Through the College of Business Administration’s Dual Degree program, students receive an MBA from their “home” business school and a Master of International Business (MIB) degree from Florida International University (FIU)’s Chapman School.
In a second, rarer scenario—but one the Chapman Graduate School has begun to vigorously promote—MIB students complete an MBA in one of the partner institutions. That’s the case for Yousef Al-Saleh (BBA 06), one of two MIB graduates who arrived at Escuela Superior de Gestión Comercial y Marketing (ESIC) in Madrid in September 2008 and about to complete the MBA program there.
Born in Colorado, and having lived in Kuwait and London before attending FIU, Al-Saleh, who plans to live in Kuwait, decided “midway through my MIB that a different perspective and approach would really benefit me, and complement my MIB studies. It would also help me a lot with my Spanish, which it has.”
Opportunities increase exponentially through Dual Degree option.
A veteran of travel experiences offered through the MIB program, Al-Saleh had been to Prague and Budapest in 2007 and China in 2008. But this was his first trip to Spain, and he’s used the time well to visit locations throughout the country, and as a base from which to visit other countries.
He particularly values the mix of career preparation and enjoyment his time in Spain has afforded him, not to mention the change “to earn a second master’s degree without repeating any unnecessary courses. Also, learning a different perspective to business is really important for students looking to work in or with multinational companies. Besides, it’s great fun, a break to the routine and it’s helping me get over my Miami addiction.”
Underscoring the reciprocal nature of the Dual Degree program, the Chapman School has welcomed its first graduate student from ESIC: Javier Climent, who began the MIB program in May 2009.
