What is a ‘global’ MBA program? A world of hype or a reality in business education?

First, he says, is this wider diversity among the student and faculty body of an international MBA.

“This means that classroom and group work discussions will not be anchored on the business practices of any single country, but rather reference different regions or countries,” he says.

Global-oriented programs tend to offer some sort of exchange opportunity or rotations to other international business schools too, allowing for more breadth of learning and exposure to varied business practices, regulatory issues, and entrepreneurial environments.

Finally, he says, global MBA programs may also have more geographically diverse recruiting partners.

“For INSEAD, our career services team strives to ensure that we develop recruiting relationships with global multinational companies as well as local or regional industries,” says Zemsky.

“We know that both our students and companies are eager for international employment opportunities.”

Lu also cites wider diversity in student and faculty bodies but gives a specific example relating to the way curriculums may be altered.

“A course on digital marketing would not only cover the marketing and advertising options on Facebook, but would also discuss how RenRen, Kaixin and Weibo (the three most popular social media websites in China) work.

“Similarly, accounting classes not only cover US GAAP, but also explain the key differences to international accounting standards.”

As many business schools are championing the international nature of their MBAs there are multiple factors to consider, from how campus rotation, exchange programs and work placements are organized to which regional focuses are selected: Asia, the Middle East, or South America, for instance?

Perhaps the most important first step though is to ensure that when looking for a global MBA, a business school’s international credentials are genuine enough for what is being sought after.

“I would encourage those who are searching for a global MBA program to make sure that some of the characteristics mentioned above are present in their target schools,” says Zemsky. “Indeed, there is a tendency for schools to overly promote their global offerings, and sometimes it’s more hype than reality.”

“Every school seems to have some component of their program that is noted as ‘global’ in the current MBA marketplace,” points out Steve Taylor, associate vice president of enrollment management and student services at Thunderbird School of Global Management.

“The driving factor here is that most business schools have recognized that their graduates need to be equipped with a more diverse toolkit to deal with a business environment that has been truly transformed by the forces of globalization to be a more interconnected and cross-cultural landscape.”

“The key to determining whether or not a program is truly global,” Taylor says, “is to look not only at the courses that have ‘international’ in the title, but also to look at the diversity of the student population, the content of the curriculum, and the opportunities for experiential learning.

“If a school cannot deliver on giving students the foreign language and global political economy skills needed on top of their fundamental business education, then they cannot claim to be truly global.”

• Find out more about global MBA programs and international business schools at the