EMBA Global Immersion Track | Owen Graduate School of Management

By the Numbers

4
Countries across the Americas
4
Alliance partner schools
60
International executive cohort

Overview

During the second year of the Global Immersion Track in Vanderbilt’s Executive MBA program, you become part of an international cohort of approximately 60 working professionals—up to 15 students from each of the four prestigious business schools in the Americas Alliance that together offer the Americas MBA for Executives.

In this year, you participate in a traveling classroom with residencies in Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and the United States. You will become part of a new cross-cultural team with representatives from each partner school.

The curriculum is unique to each country, and you learn from exceptional faculty from those schools who are deeply immersed in the business practices and cultures of their regions.

A Vanderbilt faculty member oversees your international capstone strategy project, where you work with a multinational company to solve real business challenges across the Americas.

Global Immersion Experiences

Alliance Partner Schools

In year two of the Global Immersion Track, you will study at four leading business schools in the Western Hemisphere as part of the Americas Alliance. Each school contributes faculty expertise and regional business insights. Students collaborate in international teams while learning directly from faculty immersed in their region’s economy and business culture.

Learn More

Cultures & Economies

You’ll gain experience working with professionals in the four largest economies in the Americas: Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. While each of the business cultures in these four countries is unique, learning how to do business there will help you develop the skills and international mindset that are critical to operating successfully across a global business environment.

Learn More

Global Immersion Residencies

Two people in conversation and smiling The first international residency takes place at the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Students who complete the Global Immersion Track receive a Global Immersion Track Alliance Certificate jointly issued by the four partner schools in addition to their Vanderbilt MBA.

Executive MBA Global immersion cohort in Vancouver

The Vanderbilt Global Advantage

If you are serious about a global career—either an expat assignment or leadership position for a multinational company—the Global Immersion Track in Vanderbilt’s Executive MBA Program can give you a combination of advantages that is unique among U.S. business schools.

Creating and Launching
the Venture

During the second year of the program, you and your cross-cultural C-Team will devise and write a business plan involving operations in the Americas for a startup or an expansion into a new area. You’ll start with a blank sheet of paper, write the plan, and then present it to venture capital firms for financing. This course, one of the hallmarks of our program, is one more way we equip you with an executive edge.

Global Capstone Strategy
Project

During and in-between your four international immersions, you and your cross-cultural C-Team will complete an Americas-related capstone strategy project for a company doing business in at least three of the four countries you’ll visit. It’s an assignment that simultaneously draws on what you’ve learned in the classroom and accelerates that learning by applying it in the real world, in real time.

Immerse Yourself in International Business

If you are serious about a global career–either an expat assignment or leadership position for a multinational company—the Global Immersion Track in Vanderbilt’s Executive MBA Program can give you a combination of advantages that is unique among U.S. business schools.

Learn from Locals: During immersion experiences in Brazil, Canada, and Mexico, you will learn business practices and cultures from faculty at each of the Americas Alliance partner schools. The knowledge and insights you will gain from professors who already are immersed in these economies will give you a strong foundation to meet the challenges of leading a business or team in the economies of the Americas.
North-to-South Expertise: While many U.S. schools offer Global Executive MBA programs focused on doing business “east to west,” the Global Immersion track at Vanderbilt leverages our long-standing expertise and relationships in the Americas through a curriculum that focuses on unique international business challenges found in the four largest economies in the Western Hemisphere.

Leadership Development

The leap from manager to global leader requires depth in self-awareness, organizational awareness, strategic alignment to corporate strategy, and skills in negotiation and influencing teams both in and outside of the U.S. In the program, coursework, cross-disciplinary and cross-border team projects help you identify and implement a personal leadership growth plan.

Strategy and Implementation Across the Americas: The Global Immersion Track includes a year-long strategy project in Year Two. The 10-day residential immersions, featuring coursework uniquely appropriate to the host country, come to life as students work with international teammates to apply knowledge and expertise to real business challenges faced by multinational corporations.
Cross-Cultural Awareness: This unique experience gives you an unparalleled opportunity to explore each country's people, politics, and culture, all of which are critical for any international business undertaking.
Management Fundamentals: The core curriculum—the same used in Vanderbilt's full-time MBA program—lays the foundation in quantitative and soft skills including statistics, economics, finance, accounting, operations, marketing, and organizational management. When you complete the program, you will be strongly positioned to make an impact in your organization and across international borders.

Global Immersion Track: FAQ

Q. If I am part of the Global Immersion Track, from which school will I earn my degree?

A. If you apply through Vanderbilt to the Global Immersion Track/Americas program, you will work to receive an MBA degree from Vanderbilt. In addition, you will work toward an Americas Alliance MBA Certificate awarded by the Americas Alliance partner schools (FIA, ITAM, SFU and Vanderbilt).
Q. How /when will I meet my classmates in the Global Immersion Track?

A. The Global Immersion/Americas cohort will be comprised of up to 15 Vanderbilt Executive MBA students. You will get to know them well during Year One since your C-Team will be comprised of other Global Immersion students. At the end of Year One, the Vanderbilt team will dissolve and you will meet your new team of students from the Americas Alliance Partner Schools: ITAM (Mexico City), FIA (Sao Paulo), and Simon Frasier University (Vancouver). You will meet your Year Two cohort at the beginning of Year Two (August) during your first immersion in Vancouver.
Q. How will the international team be created in the Global Immersion Track?

A. Year Two Global Immersion/Americas teams are selected by the Americas Alliance Partner School faculty and administration. Teams will be formed in support of the Capstone Strategy Projects. Sponsoring organizations will influence the nature of these projects.
Q. What happens if I need to miss one of the 10-day in-country immersions in the Global Immersion Track?

A. The Global Immersion / Americas program is a cohort-based, lockstep program. Each residency and the year-long International Capstone Strategy Project are required to complete the degree. Failure to participate fully and to complete the coursework as scheduled will lead to a delay and possible failure in completing the requirements for graduation as determined by the rules of the degree-granting institution.
Q. What language will the program be in for the Global Immersion Track? Does it help to know another language?

A. All instruction at all Americas Alliance Partner Schools will be in English. However, strong applicants will demonstrate a multinational outlook, prior experience or globally-oriented career track. In addition, other language skills, especially Spanish or Portuguese, will be beneficial.
Q. What credentials will I receive if I choose the Global Immersion Track?

A. In addition to earning your MBA from Vanderbilt, you will receive an Americas Alliance MBA Certificate awarded by the Americas Alliance partner schools (FIA, ITAM, SFU and Vanderbilt).
Q. What security precautions are being taken for out-of-country travel for students in the Global Immersion Track?

A. Global Immersion students should be seasoned travelers. All Vanderbilt students on VU-sanctioned trips must register with International SOS, the State Department and local suppliers to maximize safety. The wisdom of host schools, which secure hotels and plan events in their respective cities, provides additional assurance that our students are in good local hands at each residency. Students sign a release of liability and are briefed prior to departure on international trips about safety, emergency procedures, and smart conduct. The university makes safety in learning a priority.
Q. Who issues the final grades in the Global Immersion Track? How is the final GPA determined?

A. The faculty member teaching each course determines the grades for that course. Seventy-five percent of Global Immersion coursework will be taught and graded by Vanderbilt faculty. For the 25 percent of courses taken at Americas Alliance schools, Vanderbilt will convert the grade earned to Vanderbilt's grading scale. To graduate and obtain a Vanderbilt MBA, Vanderbilt Global Immersion students must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA and complete the prescribed credit hours of instruction. A strike system is in place to ensure academic performance.
Q. Who will be my classmates during the second year if I choose the Global Immersion Track?

A. Your Global Immersion/Americas cohort will be comprised of up to 15 Vanderbilt Executive MBA students from your class (determined at time of admission) plus up to 45 additional student executives from ITAM (Mexico City), FIA (Sao Paulo), and Simon Frasier University (Vancouver). Your C-Team in Year One, comprised of other Global Immersion Track students from Vanderbilt, will be dissolved at the end of Year One. You and possibly one of your Vanderbilt classmates will be cast in an international project team for Year Two with team members from the other schools.
Q. Why did Vanderbilt partner with these schools for the Global Immersion Track?

A. Our first goal was to partner with schools in the four predominant economies in the Americas, namely, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. The Global Immersion Track/Americas program builds on a decade-long relationship with the executive programs at FIA in Sao Paulo. All Americas Alliance Partner Schools have national prominence and international reach as well as long-standing traditions of excellence in graduate degree education, sensitivity to the needs of multinational corporations in our markets, and a customer-focused philosophy that is apparent in the student experience.
Q. As a Global Immersion Student, do I have access to the Leadership Development Program during both years of the program?

A. Yes. The Leadership Development Program is available to all students during the entire program. Although you will not be coming to campus as often during Year Two, you may work with your executive coach to determine a way to connect virtually.
Q. How will my international team function in the Global Immersion Track?

A. This team will work through Year Two on a Capstone Strategy Project that will require frequent virtual meetings as well as face-to-face meeting time during the four residencies.

Take the Next Step

Build the strategic mindset and leadership capabilities required to navigate complex business environments and lead organizations forward.

Request Information

Apply Now

See Student Stories

Global Immersion Track