As a marketing and psychology major, there were
five or so main reasons I decided to pursue a Master of Arts with a major in
International Business:
- I felt like my undergraduate education was not enough. I learn by doing, not by reading and taking tests. My undergraduate education, while valuable, I felt was missing practicality. I was able to learn how to manage others, how to market a product, how to build a financial statement and more…. But did I do any of that? No. The only exception to that is my marketing management class I’m currently taking, but it’s my last semester... kind of late there! In my graduate classes, I’ve worked with over 10 teams to build investment portfolios, create marketing campaigns, analyze industries in foreign countries and have even had the opportunity to work to consult Outback Steakhouse in their international expansion strategies.
- I wanted to be more competitive. Being a business major, competition is real. Many business majors understand the importance of work experience, internships, leadership in school and all that… so we all end up doing very similar things outlined in our “How to be successful” handbook. Getting a masters degree in international business is a major differentiation point for me.
- Had the opportunity to do a combined degree. I didn’t have to spend an extra year or two in school, and that saved me time and money. Essentially, I was able to take graduate classes while still doing my undergrad and had those classes count both for grad and undergrad (while still receiving financial aid.) Honestly, I would recommend this to anyone that is able to do a combined degree!
- I was able to “study abroad”. I put it in quotations because it’s not your typical study abroad… We went to Barcelona and met with over 10 major government entities and international companies that either started in Spain, or have major operations in Spain. They walked us through their business, experiences doing business internationally and how culture impacts the way they do business. We met with companies like Edelman, Mango, Eurofragance, Bmat, Torres Winery and more. Amazing experience, and even more amazing paella.
- I’m passionate about what I’m learning, and I pick my curriculum. I am so passionate about cultures and the subtle differences that make a big difference in making business decisions. There was no undergraduate degree that matched that description. Also, although there are six required courses, I get to pick the rest of the 14 credits I have to take for the degree. I’ve taken classes like:
- Communication across cultures
- Marketing for Hospitality and Tourism
- Customer Relationship Management
- Art and Science of Negotiation
- International Finance
- Global Strategic Management
- International Marketing
- And more fun classes!
Grad school is not for everyone, some people
can’t afford it right it away, some people have others plans after graduation
and some people might pursue grad school later in life, like an MBA or JD.
Either way, it’s a personal choice that needs to fit in your life :)
