Whether it is a simulation, a consultative experience, or a real-life business case, in experiential learning scenarios, you will be thrust into an environment where the challenges facing the business are ambiguous and unstructured, and the outcomes are based upon real circumstances.
You will work across disciplines and tools to understand the nature of the challenge, and how to respond to either protect the company, exploit the opportunity, enhance the strategy, learn from a mistake and iterate, or recover from failure.
Most scenarios will be approached in teams, which will help you gain additional insight and enhanced soft skills that will be critical to your personal future success.
Each course is designed to integrate experiential learning into the curriculum. Hands on opportunities build leadership and teamwork skills, and put analytic knowledge to practice. Students gain hands on experience through case-based coursework, consultative projects with corporate partners, high-intensity virtual simulations, and global immersion trips.
To thrive and lead in today’s rapidly globalizing world, you need a nuanced understanding of international business and culture. The Cox School's relationships with corporate leaders around the world run deep — as a result you'll gain experience in the global marketplace through classroom study, high-intensity live simulations, executive speaker engagements, and immersive short-term global travel. Grow your global perspective through courses like International Entrepreneurship or Global M&A. Experience interactive, live simulations with war-gaming. Experience one of the hallmarks of the SMU Cox MBA — our optional global immersion program. Multi-day international non-credit trips are also available to see how business is conducted in some of the world’s vital economic territories through company visits, meetings with business leaders, lectures and cultural excursions.
SMU Cox is home to numerous Centers and Institutes, serving as resources to the University, the community and the world. Many also offer opportunities for scholarly research and writing, conferences, periodic lectures and symposia. The expansive range of focus includes entrepreneurship, leadership, energy, real estate, customer engagement, financial studies, economic freedom, and more.
Learn all about Cox Centers and Institutes
One of the most utilized centers by Full-Time MBA students is the Business Leadership Center which offers specialized training in leadership and communication — critical skills necessary for success as a leader. The BLC offers skill-building experiential learning seminars, executive speaker series, experiential learning programs and coaching. More than 90 experiential learning seminars are offered, 4 per week on average, that build your strengths in communication, interpersonal relations, management, and leadership.
Experiential learning programs through the BLC give you a chance to study with experts and apply your newly acquired skills. One of the favorites is the five-day program “Leading and Sustaining a Service Culture” held at the Disney Institute in Orlando Florida. SMU Cox is the only graduate school to offer this customized program on-site at the Disney Institute.
Students with the desire to give back to the community can do so through the Nonprofit Consulting Program. Students work in groups on projects that address real-life challenges faced by various local nonprofits.
Learn more about the Business Leadership Center
The Cox Graduate Programs offer a number of clubs and organizations through which you can refine your leadership skills and build camaraderie. With over twenty clubs and leadership opportunities, students can expand their network and knowledge across industries like the Consulting & Corporate Strategy or Finance clubs, affinity groups like our Veterans in Business or Black Graduate Business clubs, or even social organizations like the Foodie or Rugby clubs. Learn more about the ways you can get involved and get connected with fellow Cox graduate students with shared interests or experiences.
Folsom Institute has been the backbone of real estate activity at SMU, supporting research and the real estate academic programs at both the BBA and MBA levels. Today, SMU Cox is committed to building upon its success by broadening the Institute’s presence in the real estate industry on a national basis.
The Kitt Investing and Trading Center is a state-of-the-art instructional and research facility designed to integrate finance curriculum, enhance innovative faculty research, and teach students practical finance and investment applications.
As one of the oldest entrepreneurship centers in the United States, the Institute has for more than 50 years been committed to encouraging those who can to build a business of their own.
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