Hello Students,

Sometimes clichés like “very exciting” and “a great opportunity” are overused and often are exaggerations. However, in regard to our MBA international study trip I think they actually fall quite short of the mark. This summer, as we have done the past several years, we are putting together nine (9) day international business study trips that allow us the chance to experience countries and cultures in a way that few get the chance to. These are stimulating and fast-paced adventures that allow us to see a wide variety of business operations from the inside and still soak up the local attractions and fare. I promise no trip that you have ever taken, domestic or international, will be an experience quite like this one.

We work with an experienced travel company (World Strides) that helps graduate business programs like ours tailor trips to our exact needs. They choreograph and manage our schedules from the moment our flights arrive at the destination until the time of our departure flights. The guides are perfectly trained, the accommodations are upscale, the business visits are always powerful and informative, the cultural attractions are carefully selected, and they know exactly when to sprinkle in a bit of downtime for personal adventure or relaxation.

This year we are planning on conducting two trips simultaneously. They will both depart on July 20 and return on July 29. We will do a repeat of our highly successful trip to China, which includes visits in both Shanghai and Beijing. We will also do a trip to northern Europe including stays in Frankfurt and Berlin, Germany.

For students, planning for these trips is easy. You are responsible for arranging your own air transportation to and from our destination cities. Everything else is the responsibility of the travel company, including transportation between cities in China or Europe. You can choose to earn academic credit on these trips, but you are certainly not required to do so. While the actual final cost you from the travel company is a bit hard to determine this far out, due to currency fluctuations and such, last year the cost was less than $2000 per person (twin occupancy or slightly higher for single accommodations). You are encouraged to bring a guest if you would like, and about half of our travelers typically do so. The travel company even puts on a guest program that is separate from the student program during the times that we are doing business visits.

After experiencing the China trip last year I would simply say to you this: The trip was truly “very exciting” and was an absolutely “great opportunity” to experience a country in a way few have. I sincerely hope you will consider joining us on one of the trips this coming July. Please don't hesitate to contact me directly with any questions you might have or simply talk further about the trips.

Best regards,
John