Master of Global Management
Location:
Phoenix
Start dates:
Aug,
Jan
Scholarships:
96% receive scholarships
Overview
As the world's most global and digital leadership, management, and business school, Thunderbird prepares global leaders who help organizations manage and stay ahead of the disruption and changes that characterize this era of rapid technological transformation. This full-time master prepares graduates with the skills necessary to lead diverse, cross-cultural teams in the private, public, not-for-profit sectors, start-ups, or social enterprises.
Thunderbird's Master of Global Management is ranked No. 1 in the world for international trade by the QS International Trade Rankings (2023-2025), scoring 100/100 points and ranking ahead of renowned institutions such as Columbia University, the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor (Ross) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Kenan-Flagler) in the U.S., as well as the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, IMD in Switzerland and Tsinghua University in China, internationally. It is unlike any other program in that it harnesses the immense potential of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to provide our graduates with the skills organizations demand in order to manage the digital transformation and constant disruption that characterizes this time of constant technological innovation.
The Master of Global Management is the most innovative leadership and entrepreneurship degree for professionals seeking a career in the most exciting global organizations who are disrupting business as usual and redefining or creating entirely new industries. The program builds on a strong foundation of traditional business administration courses and adds Industry 4.0 skills such as digital transformation, sustainability/ESG, diversity and inclusion, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
In addition, the MGM offers over 16 transdisciplinary concentrations ranging from global affairs and public administration, to data science and healthcare delivery. Our graduates emerge from the program prepared to work across borders, cultures, industries, and sectors anywhere in the world.
What is an MGM?
What is a Master of Global Management?
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 More
Why Thunderbird?
Why Thunderbird for Degree?
We 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?
- Leaders whose organizations operate in a global context, or who want to work for a global organization.
- Leaders who want to drive growth and proactively respond to social, political, regulatory, and natural forces that impact their business.
- Functional managers in HR, finance, marketing, supply chain, and operations who want to be more involved in their global business strategy.
- Professionals from the public and nonprofit sectors who want greater knowledge of global business.
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 MGM 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.
Applicable roles:
- Chief of Global Sales
- Senior Financial Analyst
- Global Marketing Manager
- Global Project Manager
- Innovation Officer
Top recruiting companies:
- Rakuten
- UNICEF
- Johnson & Johnson
- Amazon
- Intel
- Saudi Aramco
Curriculum
Core curriculum
The MGM’s one-of-a-kind cutting edge curriculum includes 18 credit hours of core courses, including; 6 credits from our overseas applied consulting lab, 24 elective credits for concentrations and languages, and one credit from career development.
*Spring incoming students on an accelerated pathway must complete an applied learning experience during the first summer of their MGM program. To fulfill this summer requirement, students may choose one of the following: (1) Global Challenge Lab, (2) applied learning-based academic course or (3) Internship registered for academic credit. Each of these options will satisfy the minimum required summer credit hours for the program.
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| TGM 506 Communicating and Negotiating Across Cultures | 3 |
| TGM 557 Global Marketing and Data Analytics | 3 |
| TGM 545 Global Leadership and Strategy | 3 |
| TGM 515 Navigating Global and Regional Business Environments | 3 |
| TGM 517 Global Accounting and Financial Management | 3 |
| TGM 586 Global Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Business | 3 |
| TGM 597 Thunderbird Personal Leadership Development | 1 |
| TGM 596 Thunderbird Experiential Practicum (Global Challenge Lab) | 6 |
Concentrations & Curriculum
The STEM advantage
Master of Global Management concentrations that are STEM-certified meet special F-1 international student status requirements. This means that international students who graduate with an MGM with one of these concentrations qualify for a 24-month extension to their Optional Practical Training in the United States beyond the 12 months already provided to international students in non-STEM degrees.
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.
Student testimonials
Information Sessions
Apply to this program
Connect with our admissions team
Financial aid and scholarships
Over 96% of our MGM students receive financial assistance
Scholarships
Financial aid
External funding options
Program costs
Over 96% of our MGM students receive financial assistance, with average scholarships totaling $21k
| Fees | USD$ |
|---|---|
| Application Fee (Domestic) | $70 |
| Application Fee (International) | $115 |
| Program Deposit | $250 |
| Program Cost (2 Years) | $70,000 |
Requirements and deadlines
Application requirements
Overview
Application deadlines
Apply as soon as possible for priority admissions and financial aid consideration.
| Deadline | Dates |
|---|---|
| August start | |
| Early consideration | October 30 |
| First-round | November 30 |
| Second-round | January 30 |
| Third-round and international student deadline | March 30 |
| Final deadline | June 30 |
| January start | |
| Early consideration | June 30 |
| First-round | August 30 |
| Second-round and international student deadline | October 30 |
| Final | November 30 |
Faculty and campus
Faculty highlights
Mansour Javidan
Najafi Chair Professor in Global Mindset and Digital Transformation and Executive Director of Najafi Global Mindset Institute
Our campus
We wanted to 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.
One Global Place
Thunderbird's new global headquarters on ASU's Downtown campus is the world's most technologically-advance management and leadership building. With over 100,000 square feet, 31 million pixels of LED content, 1,600 square feet of displays, a VR language lab, a global decision theater, and a roof-top pub, just to mention some highlights.
Haas Digital Global Forum
The Haas Digital Global Forum at One Global Place serves as the center of the building and a convening space for our global community, in-person or remotely, boasting the latest technology anywhere in the world. Over 14 million pixels of high-resolution LEDs wrap the entire 360 degrees of the circular Global Forum, in addition to the 8-foot LED globe hanging from the ceiling.
Global Forum Events
The state-of-the-art 26 feet wide and 10 feet tall video wall in the Global Forum allows for stunning displays. During events, it can be used for presentations, live camera feeds, and data visualization.
Innovation Lab
Thunderbird's innovation lab houses the School's VR Language Lab, as well as other state-of-the-art technology such as the table-top computers that allow for collaborative working on custom-made touch-screen, interactive surfaces. There are nine multi-touch tables across the campus, each comprised of 55-inch ultra-narrow bezel optical touch LCDs that allow for next-generation collaboration.
Haas Digital Global Forum Globe
At the center of the Haas Digital Global Forum is the interactive globe. This globe has an impressive diameter of 8.2 feet and can be controlled via motion-responsive technology at the 18 foot wide control screen below.
Global Forum
Relax and socialize in One Global Place's global forum which can be transformed to host events, host a convocation ceremony, a student-led Regional Night, or host a World Cup match.
Classrooms
Our state-of-the-art classroom feature flexible layouts, multiple LED and projection displays, in-ceiling mics and video cameras to facilitate remote learning, and the latest technologies to enhance the classroom experience.
Innovation Lab
The innovation lab on the first floor of Thunderbird's global headquarters provides a comfortable space for members of our global community to come together to collaborate and socialize.
Africa and the Middle East Heritage Lounge
Each floor of One Global Place is connected by a regional Heritage Lounge. The second and third floors are connected by our Africa and the Middle East Heritage Lounge featuring comfortable furniture and relics from the Thunderbird archives from both regions.
Asia Heritage Lounge
The 3rd-floor Asia Heriate Lounge serves as yet another area for students and alumni to come together and socialize in a climate that reflects the school's global focus and heritage.
Latin America Heritage Lounge
Connecting the faculty offices on the 4th floor to the Dean's office and pub on the 5th floor is the Latin America Heritage Lounge. The space serves as a gathering space for faculty, students, and staff to socialize, study and celebrate.
2nd Floor Reception Area
One Global Place serves as a convening spot, not only for the global Thunderbird community and larger ASU community but also the Phoenix business, non-profit and diplomatic community. Our 2nd floor reception area welcomes visitors from around the world and provides great overviews of the Global Forum.
Meditation and Prayer Room
T-birds can take time for personal reflection in our Meditation and Prayer room on the 2nd floor. Two adulation rooms are available across the way for our Muslim students to prepare for daily prayer.
The Pub
Our Global pub located on the 5th floor is open to students, staff, and the public allowing them to build their networks by furthering connections beyond the classroom.
The Pub
The Pub at One Global Place pays homage to the original and icon pub at the original campus in Glendale Arizona at the site of Thunderbird Airfield, where the school was founded 75 years ago. It incorporates original elements such as the licenseplates from around the world along the bar.
The Pub
The 5th-floor pub serves as a great gathering point for socializing and fun and includes a shuffleboard underneath the iconic marlin from the old pub.
Roof-top Balcony
The Pub features a roof-top deck offering spectacular views of downtown Phoenix and comfortable dinning tables and lounge furniture to enjoy the Phoenix weather.
Classrooms
The flexible format of our classrooms allow for various types of layouts, including study group modules that facilitate collaboration with dedicated LED screens and whiteboards for each group.
Global Forum
When not being used for events, Thunderbird's global forum welcomes students, faculty, and staff with casual lounge space fit to enjoy the nearby Thunderbird Coffee shop.
2nd Floor Lounge
Nestled between the building's glass facade and 2nd-floor balcony sits a comfortable lounge area where students and visitors can socialize, collaborate, or hold meetings while enjoying the views.
Alumni Balcony
Serving our 45,000-strong global alumni community is our second-floor alumni suite which includes dedicated conference room space, alumni services and staff, and the alumni balcony overlooking the One Global Place courtyard.
3rd Floor Student Lounge
Students have ample spaces to meet and work throughout the building. From private study rooms, heritage lounges, and the pub, to public lounge areas such as the S-couch on the 3rd floor.
3rd Floor Student Lounge
The third-floor student lounge area offers a variety of spaces to relax, study and socialize. Whether you want to meet as a group, or ready in a quiet space, the lounge area can accommodate you and all of your electronics
Global Community Suite
One Global Place serves as a convening space for many global organizations across sectors. Our Global Community Suite on the 1st floor provides workspace to global partners who in turn provide internships and jobs to T-birds, and partner with the School on thought leadership and global solutions.
Class profile
Average age:
25 years
Average experience:
3 years
Women:
50.5%
Non-native U.S.:
65.1%
Countries represented:
49
Top concentrations:
Global Business
Choose Your Own
Global Development
Creative Industries
Global Affairs
Undergraduate degrees:
- Accounting
- Business Administration
- English
- Economics
- Political Science
- Mechanical Engineering
- International Business Management
- Finance
- Computer Science
- Law
- Supply Chain Management
- Communications
- Biotechnology
- Others
Undergraduate institutions:
- Arizona State University
- Cairo University
- PSB Paris School of Business
- University of Lagos
- United States Military Academy
- Louisiana State University
- University of Mumbai
- Osaka University
- Al Yamamah University
- University of Delhi
- Tulane University
- University of Georgia
- Georgetown University
- Others
Languages spoken
- English
- Mandarin
- Spanish
- Arabic
- Portugese
- French
- German
- Hindi
- Italian
- Japanese
- Russian
- Others
FAQ's
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