Venture Capital/Private Equity, Technology, Real Estate, Biotech/Health Care, and Media and Entertainment.