A group of Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) candidates recently visited Berlin and Prague as part of a 16-month program covering four semesters. To gain a better understanding of international business operations this cohort, a group of 16 students who meet on alternate weekends at UTC (Fridays, 1-5 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m.- 5 p.m.), travelled overseas to explore the theme “Different Strategies for Different Markets.” While they were in Europe, they divided into four teams.
“It was probably the best part of the program so far, it really tied some things together and helped me to learn and understand the challenges of managing internationally. It also gave me some great ideas to bring back to my work,” said Mark Palmer, an EMBA student who will graduate in December.
The groups plan to make a presentation of their findings to a group of College of Business faculty, EMBA alumni and local business executives at the beginning of fall semester.
“A key part of the program is a 10-day trip to two international cities. They met with a number of different businesses including Bombardier and Bayer in Berlin and Google and Unipetrol in Prague. A special feature of the trip this year included a full day at the Volkswagen world headquarters in Wolfsburg,” said Mike Owens, assistant dean of graduate programs.
The students were given a special tour of the VW plant, followed by a presentation from the Volkswagen International Strategy executive. They also toured the Autostadt, a complex devoted to displays of the various Volkswagen brands worldwide.
“This visit followed the completion of a research project for Volkswagen as part of their international business study. The ability to visit the Volkswagen headquarters to see their main plant first hand and meet with their executives made the research project and classroom experience come alive and much more meaningful,” said Owens.
The EMBA program provides students with the latest business tools and skills, including finance, marketing, accounting, management, leadership, entrepreneurship, strategy, and more.
“This helps them be more effective in their current positions, plus prepares them for future opportunities as they arise. Many of our EMBA graduates actually receive promotions during the program or soon after completion. And some eventually make career changes, due at least in part to their exposure to different areas through the EMBA program,” said Owens.
A new 16-month EMBA class begins in August, comprised of 12 to 16 experienced managers from a variety of businesses and professional backgrounds.
To learn more about the EMBA program visit http://www.utc.edu/Academic/BusinessGraduatePrograms/EMBA.php
