City: Glendale, AZ

Category: Education

Telephone: (602) 978-7000

Address: 15249 N. 59th Ave.

Description: This private graduate school enjoys a global reputation as one of the top schools of international business. It was established in 1946 on the principle that to do business on a global scale, one must be able to combine functional business skills—such as finance and marketing—with the ability to understand the culture, language, and business climate of one’s customers and business associates. Thunderbird offers a three-part curriculum: the study of one or more languages, international studies, and international business. Students have their choice of studying Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, or Spanish. International students may opt for thorough training in English as a Second Language. Many international students are sent here by their home country’s graduate schools or corporations for further polishing in international business. All students earn an MBA in international management, a master of science in global management, a master of arts in global affairs and management, master of global management dual degrees and post MBAs. Part-time and distance learning programs allow you to get an MBA in a specific area of focus. Thunderbird, with about 700 full-time students, bills itself as the oldest graduate management school in the world devoted exclusively to the education of college graduates for international careers. It also boasts a large multimedia library called the International Business Information Centre. The school says it has more than 40,000 alumni working in 140 countries, making for an impressive global network of contacts for graduates. About 5,000 students go through the school’s non-degree executive programs annually, which offer short-term training, certification, and continuing education. Thunderbird students are required to study overseas as part of their education, traveling to countries that include Japan, France, Cuba, China, Brazil, and Mexico.