Residentials


Some of the most valuable and enjoyable learning opportunities that FEMBA students have are the off-site learning experiences, called residentials. As a FEMBA student, you attend three residentials: a local residential before classes begin, a second-year residential in an international location, and a final capstone course. The sequence of the residentials and their integration into the curriculum provides a more comprehensive education. Very few other MBA programs offer a sequence of required residentials, especially with an international experience. This is another way that the Merage FEMBA program is unique.

Fees for the programs, speakers, events, transportation, hotels are generally included in your tuition, with the exception of airfare to the International Residential.

Opening Residential: Management of Complex Organizations
Scheduled prior to your first day of class, this experience is designed to prepare you for the rest of your MBA career. You’ll be introduced to your small-study team and work with them intensively, so you’ll know your colleagues once regular classes begin.

• Held for 3½ days in a business-class hotel in Orange County
• Topics include organizational design, organizational culture and power, group processes, competitive analysis, corporate strategy, and business ethics
• Introduces a variety of instructive methods including case analysis, group presentations, and group-based teamwork
• Format includes group projects, experiential exercises, discussions and format lectures
• Provides team-building exercises to help foster a collaborative learning environment

International Residential: Global Business II
Students all agree that this is one of the highlights of the FEMBA program. It provides a unique opportunity to experience global business firsthand from a corporate, academic and cultural standpoint. You’ll learn a tremendous amount about business and culture outside of the United States. This experience leverages the knowledge gained in the Global Business I course that students take prior to the International Residential.

Every year, our executive staff and faculty considers locations around the world and selects two. Recent residentials have been held in Russia/Czech Republic, Germany/Czech Republic, The Netherlands/Belgium, Shanghai/Beijing, and Hong Kong/Guangzhou.

• Held for seven days, visiting two countries
• Students stay in four- and five-star business class hotels in major urban centers
• Typical topics include: major issues faced by US companies overseas, investment climate, banking and finance, supply chain management, and economic transition in emerging economies
• Senior-level executives (from U.S. based companies as well as foreign-based companies that work with the U.S.) discuss the challenges they face during presentations; organized tours of the company follow most on-site presentations by the executives
• Includes tours of multinational companies doing business in that region as well as national companies in diverse industries such as telecommunications, manufacturing, or technology
• Optional cultural events may include opera, ballet, theater or music performances

Final Residential: Executive Leadership
The Merage FEMBA Program culminates in a capstone residential course on Executive Leadership. This residential provides a 360-degree evaluation of each student and allows you to reflect on what you have learned, how you have developed professionally, and how you will shape your future as a business manager and leader.

• Held for 3 ½ days at a Southern California mountain retreat conference center
• Study groups evaluate students to offer constructive feedback
• Provides a clear perspective on your skills as a leader
• Presents a variety of  tools to continue to improve your leadership
• Prepares you to take control of your career by creating an explicit career action plan

Next: Elective Courses