Executive Master of Global Management
Overview
Thunderbird’s Executive Master of Global Management (EMGM) program offers a flexible way for full-time working professionals to obtain this international business graduate degree in only one year. Attend in-person classes once a month with your cohort and faculty members and collaborate on team assignments and coursework virtually to achieve the curriculum milestones together. You can choose to hop on a plane to learn how to do business like a CEO in another region of the world or partake in our one-of-a-kind Global Challenge Lab that takes you into the field for a real-world, client-facing practical group project. Choose elective courses from topics such as Global Business, Digital Transformation, Leadership, Data Science, Global Affairs, Health Solutions, Strategic Management, Public Policy, Entrepreneurship and more. Use this international business leadership program to expand your skill set and offer more value to your current or future organization.
The world is innovating more rapidly than ever before. New technology is changing the way we live, work, and relate to each other. To thrive in this new paradigm of constant technological disruption, where artificial intelligence and data analytics are driving change in all industries and sectors, a revitalized brand of business and management education is essential.
Fall 2021 Class Profile
43 years old
17 years
42%
35%
23%
5
- Mechanical Engineering
- International Marketing
- Finance
- Electrical Engineering
- Healthcare Administration
- Operations Management
- Business Management
- Psychology
- International Business
- Computer Science
- Supply Chain Management
- Political Science
- and others
- Arizona Commerce Authority
- Bank of America
- Earth Friendly Products
- Mayo Clinic
- American Express
- Sigma Alimentos
- The Regal Group
- Terros Health
- Partnership for Economic Innovation
- Arizona Department of Transportation
- and others
- Strategic Futures Innovation Manager
- International Sales Manager
- Commercial Credit Analyst
- Senior Engineer
- Technology Lead
- Senior Operations Manager
- President and CEO
- Director of Innovation
- Director of Sales
- and others
A degree at the intersection of global business, public policy and international affairs
Explore how the MGM's core curriculum overlaps with these three key areas, and how its concentrations and applied learning opportunities earn it the #1 ranking in the world.
Learn MoreWe are a global network of future-ready leaders, managers, entrepreneurs, and intrapreneurs
innovating across the private and public sectors to advance inclusive and sustainable prosperity worldwide.
Learn MoreWho Should Attend?
- Professionals who want to keep up with their rapidly changing industry in a flexible master's degree program while continuing to work full-time
- Mid-career professionals who want to take on a new role as a senior-level leader of a transnational enterprise or propel themselves to the C-suite
- Working professionals who see potential for growth and promotion in international management positions inside or outside of their current organization
- Entrepreneurial-minded professionals who are interested in starting their own business or becoming a strategic consultant in their field of interest
Student Testimonials
Career Opportunities
Our graduates are leaders across a wide range of organizations in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors around the world. The EMGM will prepare you to assume managerial responsibilities in global organizations, or to make a career change across industries or sectors. Our top-ranked global management program will prepare you with the problem-solving skills needed in order to leverage the tools of the digital age to manage change and disruption in your organization.
- Global Operations Manager for Cloud Computing and Cybersecurity
- Chief Strategy Officer for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
- Global Marketing Manager for Autonomous Vehicles
- International Management Trade Consultant for Augmented Reality Devices
- Chief Financial Officer for 3D Printing
- Regional Sustainability Officer
- Consular Liaison / Foreign Service Officer
- Head of Global Partnerships
- Big Data Specialist
- American Express
- Boeing
- Deloitte
- World Bank
- NASA
- U.S. Department of Commerce
Curriculum
Core Curriculum
With its innovative program format, the Executive MGM delivers 31 course credits strategically-choreographed to take students through every facet of international business management, with experiential learning opportunities and practical, applicable education in the nuances of global management, business and improving international organizational culture.
Course | Credits |
---|---|
Fall Semester | |
TGM 598 Lifelong Personal Leadership in a Global Economy | 3 |
TGM 506 Communicating and Negotiating Across Cultures | 3 |
TGM 530 Big Data in the Global Economy | 3 |
Spring Semester | |
TGM 549 Global Leadership | 3 |
TGM 598 Global Digital Transformation | 3 |
TGM 594 or TGM 596 Global Field Seminar or Global Challenge Lab | 3 |
Summer Semester | |
TGM 505 Navigating Global and Regional Business Environments | 3 |
Elective 2 | 3 |
Elective 3 | 3 |
TGM 597 Thunderbird Professional Development | 1 |

Applied Learning
The Thunderbird Global Challenge Lab (GCL) program is a capstone course at Thunderbird that engages a team of four to five Master of Global Management (MGM) candidates with a client in an advanced or emerging market. The team spends three weeks working on each project onsite with their client and one final week of debriefing on campus. Projects are tailored to the business needs of the client and provide sophisticated data and market analysis, strategy recommendations, and practical, effective plans for sustained growth. The Lab offers projects which are truly win-win propositions, creating value for companies and providing a unique, professional learning experience for our students.
2022-2023 Program Calendar
Additional details
- Class Weekends: Classes take place on Friday and Saturdays from 8:00am to 5:30pm.
- Travel Days: The dates listed on this calendar are exclusive of travel days to travel to and from the location of classes.
- Global Field Seminar: Location choices are subject to space availability.
Calendar
Course | Dates |
---|---|
Opening residence module | August 22-26, 2022 |
Class weekend | September 16-17, 2022 |
Class weekend | October 14-15, 2022 |
Class weekend | November 4-5, 2022 |
Class weekend | December 2-3, 2022 |
Class weekend | January 20-21, 2023 |
Class weekend | February 10-11, 2023 |
Global field seminar or Global Challenge Lab | March 5-12, 2023 |
Class weekend | March 31-April 1, 2023 |
Class weekend | April 28-29, 2023 |
Class weekend | June 2-3, 2023 |
Class weekend | July 14-15, 2023 |
Financial Aid & Costs
Program Costs
Apply early for priority admission and financial aid consideration.
Fees | USD$ |
---|---|
Application fee (domestic) | $70 |
Application fee (international) | $115 |
Program deposit | $500 |
Program cost | $67,207 (USD) |
Faculty & Campus
Faculty Highlights






Our Campus
We give every student the resources to change the world so we built the most technologically advanced educational headquarters on the planet. Learn a new language in our immersive VR language lab, visualize and interpret data using AI in our global decision theater, and connect with our global community using the latest in immersive and virtual communications.
Application Requirements & Deadlines
Application Deadlines
Apply early for priority admissions and financial aid consideration.
Deadline | Dates |
---|---|
Early consideration deadline | October 30 |
First-round | November 30 |
Second-round | January 30 |
Third-round and international student deadline | March 30 |
Final deadline | July 30 |