MBA Candidates Seek Competitive Edge with the Lauder Institute's International Business Education and Expertise

Joint Wharton MBA/MA in International Studies degree program specializes in foreign language training and regional economic focus

PHILADELPHIA, March 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Joseph H. Lauder Institute of Management and International Studies, now in its 27th year, continues to see interest grow from MBA students hoping to carve out a specialty niche in the global marketplace. The Lauder program, which combines the prestigious Wharton MBA with a University of Pennsylvania Master's degree in International Studies, offers customized language and cultural programs in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.  Also just announced in 2010 was a new language track for Hindi, another language of growing significance in the global economy.  

"Emphasizing a regional focus within a global context is not only essential to operate within the flat world we live in today, it is also especially relevant as I build a career with a focus on the South Asian market," said Arzan Raimalwala, an MBA/MA candidate recently admitted to the Lauder Institute.

Applications for the joint MBA/MA degree soared by 42 percent between 2007 and 2009.  Enrollment increased from the 50-60 student range during 2003-2007 to the 60-70 student range since 2007 and remains steady.

"The increased interest and demand for international business education can be attributed in large part to the fact that this allows MBA/MA candidates to find a competitive edge in an increasingly global economy," says Mauro Guillen, director of the Lauder Institute and the Felix Zandman Professor of International Management at Wharton.

The Lauder Institute has also been recognized for offering curriculum on business topics that address student demand for current and applicable global topics.  In the spring and fall semesters of 2009, a new course was quickly developed to address the global economic and financial crisis.  And in order to meet increasing demand for business education specific to the African continent, the Lauder Institute is planning to develop an Africa Program for students to apply their French, Portuguese or Spanish language skills or develop them in Swahili.  This coming May, about half of the Lauder students will participate in a new course entitled, "Lauder Culture Quest in Central America" which will include students having to complete sets of tasks while traveling through Central America such as learning a local musical instrument and working alongside a local business person for a day in addition to formal lectures and readings about the culture, politics and economy of the region.

"In today's world where national boundaries are blurring, I consider myself a global citizen," says Kavitha Cherian, another incoming MBA/MA candidate. "The Lauder Institute acknowledges the intricacies of a globalized community and grooms students to excel on such a platform."

About the Lauder Institute and the Wharton School:

The University of Pennsylvania's Lauder Institute, founded in 1983, combines a world-renowned Wharton MBA with a Master's in International Studies. Advanced language and foreign culture training, a two-month in-country immersion, and a Masters Thesis from the School of Arts & Sciences all prepare Lauder Fellows for the ever-evolving global economy. Graduates join the diverse, supportive and committed worldwide Lauder community – continuing a 25-year tradition of international business leadership.  The Lauder Institute also offers an MA/JD joint degree.  The Lauder Institute is also home to the Penn Lauder CIBER (Center for International Business Education and Research), funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, which provided partial support for this conference.  For more information, visit www.lauder.wharton.upenn.edu.

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania — founded in 1881 as the first collegiate business school — is recognized globally for intellectual leadership and ongoing innovation across every major discipline of business education. The most comprehensive source of business knowledge in the world, Wharton bridges research and practice through its broad engagement with the global business community. The School has more than 4,800 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students; more than 9,000 annual participants in executive education programs; and an alumni network of 86,000 graduates. For more information, visit http://www.wharton.upenn.edu.

About the University of Pennsylvania's School of Arts & Sciences:

The School of Arts & Sciences provides a foundation for the scholarly excellence that has established Penn as one of the world's leading research universities. The School enrolls 6500 undergraduates, admits approximately 250 students each year into its 32 doctoral programs, and offers a wide range of programs for lifelong learning. International studies are a vibrant enterprise at the School of Arts & Sciences. In addition to offering instruction in 50 languages, the school is home to an array of centers, programs and institutes dedicated to the study of world regions and contemporary global issues and conflicts.

SOURCE Lauder Institute