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For many, travelling the world is a bullet point to tick off a bucket list. There are the usual suspects: Paris, New York, London, Tokyo. However, there’s often not much time to truly explore the hidden depths of what a country has to offer as a tourist — leaving much of the most beautiful and wondrous parts of a particular destination uncharted.
Take the charming city of Wilmington, North Carolina. From a vibrant riverfront to picturesque island beaches, Wilmington is a paradise-like destination for the ages. Picture horse-drawn carriages on old cobbled streets, the soothing tones of live music along the riverfront, and a variety of architectural styles — here, tradition marries modernity, making for an enchanting and exciting visit.
It’s not the usual haunt for a tourist. Students, on the other hand, get to experience everything the lesser-known city has to offer — and more. Their main draw? The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNC Wilmington).
UNC Wilmington has a stunning coastal campus, marrying tradition with modernity. Source: UNC Wilmington
Since its first commencement ceremony in 1949, UNC Wilmington has grown and flourished. It’s now part of the 17-campus University of North Carolina system, drawing from decades of excellence in academia and research. It’s this that attracts students to pursue a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes here, as well as doctoral degrees in educational leadership, marine biology, nursing practice, and psychology.
Paving the way is the Cameron School of Business, an AACSB-accredited institution that’s making waves as one of the best of its kind in the country. Recently, it’s gained a place among Poets and Quants’s top 100 business schools in the US, and CEO Magazine named two of its MBA programmes as among the best 50 in the country. It’s little wonder then that many flock here, eager to receive the best a business education has to offer.
What sets UNC Wilmington apart, however, is a dedication to producing globally-aware, career-ready graduates — a facet perhaps best reflected in its International MBA (IMBA). A one-of-a-kind programme, the IMBA allows students to pursue two degrees in the short span of 18 months, or one year if you choose to condense it further.
That’s only two terms — a definite fast-track route towards not just one, but two professional, internationally-recognised master’s degrees. “Essentially, you do one year’s worth of classes in one term,” explains Colby Jenkins, a recent IMBA graduate.
The International MBA grants students two degrees in the short span of one year. Source: UNC Wilmington
The best part? Future leaders get the rare chance of studying at two universities in two completely separate countries. This is only enabled by being part of the International Business School Alliance’s Dual Degree Master’s Programme, which is designed to equip students with key international perspectives on emerging and established markets.
Through this, students get the additional benefit of choosing from five other accredited universities in Europe to complete their programme alongside UNC Wilmington. These partner universities span across France, Germany, Spain, and the UK. It’s an incredible opportunity to gain exposure to a variety of different cultures and learn more about the world — and the people — within a fast-moving business environment.
Jenkins spent his first term at UNC Wilmington, and chose a Spanish institution as his second university. “I wanted to sign up for a masters programme to not only further my education, but to challenge myself and go out of my comfort zone. Honestly, it was an amazing experience,” he shares. “You learn about World War II in school, but then you come here and see all the things you’ve read about — it’s a completely different experience.”
With the International MBA, students take charge of their own learning — and the programme certainly gives them plenty to choose from. Each university offers something different, providing students with the opportunity not only to experience a new environment with every term, but the chance to always learn something new. Modules taught as part of the programme include: Global Marketing, Global HRM, Logistics/Supply Chain, Emerging Economies, and International Sustainability Management.
Wilmington is laden with gorgeous riverfronts, lakes, and beaches, making for a stunning study environment. Source: UNC Wilmington
If you choose to spend part of your IMBA journey at UNC Wilmington, you can expect to learn about International Finance and Investments. This will give you a solid grounding in the core fundamentals of marketing, finance, and strategy. It doesn’t matter where you begin; the first term is composed of a core set of identical class modules that are taught across all six universities, giving you full flexibility to pursue your studies wherever you wish.
Joel Turner, a graduate of the programme who now works as a Product Marketing Senior Specialist at Lenovo, fully credits the exposure he gained as an IMBA student to landing his current role. “In my final interview before my offer, the director of marketing said it was my international experience and cultural immersion that made me stand out over all the other candidates,” he explains.
Jenkins couldn’t have been happier with his choice. “I found out a lot about myself internally but also learned a lot from an international standpoint,” he says. His advice? “Prepare to be challenged, start asking questions, build relationships with faculty, because the more prepared you are, the better. I would one million percent do this programme again and advise people to go for it.”
To find out more about the International MBA Programme, watch this video or join the programme’s LinkedIn group. Follow the Cameron School of Business on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Vimeo.
