While the flexible nature of Johns Hopkins Carey Business School’s part-time programs allows students to balance work, personal commitments, and academics, many part-time students still opt to participate in in-person activities.

The part-time programs at Carey offer a variety of in-person experiential learning opportunities that students can participate in to gain hands-on experience, broaden their networks, and develop leadership skills that are sometimes crucial for career advancement.

Carey’s experiential learning courses focus on bringing the classroom to the field. Students have completed over 200 on-site projects around the world.

For Diana Dumitrascu, a 2023 Flexible MBA alum, the decision to choose Carey was due to the unique blend of classroom learning and real-world experience. “I was particularly drawn to Carey because of the experiential learning opportunities,” Dumitrascu said.

Although enrolled in the Flexible MBA program to allow her to continue working full-time, Dumitrascu chose to participate in all experiential learning opportunities at Carey, including the Leadership Development Expedition to Norway and Innovation for Humanity.

“I wanted to build my network and have development experiences that I would not normally have through a corporate job,” she said. “I planned my classes in a way that allowed me to complete all the in-person opportunities.”

Dumitrascu said each experiential learning course had an impact on her professional career.

Leadership Development Expedition
LDE Norway, offered through the Center for Innovative Leadership, is a nine-day trek through the Norwegian mountains, where students work in groups, take on leadership roles, and navigate challenges in an unfamiliar environment. Each student is tasked with leading the group through challenges while working together and–at times–literally connecting to one another while hiking across glaciers.

“I didn’t know what to expect, but the program turned out to be much more than hiking,” she said. “I never really saw myself as a leader, but this program made me realize that I have the ability to lead, and that my input is valuable. When I returned, I began taking on more leadership opportunities at work. I started contributing more ideas and took ownership of projects.”

A trip to the Galápagos Islands
During the Innovation for Humanity project-based course in the Galápagos Islands, students developed a business plan to help underserved communities in this remote archipelago over 600 miles from the Ecuadorian coast. The students gained real-world experience with social impact projects in an emerging economy, applied their business knowledge outside the classroom, and even saw the world-famous Galápagos sea turtles.

“It was a full consulting project in a place completely different from what we were used to, and we didn’t have a set direction. We really had the freedom to make our own decisions based on our business knowledge,” she said. “We interviewed local residents to understand their needs and determine whether our business model could work.”

Dumitrascu said the business plan combined concepts from MBA classes like finance, accounting, communication, and leadership.

“The business communication knowledge was very important throughout the entire project because we really had to think about how we wanted to structure the plan. It made me realize that with an idea and the right team, you can make something happen,” she said.

The Innovation for Humanity project-based course works on social impact projects in emerging economies. Travel differs for each course, allowing students to participate in different environments around the world.

 Expanding networks and building connections
Experiential learning at Carey Business School allows students to network with peers, industry professionals, and corporate sponsors. Dumitrascu says she met people from all over the world, each with different backgrounds and experiences.

“The connections are something I would not have had if I wasn’t part of this program. I still keep in contact with many of the people I went through these courses with,” she said.

Dumitrascu says learning skills from working with people from different backgrounds and industries helped her gain a new perspective.

“These opportunities are so valuable. They allow you to learn skills that you wouldn’t pick up in a traditional classroom setting,” said Dumitrascu. “Once you graduate, these opportunities are gone. That’s why it’s so important to take advantage of them while you’re in the program.”

Learn more about how to connect with peers at Carey through one of our experiential learning courses on Carey’s experiential learning webpage.

In-person experiences for part-time students:

• Community Consulting Lab
• Scope-A-Thon: A one-day consulting sprint that matches Carey Business School students to local founders and entrepreneurs in the Greater-Baltimore and Washington, D.C. area.
• Global Immersion
• Leadership Development Expeditions
• Hexcite
• Residencies
• Accelerated electives
• Student Startup Challenge

The round 2 application deadline for the Flexible MBA program is fast approaching on November 13, 2024. If you’re ready to apply, you can submit your application on our How to Apply webpage.