Core Curriculum

Foundations

This mandatory 1-week course for all entering students emphasizes key aspects of leadership, team building, motivation, ethics and cross-cultural communication. You join a learning group to meet and work with your peers from other countries. And receive self-assessment tools and career management strategies to achieve your career objectives.

Core Courses

Sequenced, integrated, mandatory core courses include: accounting, finance, marketing, management and international studies –– all from a global perspective. Additionally, you must take the Global Enterprise course on intra-entrepreneurship, innovation and global citizenship, the Global Business Plan course or a comprehensive integrated capstone course connecting functional business areas.

Global Professional Development Seminars

You must take the Career Management Seminar –– and complete two of these four: Business Presentation & Public Speaking, Cross-Cultural Teambuilding & Networking, Business Report Writing, Business Etiquette in Global Business Settings.

Industry Term

During your first trimester, you are introduced to two industries and companies that become the basis for discussion in all core courses (e.g., Honeywell or Starbucks). You also have the opportunity to interact with top executives from global corporations and organizations through the Thunderbird Global Issue Forums Speaker Series and with guest speakers invited to classes by your professors.

Global Experience

You select an international location (Latin America, Europe or the U.S.) for a two-week course that provides the opportunity to examine management issues and challenges up close, through a cultural and global lens.
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Second Language Proficiency

To graduate, you must demonstrate a pre-determined proficiency level in a second language of your choice –– English (if it is your second language), Arabic, French, German, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.
Read more about second language proficiency »