29 November 2004
By Brian Salazar

In an effort to bolster Babson’s international recognition and take advantage of the many students and faculty involved in global business issues, the college initiated a Global Management Concentration in July 2004. This concentration, formed jointly with the William F. Glavin Center for Global Management at Babson, seeks to combine classroom and experiential activities focusing on global business and management issues while still allowing students to pursue a particular academic focus such as marketing, finance, or entrepreneurship.

The initial goal was to attract 50 MBA students to the program. So far, that expectation has been exceeded and 70 students have committed to completing the requirements for the program. To date, this is the only official concentration recognized on a Babson diploma, and shows a true commitment on the part of the college to connect students more closely with global opportunities.

Karena Detweiler, M’05 recently commented on her reason for participating in Babson’s new Global Management Concentration, “I am made constantly aware how important a global mindset is for conducting business in today’s world.”

She continued, “Coming to Babson, I wanted to build on my international policy education to develop some pragmatic skills that would allow me to contribute to a for-profit enterprise. Having the option of a Global Management Concentration allows me to leverage my experience living and working in Europe towards a management education that will prepare me for working in an international corporation.

“The curriculum is set up so that that everyone in the program has the chance to share their perspectives through working in a global environment, and this makes the program that much more valuable for all.”

Academic requirements include enrollment in a “Capstone” Global Strategic Management course offered during the fall and spring semesters. In addition, students are required to participate in an experiential course where they can bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world issues. Experiential courses include: Offshore Electives, Study Abroad programs, International Management Consulting Field Experience, or the Global Management Program, among others. All of these courses are made available through the Global Program Services office under the umbrella of the Glavin Center.

For more information on the Global Management Concentration, please visit the Glavin Center Web site: http://www3.babson.edu/Centers/Glavin/GPS/Academics/GMconcentration.cfm