Carey students have the unique opportunity to participate in domestic and international experiential learning opportunities throughout the academic year that put their knowledge into action, elevating their global perspective and career outcomes.
Just like when rubber meets the road, when theory meets practice, ideas are set in motion. Students who want to thrive in business have an advantage when they are given unique opportunities to expand their horizons and dig in to real-world business scenarios.
Experiential learning is embedded into every aspect of the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School student journey. Domestic and international engagements encourage students to think creatively and develop innovative solutions to real-world business challenges, preparing them to build for what’s next®.
Carey students set out this spring and summer for destinations ranging from NASA and Frankfurt to London and the mountains of Norway, and returned home with more than just stamps on their passports. Industry treks, leadership visits, and international immersions filled our students’ calendars, giving them firsthand experience in thinking beyond the classroom and approaching innovation, strategy, and problem-solving from new, global perspectives.
Students visited major business hubs across the U.S. to connect with key corporate stakeholders in finance, consulting, technology, and health care. Trips to New York, Nashville, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. included site visits to Amazon, Bloomberg, Microsoft, Protiviti, the New York Stock Exchange, TIAA, and more. These treks offered a look into organizational culture, strategic decision-making, and innovations shaping each industry.
Laura Iman, a Full-time MBA student, participated in the finance trek in New York City. “The most significant highlight of the trek was the opportunity to visit these companies,” said Iman. “It was enlightening to hear real employees share their stories and experiences, prompting me to consider potential hidden opportunities that could be crucial for my growth.”
At each destination, students explored emerging industry trends and engaged in meaningful discussions with professionals about how their organizations continue to adapt to new innovations in the rapidly changing economy.
For the first time, an accelerated course was held outside the DMV-metro area. Flexible MBA students traveled to Pheonix, Arizona for the “Power and Politics” course. The course was an opportunity for part-time, online students in the Western and Midwestern states to participate in an in-person course without having to travel across the country.
Led by Associate Professor Cassandra Chambers, the course focuses on research-backed principles of social interaction, teaching students how to understand the nature of power, asserting influence effectively, building better claims, and navigating organizational politics.
“There were people in finance, technology, marketing, and education. It's very rare that you can get this type of experience in an online program,” said Paulette Rangel, an MBA/MSN student in the Healthcare Organizational Leadership program.
During the week-long Sustainability and Business in Latin America Global Immersion course in Santiago, Chile, students studied regional business practices, focusing on sustainability, innovation, and economic trends. They visited Pontificia Universidad Católica, Emiliana Organic Vineyards, and Arauco to learn how businesses balance profitability with environmental stewardship.
“The lectures on Chile’s trade agreements and its role as a test market in South America expanded my knowledge of Latin American markets and their global impact,” said Flexible MBA student Vivan Cabral. “This experience highlighted the importance of adapting strategies to local contexts, which is a critical skill for any global leader.”
Flexible MBA students traveled to Houston, Texas with the Center for Innovative Leadership for a NASA-specific leadership experience. They toured NASA facilities and met with former Flight Directors Courtenay McMillan and Bob Dempsey, and former astronaut and VP/COO of Texas A&M University Galveston Campus Mike Fossum.
Discussions were centered around the principles of leadership in daily lives and navigating the unknown. Fossum’s stories emphasized the importance of resilience, humility, and determination, while MacMillan encouraged students to embrace the unknown and step outside their comfort zones. Dempsey also stressed the importance of speaking up when something feels off yet fully supporting a decision once it’s made.
Carey students headed into spring with two Global Immersions offerings, one in London and the other in Milan.
Students who participated in London’s Technology and Society through a Behavioral Economic Lens Global Immersion learned about the intersection of technology and societal well-being. The course explored topics like digital transformation, financial technology innovation, the social impact of artificial intelligence, and the evolving regulatory environment. The group also visited organizations like the UK Behavioral Insights team, the UK Parliament, and Deutsche Bank.
“This class introduced me to the ways technology affects, shapes, and disrupts society,” said Business Analytics student, Rosarys Esquilin. “In the age of big tech and AI, we’ve already seen the darker side of innovation. This trip gave me insight into how businesses, policymakers, and society are responding to these rapidly growing tools.”
Students who traveled to Milan for the Health Care in Europe: Models, Regulation, and Business course explored European health care systems and compared them to those in the U.S. Through hands-on experiences and discussions with industry leaders, students examined a mix of public and private health care models, learned national- and EU-level regulations, and gained insights into the business side of health care in Europe.
In partnership with the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, Carey students spent time in Germany for the Finance and Fintech in the EU Global Immersion, exploring entrepreneurship, AI, and current trends of Europe’s financial system with direct comparisons to the U.S. landscape.
“It's important to recognize that not all countries embrace the same financial system,” said Faculty lead and Professor of Practice Yuval Bar-Or. “History, politics, and culture affect the systems found in place today around the world. We want to expose our students to this reality so they can correctly interpret the impact of economic or financial events and trends on other countries.”
The students learned about German business operations with visits to Deutsche Bundesbank, Deutsche Börse, Bosch, and the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. As part of the trip to Bosch, consultants shared insights about Bosch’s approach to innovation and how the company is using generative AI. Carey students gained valuable experience and tools for testing generative AI strategies using a real-world case study for business model innovation.
“This experience complemented my academic studies in a way textbooks cannot. The lessons learned weren’t just theoretical–they were tangible, shaped by direct engagement with professionals and institutions,” said Flexible MBA candidate Asia Gilliam.
Over the summer, MBA students journeyed to Norway to complete a nine-day trek through the Jotunheimen Mountains or coastal kayaking around the island of Smola.
Over the course of nine days, students operated as an expedition team, tackling daily challenges in leadership, navigation, time management, safety, and team morale. Mornings and evenings began and ended with team meetings, offering a time and place to reflect on learning moments and address individual and team performances. Daily leadership rotations helped to strengthen leadership skills and models in real time.
“These experiences are designed to be slightly unfamiliar so that students get the chance to be in a complex situation and work with others to problem-solve on several different issues,” said Christopher Myers, professor of management and organization and the founding faculty director of the Center for Innovative Leadership. “It’s a place to try new and different approaches to leading in the face of challenge.”
Faculty lead and Professor of Practice Rick Smith said the goal of the Navigating Strategic Crises Global Immersion was not to be immersed in UK business issues, but to take a global business perspective from the UK, allowing students a different vantage point for analyzing global risk and considering how to navigate strategic crises.
“The UK offers a unique backdrop for examining the global business landscape given the historical colonial ties, the changes due to Brexit, geopolitical policy shifts, global nature of London, and current dynamics in Europe,” said Smith.
MBA student King Brand said the trip reinforced the importance of teamwork, flexibility, and adaptability in times of crisis.
“Crises evolve in real time, and effective leaders must be able to pivot, rely on their teams, and make informed decisions under pressure. A core lesson I took away is that every response becomes a catalyst for resilience enhancement, meaning that each action taken in a crisis not only addresses the immediate issue but also strengthens long-term organizational resilience,” said Brand.
Through the connections made, the leadership skills honed, and the understanding broadened, experiential learning gives Carey students the opportunity to take real-world experience and turn it into real career impact.
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