The faculty-led MBA Global Business Treks are an opportunity for students to expand their global mindset and global business savvy while immersed in an international context.
While traveling abroad with a professor, students visit companies to enhance their business acumen and apply their knowledge and skills to solve a cross-border, cross-cultural business challenge. Students choose courses based on opportunities to develop expertise in their area of interest and based on the opportunity to network with colleagues, faculty, and international company executives in their field.
Course Objectives:
- Develop a “global mindset,” an openness to and awareness of diversity across cultures and markets, with an ability to see common patterns.
- Sharpen your “global business savvy” by gaining substantive knowledge of business organizations and the institutions in a given country, region, or industry as well as the capacity to contextualize this knowledge in a comparative perspective.
- Gain career skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex challenge.
- Network with colleagues, faculty, alumni, and international company executives in your field of interest, while enhancing your cultural knowledge.
The location of the field experiences may change annually.
Information Session: Thursday, March 27 from 12:00 -1:00 p.m.
- Hear directly from faculty about the upcoming MBA Global Treks in Brazil, the UAE and Asia (Malaysia and Singapore). This information session will review how the Global Business Treks work, costs, scholarship opportunities, registration, and program-specific information.
- Correction from recording: First day of the Fall 2025 semester for Smith School students is Monday, August 25, 2025.
- Reminder: Fall registration opened on Tuesday, March 25 at 12:30 p.m.
AY 2025-26 Portfolio
Dates Subject to Change
Fall-Spring Program Information (4* credit course)
2 credits, Fall Term B and 2 credits, Spring Term C (non-repeatable)
Cost for Fall: 2 credits of Tuition + program fee** + Education Abroad Fee + Health Insurance Fee (cost details forthcoming)
Cost for Spring: 2 credits of Tuition
- BUSM788B GX01 Doing Business in Brazil, 4 credits
- Faculty: Paulo Prochno
- Locations: Sao Paulo, Brazil and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Focus: Private Sector and Grand Global Challenges
- Tentative Travel Dates: January 10 - January 18, 2026 (subject to change)
- Course Experience:
- This course examines how entrepreneurs and private companies are addressing these grand challenges—including climate change, health, education, clean water access, and deforestation—while uncovering business opportunities in one of the world's most dynamic emerging markets. Students will explore Brazil’s strategic importance for U.S. firms, considering factors such as geographical proximity, shared historical ties, and a generally favorable view of U.S. investment. Through pre-trip lectures and company visits, students will gain insights into the global economic environment, corporate strategy in emerging markets, and the role of the private sector in tackling societal challenges.
- The course fosters a global mindset by combining classroom learning with real-world application. Students will engage with startup founders, participate in cultural activities, and apply cross-cultural and business skills in a consulting project and presentation for a company in Brazil. This hands-on experience provides a deeper understanding of how business can be a force for addressing complex global issues.
- BUSM788M GX01 Doing Business in the UAE, 4 credits
- Faculty: Judy Frels
- Locations: Dubai, UAE, Abu Dhabi, UAE and Sharjah, UAE
- Focus: Hospitality and Retail
- Tentative Travel Dates: January 10 - January 18, 2026 (subject to change)
- Course Experience:
- Over the past two decades, several UAE cities have emerged as premier tourist destinations, driven by high-end retail and hospitality. This course explores innovations in these service-scapes, examining top retailers, hotels, and restaurants, their target markets, and how innovations are tailored to meet visitor expectations.
- By analyzing both the sellers (UAE businesses) and buyers (global tourists), we will gain insights into consumer behavior and spending patterns that may differ significantly from those in the U.S. A key focus will be on how a country and its culture adapt offerings to attract and cater to international visitors.
- The course includes in-depth site visits to leading retailers, hotels, and tourist attractions, providing first hand exposure to world-class service and experience design. Students will engage in discussions with industry leaders, including managers and, when possible, retail and service-experience designers, through presentations and interactive Q&A sessions. This immersive experience will enhance students’ understanding of global consumer trends and the strategic innovations shaping the UAE’s luxury retail and hospitality industries.
- BUSM788W GX01 Doing Business in Asia, 4 credits
- Faculty: Zhi-Long Chen
- Locations: Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Focus: Supply-chain management in Asia
- Tentative Travel Dates: January 10 - January 18, 2026 (subject to change)
- Course Experience:
This course offers an immersive experience in Southeast Asia, exploring the economic landscapes of Singapore, a highly developed economy, and Malaysia, an emerging economy. Both countries play a significant role in global trade and maintain strong business relationships with the U.S., as well as major economies like China, Japan, and South Korea. Understanding business practices in this dynamic region is essential for students preparing to navigate the complexities of international markets.
Throughout the course, students will examine supply chain management strategies amid geopolitical tensions and assess the varying risks faced by multinational and domestic companies. Special attention will be given to the challenges encountered by businesses operating in a developing economy like Malaysia compared to those in a developed economy like Singapore. Additionally, students will explore emerging trends and best practices in supply chain and logistics adopted by companies in the region.
A key component of the course includes company visits in both the manufacturing and service sectors in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Students will also gain hands-on experience by participating in a consulting project with a local company in one of these cities. To enhance their understanding of the region, students will engage in cultural activities that provide insight into local traditions and business customs.