Abroad Is Getting Closer and Closer

Kean University goes international with its new M.B.A. in global managementM.B.A. Programs/Continuing Education

As the old song goes, ?Everybody wants to rule the world.? For those who choose to make their mark in business, Kean University is preparing to roll out a new master?s degree program specializing in global management. The university expects to welcome 20 to 25 candidates?the first to study for an M.B.A. on Kean?s Union campus?this September. The program hopes to graduate businesspeople ready to manage employees from different cultures working for companies in America and abroad.
Kean, which has 13,000 students, comes late to the global-management field. Schools around the country have recognized the demand for executives that can function in the global marketplace (see box), whether they are based in the U.S. or overseas. Some programs focus on doing business in specific countries like China and Japan. Some offer different business focuses. For example, Fairleigh Dickinson University offers an M.B.A. in multinational finance; the University of California, Berkeley, offers a degree in global strategy and multinational enterprise.
?Whether you?re a big or small business, in order to compete you need to become global,? says Professor David Shani, director of Kean?s young M.B.A. program. ?The skills required in working in a global environment are different. Communication skills, for example: You?re going to need to be more sensitive to different cultures. You?re going to need to understand different body language and manage technology in different countries.?
Kean will offer classes on marketing products and services globally; implementing information-technology strategies internationally; and understanding legal and ethical issues in different countries.
Since many of its students will be working full time and unable to manage a prolonged visit to an overseas business center such as India or China, Kean is organizing a two- to three-week trip to Latin America where students can meet executives from various companies. The school will also encourage students to find internships with firms that do business overseas.
The cost of Kean?s program will range from $17,300 to $24,700 depending how many classes students have to take. The university requires 42 to 60 credits to earn the M.B.A.; students coming from a business background may be permitted to opt out of certain classes.
Kean has only recently gotten into the M.B.A. business. Last summer it started offering classes to employees of State Farm Insurance. This year State Farm paid for some 70 students to take classes after work at its Parsippany facility. The 18-month program focuses on banking and finance, though Shani says Kean plans to add a global-management component to the program.
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Where to Go When You Want the World
Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck – The university?s one-year program caters to those able to study full time. This year students traveled to Monaco where they met with company officials and graduate students of the International University of Monaco. The university offers classes in operations management, global business planning and multinational finance. Tuition and fees run to $35,000.
Montclair State University, Upper Montclair The university offers a concentration in international business for students in its M.B.A. program. Participants will learn about export management, international taxation and accounting, and managing a global workforce. The program costs from $13,700 to $20,000 and takes one-and-a-half to four years to complete .
Rutgers University, Shanghai and Beijing, China Are you planning on working in China anytime soon? You might want to think about enrolling in Rutgers? 14-month International Executive M.B.A. program in Shanghai and Beijing. The program caters to executives and managers of different nationalities who are currently working for companies in China. Classes are conducted in English; some 60 students are currently studying in China at a cost of $35,500.
Seton Hall University, South Orange Students can specialize in the study of international business and complete the program in 18 to 24 months. They take classes on cultural dimensions of international business, global financial markets and multinational corporations in Asia. Students can earn three credits by traveling to Ireland in July where they will visit technology companies, meet with government officials and union leaders and see how new industry is encouraged. The program costs $34,400. ?JN