January 25, 2002
IMBA INTERNSHIP PROGRAM SETS MOORE
APART
COLUMBIA, SC – The unique structure of Moore School’s
internship program –that is, almost six months of resumé-building work in an
international setting that earns nine academic credit hours – "is a critical
advantage of Moore’s graduate business curriculum," said Pat Hanly, managing
director of the IMBA program at Moore School of Business at the University of
South Carolina.
"Other business schools have internship options, offered
usually in the summer, but Moore School has a mandatory six-month internship as
part of our two-year curriculum," Hanly said. "Companies seek out Moore School
interns because of the elite nature of our program and the caliber of our
students. Even during the last 18 months when the economy has been slack,
companies are still calling us to get interns even if they’re not taking
permanent hires."
The challenge for Moore students to go into a different
environment to work and use the skills that they’ve acquired in the classroom
adds value to their degree and instills in them a professional maturity that
shows at the interview table, Hanly added.
"My internship with Citibank
Paris gave me everything I expected – and more – in terms of learning new things
for my future career," said 27-year-old Sherry Duhe, who left a position with
EXXONMOBIL Company to pursue a master’s degree at Moore. Enrolled in the French
language track, Duhe took the internship in Paris, which provided her "the
chance to learn a new language, new culture, new industry and new
function.
"Overcoming my initial fear to become a positive contributor to
Citibank in less than six months is something I will always be proud of," she
said. "My main goals were to improve my French and gain exposure in a new
industry and function. I spoke French 80 percent of the time in my position, and
I learned about banking and information technology, which were both totally new
for me." Duhe’s main responsibilities involved creating a technical intranet
site for use by the Citibank France employees, as well as the technical
team.
In his pursuit of a joint juris doctor/master’s program, Moore
student Kenny Hinson completed an internship with BMW Germany where he gained "a
firm understanding of how to interact with people of various cultures." At BMW,
Hinson was assigned to a group charged with making the company more
international.
"BMW has a very deep German heritage that is reflected in
its management style," he said. "In order to better compete internationally, BMW
wants its management to better understand and reflect customers and suppliers in
its many different markets."
A former Deputy Press Secretary for U.S.
Senator Strom Thurmond, Hinson worked on developing and administering a course
for BMW associates who work with global customers and suppliers. He routinely
dealt with colleagues from South Africa, Great Britain, Austria, Japan and
elsewhere around the world.
"Students come into our IMBA program because
they want to gain both an understanding of global trends that impact business
and the analytical tools to manage business more effectively. Our students are
looking for more than the standard MBA fare – and we have the package they
need," said Hanly. "The candidate who comes out of Moore School has an innate
awareness and mindset of other cultures that peers in conventional MBA programs
just don’t’ have."
Founded in 1919, Moore School of Business at the
University of South Carolina has more than 3,400 students in its undergraduate,
master’s and doctoral programs. The school has achieved international
recognition through innovative program development and quality research
conducted by its faculty. The graduate school has been ranked #1 or #2 in
international business for 12 consecutive years by U.S. News & World
Report’s annual survey of "America’s Best Graduate Schools."
For more information, contact Dr. Robert J. Rolfe,
Executive Director of the IMBA program,
803-777-2730