Current Issue - Thunderbird Magazine - Thunderbird School of ...

one-year mba
gram comes with a price tag in the mid-$60s,
whereas the former program cost in the mid-
$80s. Because students can choose to customize
their MBA with various business concentration
areas, internships or additional global
learning experiences, actual cost will vary.
The new curriculum is delivered in condensed,
intensive, theme-based modules
designed to enhance interaction between
student and professor and improve learning
outcomes. The module-based courses mean
students take fewer classes at one time, allowing
them to dive deeper into the coursework
and for faculty to assign fewer, more demanding
assignments.
The new curriculum also incorporates innovative,
cross-enterprise courses that approach
the same case studies from two different global
management disciplines so that one case
can be studied and analyzed from two perspectives.
This is designed to improve course
integration and absorption of material, which
gives the student knowledge of individual
disciplines — such as finance and marketing
— in a context that allows them to see how
they work together in an effective business environment.
While Thunderbird always has incorporated
global learning opportunities abroad, the new
curriculum has expanded the length of those
global experiences and is now adding multidisciplinary,
on-location coursework to provide
students with an integrated look at the
context, industries, firms and functions within
a specific region of the world.
The global experiences give students opportunities
to learn on multiple continents
in both developed and underdeveloped economic
regions.
During the multi-week course abroad, students
will meet with multiple corporations
and agencies and have the opportunity to
develop a globally focused project for one organization.
Students can complete more than
12 weeks of study abroad in the one-year track
and up to four more weeks of out-of-country
study with an extended track.
Inside and outside the classroom, Thunderbird
always has delivered on a truly global
experience, Penley said, explaining that global
study opportunities, global faculty and global
learning with other students from around the
world always have given Thunderbird a competitive
edge over other MBA programs.
The new curriculum builds on that with a
holistic approach that is a strategically choreographed
progression through every facet of international
management. This is done through
a fusion of intricate management coursework,
cross-cultural insight, regional studies and foreign
language components. It includes handson,
experiential learning that puts academic
theory into actionable practice.
“Thunderbird has been recognized time
and again for being the best in international
business,” Penley said. “We aren’t looking to
change that. This new curriculum ensures that
the school, its graduates and the businesses
they work for will be prepared for global business
today and in the future.”
The new Thunderbird MBA was reshaped by
a team of faculty with input from employers,
alumni and students. It was approved Feb. 1,
2013, by the Thunderbird Board of Trustees.
Program highlights
• One-year MBA: Rigorous program covers all courses
needed to succeed in global business. Students can
choose to enhance and extend their learning experience
with various concentration areas or internships. The oneyear
MBA allows students a faster, more affordable option
for earning this world-class degree.
• Module-based format: Integrated, aligned curriculum is
delivered via six themed modules over three trimesters.
• Cross-enterprise courses: Students study the same
case from two different global management disciplines
so that one case can be studied and analyzed from two
perspectives.
• Focus on employer needs: Greater emphasis on quantitative
and analytical skills. Core disciplines are taught early
in the program to assist job searches.
• Extended global learning: The “Thunderbird Global Experience”
is a new multi-week, applied learning experience
abroad. Faculty members travel with students to provide
an integrated look at the context, industries, firms and
functions within a specific region of the world.
• Flexibility: Students can expand their program by selecting
areas of concentration. They also can opt for internships
and additional experiences abroad.
• Pre-program preparation: Before students arrive on
campus, online boot camps allow them to gain a baseline
understanding of management disciplines. Once they
get to Thunderbird, students take a two-week orientation
designed to launch them into their MBA studies.
thunderbird magazine 9