Imagine visiting the Nestle headquarters in Switzerland, learning about capital markets in New York, meeting your team members for a project in Rio de Janeiro, attending an exports seminar in Shanghai, discussing NAFTA regulations in Mexico, or discussing an intercultural marketing case study in Spain. This is the new curriculum for Global MBA students. Whether you are looking for financial, marketing or information technology expertise, a global Master of Business Administration is a program that will develop skills that are extremely necessary in today's world.

Not only will you travel and experience new cultures, but you will also learn to collaborate with other fellow students who come from distinct cultures in foreign soil. Outsourcing, international trade, and new potential markets are all valid reasons to get a global MBA. However, even if you are not planning to work for a multinational corporation, global skills are extremely useful and necessary in today's day and age. For example, companies are now hiring ?diversity officers? to offer advice on how to integrate their employees (on the positive side) and how to deal with ethnic intolerance and discrimination (on the negative side). Entrepreneurs are trying to find ways to leverage the Internet and other communication technology to shorten distances and acquire untapped foreign markets. Businesses that target the new generations ? generations that are becoming more and more bilingual and multicultural - must adapt and change with their marketing strategies. It is very clear that a global vision and global expertise are fundamental assets now more than ever.

A Global MBA will give you the opportunity to open your eyes and meet the world. For those who have spent years learning in a classroom listening to endless lectures, the global MBA offers a newer and fresher experience: Hands-on experience working on international projects in international cities with international classmates. It can definitely be the experience of a lifetime or one that will open your eyes and allow you to experience new visions, cultures, friendships, and experiences. Your perspective of the world will change. You will no longer have nothing in common with your Chinese co-worker. After a course seminar in Shanghai, you will be able to relate to him and talk about your cultural experience. A global MBA should be able to provide you with the platform that connects you to the world while inspiring you with a new vision for you career and your life.

Think you haven't got time for a global MBA? Nonsense! Instituto de Empresa (IE) and Thunderbird offer high-ranking global MBA programs online. IE, ranked #11 by Financial Times, offers an 18 months Global MBA program for English and Spanish speakers. The program allows students to connect to the virtual classroom from anywhere in the world. In addition to virtual lectures and videoconferences, students are required to participate in residencies in different cities including Madrid, London, New York, Santiago, Shanghai, and other cities. The program offers the flexibility business professionals require nowadays and the cultural diversity that provides them with a competitive edge. Thunderbird, ranked #1 in international business by U.S. News & World Report, offers a global MBA program where students from all over the world participate through virtual classrooms and on-site seminars in the USA, China and Europe.

Full-time students can also take advantage of global opportunities through international and study-abroad MBA programs. ESCP-EAP European School of Management offers a truly European MBA program where students take courses in at least three or more European countries including Spain, England, Italy, Germany and France. For US-based students, the Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University offers a cross-continental option where students can study at partner universities such as IAE Graduate School of Business at the Sorbonne, the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and also participate in a two-week seminar in China. Other US business schools, such as the Anderson School of Management at UCLA, offer plenty of study abroad opportunities at partner universities in Asia, Europe, Latin America, Australia, the Middle East, and Africa.

With so many international opportunities and curriculum formats, prospective MBA students now have a variety of options to choose from without sacrificing jobs, family, or the desire to travel and learn about different cultures. A global MBA definitely gives you plenty to gain and ? if your employer chooses to foot the bill ? nothing to lose.