Mendoza adds international projects to expand immersion opportunities

For the first time, University of Notre Dame MBA students can now tackle business challenges globally through new International Interterm Projects. These week-long projects, beginning in March 2023, provide students with the opportunity to work for organizations in one of four countries.

Grafton Street one of the principal shopping districts in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by Barbara Johnston/University of Notre Dame)

Traveling in the week between Mods one and two in the fall and Mods three and four in the spring, students will work in Mexico City, Dublin, London, and Wroclaw, Poland. The program is open to all full-time one- and two-year MBAs.

The Notre Dame MBA program previously offered 10-day international immersions, which were paused during the COVID-19 pandemic. The immersions previously did not include work projects.

“The pandemic gave us the chance to rethink and redesign our international opportunities to be more academically focused and give students real-world experience,” said Jim Cunningham (MBA ‘13), assistant director of Experiential Learning at Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business. “Experiential learning is growing, and this is a big part of that.”

Students, who earn one credit hour for the immersion, work directly with the client and are responsible for daily deliverables and a solution to the company’s specific business objective. On the final day, students present their strategy, and the company then rates their performance.

This spring, 82 students will work on 14 projects for 12 organizations, including nonprofits. In London, teams will work with restaurant chain Five Guys on strategies for offering delivery service and new vegetarian products. In Poland, projects sponsored by the Ukrainian Catholic University aim to help Ukrainian refugees settle in Poland and to rebuild Ukraine after the conflict with Russia ends.

“You get to use business skills from the classroom in real-world challenges and advance mission-driven organizations and earn credit while doing it,” Cunningham said.

The program has proved popular, with 150 students applying for the 82 spots. They include a mix of students from the U.S. and other countries. Mendoza will continue the program each fall and spring, featuring different countries.

Prospective students interested in the Notre Dame MBA and the international immersion program can contact Mendoza Graduate Programs Admissions for more information.