International Studies for Business Students

Studying International Management and International Marketing in London is an opportunity that the School of Business offers junior and senior students. Courses are offered as part of the spring semester, and students and faculty travel to London in January to visit a variety of businesses, while experiencing another culture.  Leading companies in the financial, energy, insurance, and hospitality industries have been the subject of site visits by McMurry students and faculty.  A day excursion to Paris on the channel train is typically included in the trip.

Our trip to London and Paris with the McMurry School of Business was a once in a lifetime opportunity. We acquired a lot of insight in the area of International Marketing and Management. The sites and events we experienced will be something we will always remember.

My recent trip to London exceeded all my expectations, from the view of the breathtaking Big Ben clock at the House of Parliament, to the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

The biggest eye-opener and my favorite site was the Lloyds of London Insurance Company. It's truly amazing how a company that large, with world wide operations, can incorporate dozens of individual syndicates on one single floor, all working at a
furious pace towards one common goal!

London has many ethnicities providing a city with many multi-cultural influences. It was an incredible experience, seeing how all these different people interacted with each other. I highly recommend this trip to any one who has that opportunity.

Capstone Business Course

The Business Policy Capstone course develops students’ abilities to integrate the major functional activities of most organizations (management, finance, accounting, and marketing). Teams of students compete with each other in a simulated global environment by making strategic and operational management decisions. Students are challenged to craft and execute competitive marketing and production strategies to meet their organizations’ strategic and financial goals. Extensive competitive and comparative analyses are required of each team in order to assess organizational performance. Student teams are also required to develop and use their skills to analyze strategic management cases of real organizations, and present their analyses to an audience in a professional manner. Although the course is quite demanding and time intensive, students learn through hands-on application how strategic management decisions are implemented. In addition, students learn how to better manage their time, condense masses of data into manageable form by extracting the relevant information, and to work more effectively in a team-based environment.

Contemporary Business

The Contemporary Business course reinforces students' understanding of the various functional areas of business by participating in a semester-long venture.  After extensive research and much discussion, the class selects a business and develops a sound business plan.  The class then divides into teams to manage operations, market the product or service, develop pricing strategies, oversee fiscal operations, and conduct performance appraisals.  With an emphasis on teamwork, students also learn to make sound decisions, resolve conflicts, and communicate effectively.  In addition, they develop the ability to research and analyze challenges in the current business environment.