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that host international guest speak- ers, seminars, and other events. A number of schools also offer certifi- cates, or concentrations, as options within their full-time MBA pro- grams—global management is prov- ing to be among the most popular. For example, the Haas School at U.C. Berkeley offers a certificate in global management that requires MBA students to participate in an overseas experience, complete on- campus coursework in international business, and develop proficiency in a language other than English. MBAs at the University of Florida's War- rington College of Business Admin- istration in Gainesville can earn their certificates by complet- ing on-campus coursework and six credits of study at a partner school abroad. Unlike Haas, Warrington does not include a language requirement in its program. That's the case at many schools—courses in language and culture are still not as popular as other indirect exposures. Even so, these types of courses appear in a small major- ity—51 percent—of programs, and some are joining Haas in making language proficiency a requirement. At London Business School, for instance, every graduate must show competency in one language other than English, by taking language courses at the school or by study- ing independently. HEC Paris offers intensive language courses, and native French speakers and fluent non-native French speakers alike are required to learn another language unless they are already trilingual. 50 May/June 2011 BizEd GWSB's Global Evolution Before 2007, our curriculum at the George Washington University School of Business included courses and electives on international business, enrolled international students in its full-time MBA program, and offered a variety of short-term study abroad courses. Our location in Washington, D.C., put us in close proximity to the World Bank and the U.S. State Department, as well as multiple embassies, agencies, and NGOs. Even so, we could not say we had a truly global MBA program. Three years ago, we made that transition when GWSB launched its revised MBA curriculum, which integrates more content dedicated to ethical leader- ship, corporate responsibility, and globalization. The revision included our new 57-credit, full-time Global MBA. Delivered in a modular format, the program now includes a mandatory international practicum and residency. All first-year students participate in one of several consul- tancy projects, in which they spend seven weeks prepar- ing to meet with clients overseas. They spend two weeks abroad working from their clients' offices; attend meetings with local leaders in business, government, and NGOs; and participate in cul- tural site visits. In 2010, students worked with clients in India, Mexico, Serbia, South Korea, and Sweden. Last spring, 22 students chose to complete the international marketing residency in Swe- den, working with Swedish "clean technology" firms to examine the potential for their products in the U.S. During their seven weeks of prepa- ration, they were briefed by the Swedish Trade Counselor at the Swedish embassy in D.C. and had a panel discussion with metro D.C. companies on clean tech marketing. Before students departed, a team of faculty judges critiqued their market research and strategy presentations. Students then traveled to Sweden and Denmark, where they visited cultural sites and companies such as Vestas Wind Power Systems, Schneider Electric, Tetra Pak, IKEA, and the Sustainable Business Hub. Soon we plan to launch the one-year World Executive MBA, which will include two three-week residencies in Washington, D.C., and three two-week international residencies in China, India, and one of several European cities. The program will incorporate distance learning strategies to accommodate the schedules of work- ing professionals around the globe. The fierce competition in the MBA market, especially one as cluttered as Washington, D.C., makes such systematic change daunting. But in these two programs, our goal is to develop ethical managers whose cultural competence will set them apart. DAVID RIDLEY/ IMAGES.COM