Is Experiential Learning the Key to a Bright Business Future?
While the concept of learning by doing may seem like a relatively straightforward one, the reality is that many universities have traditionally followed more didactic learning models. Recently, however, insiders have been lauding a shift toward experiential learning due to its tremendous potential to reshape higher education. Here's how one business school is using experiential learning to provide students with the knowledge and skills to thrive in today's complex business world.
- Student Tips
While the concept of learning by doing may seem like a relatively straightforward one, the reality is that many universities have traditionally followed more didactic learning models. Recently, however, insiders have been lauding a shift toward experiential learning due to its tremendous potential to reshape higher education. By placing the focus on first-hand experience and active learning, experiential education encourages students to try new things, reflect on those results, and conceptualize what to do differently next time - an approach which aligns with experiential learning theorist David Kolb’s proposition: “Knowledge results from the combination of grasping experience and transforming it.”
Looking for examples of experiential learning in action? Look no further than EU Business School’s innovative new master’s degree programs in partnership with and accredited by the Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM). Offering degrees in Management, Marketing, Finance, Tourism & Hospitality Management, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and Digital Business, EU’s experiential approach provides students with not only the knowledge they need to survive and thrive in today’s complex business world, but also with the tools to apply that knowledge in the most effective way. Read on for a closer look at two EU programs: the Master in Tourism & Hospitality Management and the Master in Management.
A Dynamic Approach to a Dynamic Industry
The global travel industry is rapidly growing and changing due to everything from the pace of technological advancement to purchasing power in emerging markets. While we may not know exactly what to predict for the future, we do know that what worked yesterday is unlikely to work tomorrow. Because of this, creative leaders will be needed to navigate the ongoing challenges ahead.
Enter EU’s Master in Tourism & Hospitality Management. With a curriculum designed to cultivate both executive skills and strategic aptitudes, the program explores theories, practice and frameworks while encouraging the exploration of new business models.
Elena Salim Haubold is an EU alumna who focused her MBA studies on sustainable tourism at the school before going on to pursue her dream of opening her own shark diving company. “What I liked the most about studying at EU was that the majority of the teachers are proactive and helped develop even further the entrepreneurial spirit of the students,” Elena explains. “In my case, they were very open and enthusiastic with the idea of me applying all the theories directly in my own business idea. When I told them what I wanted to do and why was I pursuing my degree, they showed interest, were very helpful and allowed me to use my business idea in the assignments.”
Haubold also recalls how her teachers used case studies to illustrate how theory applies to real-world situations, while also incorporating opportunities for experiential learning through role-playing exercises. “We had to take the role of a company and develop marketing, business, and finance planning strategies. We had to present and compete between each other and, at the end, receive feedback from the teacher and other students. I really liked that approach because it trained me to look at companies, not only as a consumer, but also to analyze their business models,” she continues.
Whether you’ve got an entrepreneurial dream of your own to bring to life or you’re simply looking for a foothold in the disruptive fields of hospitality management, event management, conference management, or e-tourism, EU’s Master in Tourism & Hospitality Management is designed to deliver.
Turning Obstacles into Opportunities
For students looking to position themselves for success in corporate leadership, business management, strategic management, and strategic planning, EU’s Master in Management is the ideal springboard to success. This program is all about helping students not only to learn strategies for coping with the rapidly evolving business world, but also how to apply those strategies toward better decision making and the achievement of desired results.
A major part of the program’s success in preparing students for the real world? EU’s extraordinary and accomplished faculty. Says Patrick Hanke, a student in International Management at EU Munich, “Most of the faculty at EU has had extensive working experience in the fields they teach. This is a great learning opportunity for us students to learn from actual practitioners and receive invaluable career advice.”
Hanke also points out the benefits of EU Business School’s international makeup: “EU has a truly global outreach. I have been fortunate enough to meet students from all across the world, ranging from Mexico and India to Hong Kong and Taiwan, that I now call my friends.” These cross-cultural competencies seamlessly translate to the business world.
The takeaway? When it comes to giving yourself the inside edge in today’s fast-paced business world, EU Business School’s new experiential learning-based Masters programs may be exactly what you’ve been waiting for.
Learn more about EU Business School.
Joanna Hughes
Author
Joanna worked in higher education administration for many years at a leading research institution before becoming a full-time freelance writer. She lives in the beautiful White Mountains region of New Hampshire with her family.
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