Most organizations today are affected by, or even dependent upon, global markets and global suppliers. It is increasingly important for executives to understand business issues in an international context. For that reason, the Aerospace and Defense MBA program has designed one of the most extensive global business seminars available in executive education.

The global business seminar makes up the bulk of the international business portion of the curriculum. During a week-long residence period, students gain first-hand insights into issues affecting the global business environment. Each Aerospace and Defense MBA class spends a residence period in either Asia, Latin America, or Europe where students examine issues in macroeconomics, infrastructure, consumer markets, technology, and workforce development. Students are charged with developing a body of information related to a strategic opportunity or challenge facing their sponsoring organization.

Site visits to manufacturing facilities and service organizations are combined with lectures and presentations by business executives from both local organizations and multinational corporations. This hands-on approach is key to fully understanding the opportunities and challenges of doing business in a global environment.

The 2009 Aerospace and Defense MBA class will visit Japan during the 2009 international residence period. The visit will examine lean manufacturing processes of the country’s world-renowned companies and raw material supply sources for the aerospace and defense industry. Students also will visit business jet companies and examine Japan’s space programs during the visit.