MBA applicants tend to overvalue rankings and so can overlook some strong business schools that might be a good fit. In this series, we profile amazing programs at schools that are typically ranked outside the top 15.
Learning to put business strategies into a global context is more than just a specialization at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business. As part of the first-year MBA core curriculum, Marshall offers a comprehensive program in the spring semester called Pacific Rim International Management Education (PRIME). Students enrolled in PRIME participate in a team project focused on a specific country, industry and company. The team projects are a capstone of students’ first years, a reflection of Marshall’s overall emphasis on case study teaching methods and participatory learning. In addition, students are required to partake in a ten-day overseas trip during which they complete an on-site presentation to companies and organizations located in the Pacific Rim, Latin America or Europe. Cities visited in the past include Kyoto, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Guangdong, Shanghai, Beijing, Hanoi, Bangkok, São Paulo, Buenos Aires and Moscow.