It’s a marathon, run in sprints

Here’s how to earn the Duke MBA without uprooting your entire life: our Global Executive format combines short in-person residencies with distance learning periods. Each term starts with a reading period to prep you for residency—a 24/7 immersion with teammates and faculty—and finishes with time spent working together remotely.

Traveling campus

Class convenes first in Durham, North Carolina, over a 2-week orientation session in late July. Then your classroom starts to move—through the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and Europe, where you’ll gather for 1-week residencies in October, January, April, and July, with each residency preceded and followed by distance learning periods. Your final term, you'll return to Duke for 2 - one week residencies for electives. The intense format ensures you’ll experience the total immersion of a traditional MBA program while continuing to work and live wherever you call home.

A special way of working

Fuqua’s difference comes from the way we structure our MBA programs: as learning teams. You’ll be assigned to a team of 5-6 peers who all think differently. The experience mimics the diversity of a real-world global team, where you work across time zones and different perspectives. You’ll need to learn to trust and rely on each other’s strengths, gaining practice in skills that will help you move any team forward.

Our Faculty

All Fuqua degree programs are taught by the same world-renowned faculty, who are recognized for excellence in both teaching and research. While our faculty are known for their accessibility across degree programs, the Global Executive format fosters an even closer relationship. Traveling and living together for international residencies, you’ll interact with your professors both in and out of the classroom. And since your distance learning platform is always on, your faculty are monitoring class bulletin board discussions and responding to emails continuously.

Classroom Dynamics

Your classmates will bring real-time expertise to class discussions. While extensive reading assignments get you ready, debate and analysis—both in the classroom and on your learning platform—is how you’ll learn. The case-based curriculum is academically rigorous, and faculty keep you on your toes with random "cold calls" as you work through the material.

Experiential Learning

You’ll go out into the field to gather real-world data points. The Global Executive MBA curriculum includes a range of non-traditional assignments—like interacting with locals—that get you out of your comfort zone. You’ll observe operations and meet with managers in company visits, developing insights on different industries. Senior leaders engage with your class in each country, providing perspective on that region’s political economy. These experiences enrich classroom discussion while giving you a real-world sense of the concepts you learn.

Over seven terms you’ll cover 17 courses: 10 in the core curriculum, three multi-term courses on dynamics in global business, and four electives. Although locations and timing may shift between calendar years, the typical Global Executive structure looks like this:

Term 1 (Durham)

  • Distance Period (15 days)
  • Orientation & Residency (15 days)
  • Distance Period (6 weeks)

Term 2 (Asia)

  • Distance Period (15 days)
  • Residency (10 days)
  • Distance Period (6 weeks)

Term 3 (Latin America)

  • Distance Period (15 days)
  • Residency (10 days)
  • Distance Period (6 weeks)

Term 4 (Asia)

  • Distance Period (15 days)
  • Residency (10 days)
  • Distance Period (6 weeks)

Term 5 (Europe)

  • Distance Period (15 days)
  • Residency (10 days)
  • Distance Period (6 weeks)

Elective Terms 6 - 7 (Durham)

  • Distance Period (15 days)
  • Residency (2 - 1 week sessions)
  • Distance Period (6 weeks following each 1 week residency)

Optional Term 8

Residencies

In the Global Executive format, you travel to meet classmates and professors in cities that become your campus for the week. Four of your residencies will be in cities selected to provide wide exposure to the global economy, while three residencies take place on Fuqua’s campus in Durham, North Carolina. Locations may vary based on travel restrictions, but the typical pattern looks like this:

  • Durham, NC 
  • Latin America 
  • Dubai
  • Asia 
  • Europe 
  • Durham, NC
  • Durham, NC

Condensed into a short window, residency is the time you immerse fully in your program:

  • Attending classes
  • Visiting companies
  • Engaging in cultural activities
  • Participating in career development workshops
  • Interacting with alumni
  • Working on assignments
  • Socializing with classmates
  • Meeting face-to-face with your team

Distance Learning

Between residencies, you’ll be in a distance learning period. During this part of the term, you attend weekly virtual classes with your faculty and continue working on team assignments remotely. Distance learning periods provide more flexibility to balance program requirements around the needs of your job and family. While you should expect to spend at least 20 hours a week on schoolwork during this time, you can schedule these tasks around work and personal commitments.

Throughout the program you’ll use your distance learning platform to:

  • Submit assignments
  • Download course materials
  • Chat with classmates
  • Read class and team bulletin boards
  • Take exams
  • Contribute to course discussion boards
  • Share documents
  • Call your teammates

Print Calendar

* Arrival day — lodging covered by program.
** Departure day from residency — no programming scheduled.

TERM 1 - DURHAM (2021)
Reading Period/Classes Begin July 2 - 24, 2021
Residency July 25* - August 8**, 2021
Distance August 9 - 16, 2021
Break August 17 - 23, 2021
Distance August 24 - October 4, 2021
Break October 5 - 7, 2021

 

TERM 2 - HONOLULU, HAWAII (2021)
Reading Period/Classes Begin October 8 - 27, 2021
Residency October 28* - November 7**, 2021
Break November 8, 2021
Distance November 9 - December 20, 2021
Break December 21, 2021 - January 11, 2022

 

TERM 3 - DURHAM (2022) (Pivot from Dubai on 12/31/2021 due to Omicron variant)
Reading Period/Classes Begin January 12 - February 2, 2022
Residency (includes team changeover) February 3* - 13**, 2022
Break February 14, 2022
Distance February 15 - March 28, 2022
Break March 29 - 31, 2022

 

TERM 4 - LIMA, PERU (2022)
Reading Period/Classes Begin April 1 - April 20, 2022
Residency April 21* - May 1**, 2022
Break May 2, 2022
Distance May 3 - June 13, 2022
Break June 14 - 16, 2022

 

TERM 5 - BERLIN (2022)
Reading Period/Classes Begin June 17 - July 6, 2022
Residency July 7* - July 17**, 2022
Break July 18 - July 25, 2022
Distance July 26 - September 5, 2022
Break September 6 - 15, 2022

 

ELECTIVES / TERM 6 - DURHAM (2022-2023)
Reading Period/Classes Begin September 16 - 29, 2022
Residency September 30* - October 8**, 2022
Break October 9 - 17, 2022
Distance October 18 - November 21, 2022
Break November 22, 2022 - January 1, 2023