MBA students starting their 601 in Fall 2025 are invited to apply for the Strategy Field Study: Global Immersive Option (GIO). The GIO allows students to complete their 601 in an international context, working with a select client site in Peru, Ghana, or Israel. Students are expected to visit the respective country during the designated dates.

The GIO teams will be guided and led by Prof. Theo Peridis, Director, Global Relations at Schulich. Prof. Peridis has 30+ years of experience consulting globally and working with international student projects.

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Internationalize your MBA by working with a foreign firm in an international context.
  • Travel to Peru, Ghana, or Israel/Greece.
  • Tackle complex problems that span borders and cultures.
  • Companies vetted and selected by the 601 Office and GIO Faculty Chair Prof. Theo Peridis.

 

GIO Peru (Fall 2025-Winter 2026)

  • Comprehensive strategy assessment for a client in Peru.
  • Begins in mid-August 2025 and concludes in March 2026.
  • Mid-August: mandatory virtual orientation session
  • August 25-29: Travel to Lima, Peru (required)
    • Meet your client, understand the regional context, and formulate the business problem statement
    • Explore Lima and experience Peruvian culture
  • October – March: Research (internal/external analysis; strategic issues identification; development of solutions; articulation of recommendations and implementation plan)
  • Late March: Delivery of final report and presentation to the client firms (virtual)
  • 3 teams of 5-6 students

 

GIO Ghana (Fall 2025-Winter 2026)

  • Comprehensive strategy assessment for a client in Ghana.
  • Begins in September 2025 and concludes in April 2026.
  • September: Mandatory kickoff and program introduction | scoping of projects & consulting proposals
  • October – March: research, analysis & project milestones, development of recommendations
  • April 16-20(tentative dates): Travel to Accra, Ghana (required)
    • Completion of the project and final report
    • Presentation to the client
    • Explore Accra and experience Ghanaian culture
  • 2-3 teams of 5-6 students

 

GIO Israel (Fall 2025-Winter 2026)

  • Comprehensive international market expansion study with hi-tech companies in Israel, in collaboration with students from Tel Aviv University
  • Begins in November 2025 and concludes in May 2026.
  • Late November: Mandatory kick-off/orientation session.
  • January: virtual introduction to the client companies
  • January – April: research, analysis, and development of recommendations
  • 2nd week of May (tentative dates): Travel to Tel Aviv, Israel, or Greece, or virtual, depending on circumstances (required)
    • If travel to Israel is not possible, a destination in Greece is the first alternative option to meet up with the students from Tel Aviv. Completing the project virtually is the final backup option, should travel not be possible. If the project is completed online, there will be no program costs.
    • Completion of projects and final report
    • Presentation to the client
    • Explore Tel Aviv or a destination in Greece and Israeli/Greek culture
  • 2-3 teams of 5-6 students

 

Program Cost: approx. $1,500-2000 + airfare for GIO Peru & Israel; GIO Ghana may be higher (final cost TBD)
Financial Assistance: Funding may be available to cover up to $1,500 of program costs (TBD)
Application timeline: Applications due by June 22 | Selection by June 30 | Decision and $500 deposit due by July 7
Contingency plan: If travel to a destination country is not feasible, the projects will be completed virtually. Should projects need to be canceled completely, for example, due to geopolitical conditions, students will be able to complete a regular 601 project by April 2025. In either case, the deposit will be refunded.

How do I apply for the GIO?

Complete the application form by 11:59 pm on Sunday, June 22, 2025. Be prepared to upload the following:

  • copies of undergraduate and MBA transcripts
  • a copy of your GMAT score (or equivalent); if you don’t have a GMAT or equivalent score, please upload a note stating this
  • an up-to-date resume
  • a brief Statement of Intent that discusses the following:
    • Why do you want to participate in the program?
    • What specific skills can you offer your team and your client?
    • If applicable, what previous experience do you have that makes you a good candidate for the GIO?

Waitlisted applicants will be informed when spots open.

Students who intend to apply for the GIO or IBO projects are advised not to also apply for team approval for the 601. Instead, they should wait until the GIO/IBO participants have been selected before forming a 601 team.