Flex Online Opening Term

You will begin your coursework in Opening Term with the Structure of Global Industries (BADM 5500, 3.0 credits). This three-week course is rigorous and fast-paced. It will introduce you to the highly integrated and global view of business which will set the tone for the entire MBA program experience. Your faculty will seek to spark your curiosity and create questions in your mind that can be answered throughout the rest of the curriculum. Following the completion of Opening Term, you will begin the fall semester. 


Mark the dates below on your calendar, but please note the schedule may change prior to the start. Use this information as a general guide. Your schedule will be provided in mid-July.

Opening Term and In-person Residency #1

Monday, August 4 – Friday, August 22


Weeks 1 and 2 | August 4 – 17

During the first two weeks of this class, you will attend live online synchronous sessions on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings. These two weeks will also include substantial asynchronous course content and teamwork, so please plan to be available on evenings and weekends to complete this work.


Week 3 | August 17– 23

You will complete the third week in person on campus for your first program residency in Washington, D.C. These will be full days and evenings, with class sessions, team meetings, and faculty coaching. At the end of the week, you will take a final exam and present your team project. A detailed itinerary will be provided closer to the start of the residency. 


Travel Expectations 

Plan to arrive on Sunday, August 17, to check in to the hotel and join us for an optional afternoon community-building event in Washington, D.C.  There will be an Opening Term closing celebration on Friday, August 22 (evening).


Time off Work Expectations 

Plan to focus entirely on your academic obligations and prepare by requesting 5 days off work from your full-time employer. 


Hotel Accommodations 

For Residency #1, hotel accommodations near campus will be arranged and covered by Georgetown University. Complimentary breakfast will be provided at the hotel, and weekday lunches will be offered by the university. However, please be aware that you are accountable for additional expenses such as transportation to Washington, D.C., and any meals not provided during your residency. 

Opening Term Course Description

BADM 5500: The Structure of Global Industries

This course is offered in an intensive format using multiple instructors, teams, and projects, and provides an immediate immersion into international business. The first objective of the course is to develop skills of critical thinking and business decision making. This entails learning how to analyze problems with the use of theory and evidence, synthesize findings into recommendations, and communicate persuasively and effectively. The second objective is to learn the foundations of international business and economics that are necessary for managerial success and to incorporate ethical considerations into business decisions. A third objective is to learn how to function effectively in teams and make persuasive professional presentations.


The core discipline and intellectual framework for the course is international economics enriched by global strategy. Ethical considerations are introduced formally and experientially. Teamwork and presentation skills are learned in the context of the projects.


To achieve the course objectives, we have 25 sessions consisting of lecture classes, case study classes, and practicums, plus final exam and project presentation. A feature of the course is a global industries project that is conducted by teams of students focused on a firm’s decisions about business in a range of global industries. Similar to a corporate strategy exercise, each team determines where to locate production and sales, how to organize a firm in each of the industries, and how the firm’s business is affected by a major macroeconomic shock.

Following the completion of Opening Term, you will begin the fall semester. Your specific Fall Semester course schedule will be provided in mid-July. The Program Office will register you for these classes. 


Fall Semester begins – Wednesday, August 27

Student Organization Fair (in-person) – Thursday, August 28

Student Organization Fair (virtual) – Friday, August 29


Flex MBA Online core courses are scheduled on Monday and Wednesday, but electives and the Global Business experience can be scheduled for any day of the week. See below for additional details.

Course Materials

Please note that some courses may require you to purchase additional materials through a custom coursepack or other materials available online; instructions on how to purchase those items will be delivered by your faculty. Faculty will post course materials shortly before their classes begin. If needed, textbooks can be purchased either in the bookstore or from online sources. 

Calculator

We recommend that you purchase a Texas Instrument BA-II Plus or HP 12C financial calculator. These models were chosen because they are the only calculators allowed for the CFA exams. Other types of calculators may not be approved by your faculty.

Exams & Electives

Throughout the program your core courses, with the exception of the residency courses, will take place Monday and Wednesday evenings, synchronously from 8- 9:20 pm ET with additional asynchronous commitments. Exams may be scheduled on any day of the week, including outside the normal meeting days and times for the class and weekends. 

Starting in Spring of your first year, you'll be able to add electives to your schedule. Each semester, a limited number of online electives will be available, in either a completely synchronous format or synchronous/asynchronous, hybrid format. The synchronous portions of electives can take place Monday through Thursday, from 6:30-9:20 pm ET. 

Here are additional details on the Flex MBA Online curriculum:

In-person Residency #2 

As we get closer to the start of your Residency #2 in the Opening Term of your second year, the Program Office will provide further details, but you are encouraged to use this initial information to help with future planning.

Travel Expectations 

We encourage you to tentatively plan to save August 12-15, 2026, for your second residency in Washington, D.C. The published 2024-2028 Academic Calendar is subject to change.

Time off Work Expectations 

Please plan to focus entirely on your academic obligations and prepare to request 3 days off work (Wednesday through Friday) from your full-time employer, as well as being available Saturday morning. 


Hotel Accommodations 

The Program Office hopes to provide a recommended hotel option with discounted rates, facilitating centralized accommodation for students. Nonetheless, students are individually responsible for covering costs associated with accommodations, most meals, travel, and other incidental expenses during this residency. 

In-person Residency #3

The summer following your second year, residency #3 involves your Global Business Experience abroad. The entire cohort will travel to one country chosen by the MSB Global Operations team, and then students will be able to chose from available projects within that country. Details regarding the country and available projects will be provide in the early spring prior to the course. 

Travel Expectations 

We encourage you to tentatively plan to save July 8-15, 2027, for your second residency in Washington, D.C. The published 2024-2028 Academic Calendar is subject to change.

Time off Work Expectations 

Please plan to focus entirely on your academic obligations and prepare to request 5 days off work from your full-time employer, so that you can be fully engaged while abroad.

Hotel Accommodations 

Georgetown University will cover expenses pertaining to hotel accommodations, and in-country transportation required for course-related activities. You are expected to bear the costs of travel and most meals, and are accountable for any additional personal expenses.