Business is at the intersection of the most exciting forces of global innovation—design, science, and technology. So business education today has to go well beyond business. That’s why students from around the world come to Hult—to think differently about their future.” Dr. Stephen Hodges, President, Hult International Business School

The challenge facing all business schools is: how do we prepare students for a future that is changing faster than ever before? The old case-study method of looking back at what has already happened, of teaching tried and tested business models that have worked in the past, is no longer enough. We are operating in a global landscape where disruption and innovation are the norm and technology is transforming business and society.  You can find out more about this in the video below.

 

 

Just as only those businesses that embrace change will survive this “Forth Industrial Revolution”, it’s the business schools that recognize and adapt to the change that will produce graduates who are able to thrive in this new era of disruption. The critical business knowledge you’ll need in the future doesn’t exist yet. Your future career might not even exist yet. So how can business education prepare you?

At Hult, we have responded to the challenge by designing degrees that look to the future and give students the mindset and skills to lead with confidence in a world of rapid change. Here, we highlight some of the features of our undergraduate degree that take our Bachelor of Business Administration beyond business.

 

Specialize in Computer Science or Design with a Graduate Diploma

Hult offers undergraduates the option of adding a Graduate Diploma in either Computer Science or Design to their Bachelor degree. This enables you to diversify your skills and become proficient in areas that now go hand-in-hand with the needs of business.

Learning the practices and skills within Computer Science will help anyone considering a career in the technology field. With courses in areas like disruptive and emerging technologies, you will acquire new skills at the intersection of business and hi-tech, enabling the creation of new businesses and industries.”- Carlos Baradello, Professor of Social Innovation & Global Entrepreneurship, Hult International Business School

By taking courses such as Programming, Data Structures & Algorithms, and Software Engineering & Usability, you can develop the fundamentals of computer science practices, learn techniques for interpreting trends, and think critically about the impact of emerging technologies for business.

Hult students talk a judge through a prototype of their concept during a challenge.

Design is another area that has become of critical importance to business. Earning a Graduate Diploma in Design during your Bachelor studies will help you develop the digital skills and technical capabilities of a range of creative technologies such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Premiere. You’ll learn the role of design in optimizing customer experience, the fundamentals of good design, and how to meet the design needs of global business.

Business grads with a diploma in design will be setting themselves apart from the rest, with a real understanding of how business and design impact each other.“- Daniel Perez Vidal, Professor of Marketing & Social Entrepreneurship, Hult International Business School

 

Understand the technology shaping the future with Nano Courses in Disruptive Technologies

 Understanding the latest developments in technology will help you anticipate how the world may change over time and how consumer behavior may change. For example, did you know that autonomous vehicles may radically impact real estate prices?

Our new and innovative nano courses are self-led online courses designed to teach you about the disruptive technologies most dramatically influencing tomorrow’s business landscape. These courses are shorter—which is why we call them “nano”—and are delivered as part of the General Education section of the undergraduate program.

Each nano course has been built in conjunction with a world-renowned industry expert and covers the basics of how the technology works, its potential applications, the major players driving the technology, the likely development timeline, and the key issues that need to be overcome for the full potential to be realized.

Each course covers a different disruptive technology such as:

  • 3D Printing
  • Autonomous Vehicles
  • AI & Machine Learning
  • Robotics
  • Genome Editing
  • Drones
  • Blockchain
  • Virtual & Augmented Reality
  • Internet of Things
  • Solar Power & Energy Storage
Hult undergraduate student, Claudia Lopez, and her team present their student banking app solution to execs at Virgin Money.

Compete in a different real-world challenge every year of your degree

Real-world experience is essential to understanding how to apply theory outside the classroom and for developing teamwork and leadership skills. Hult’s undergraduate program employs “challenge learning” whereby students take part in a complex, realistic core challenge. Each year the challenge tackles a different, critical business area and pushes students to present solutions to real problems business are facing.

With each challenge, you’ll put the theory you’ve learned into practice. You’ll use design thinking to create new startup ideas, develop solutions to combat some of the world’s most pressing social issues, and become adept at confidently pitching your ideas.

Year 1: Startup Challenge

During this challenge, you’ll work in teams to design and pitch a product or service to a specific target audience. This challenge encourages you to think on your feet, present your ideas, and collaboratively approach problem-solving with a positive mindset.

Year 2: The Social Impact Challenge

This challenge is modeled on the prestigious Hult Prize student competition, which is dedicated to launching the world’s next wave of social entrepreneurs. You and your team will be challenged to think globally and responsibly to solve a pressing social issue. This challenge will help you to think about corporate responsibility and the power business has to do well by doing good.

Finalists at the Hult Prize – the world’s largest student competition for social entrepreneurs where students from all over the world compete to solves the world’s most pressing social problems.

Year 3: Major Challenge

This enables you to focus more closely on your specialization and develops your career-ready skills. The challenge will focus on an issue or problem that requires you to use the theory you’ve learned in class and to apply it to the real world and real companies.

Year 4: Capstone Challenge

In your final year, you’ll have the option to participate in the Hult Business Challenge, choosing the Corporate Track or the Entrepreneurship Track. The Entrepreneurship Track helps you work on your own startup, and then pitch it to executives through the Hult Founder’s Lab. On the Corporate Track, you’ll solve a strategic challenge set by the management of a major company. You’ll receive a real problem and then be tasked with fixing it. Past clients have included Amazon, Unilever, and UBS. You’ll receive a real problem and then be tasked with fixing it.

Students present their idea to Amazon Launchpad during the 2017 Hult Business Challenge finals.

We are excited to be working with the entrepreneurial students from Hult on the 2017 Hult Business Challenge. Partnering with Hult will enable us to leverage the perspective and skills of their globally-minded undergraduate students to help us continue to improve the support we provide startups on Amazon Launchpad.- Jason Feldman, Head of Global Innovation, Amazon

We don’t know what opportunities the future will bring for our students, but we hope that by looking forward and constantly updating our curriculum in line with global trends, they will able to grasp those opportunities with confidence and a positive mindset.


Find out more about Hult’s undergraduate program by visiting their website, downloading a brochure, or contact the school directly.


Laura Chung is a staff blogger and Hult’s Creative Content Director. Previously a senior copywriter in PayPal’s Worldwide Creative Studio, she has also written and designed e-learning courses for many well-known brands including Microsoft, Redbull, KPMG, and BT. Laura believes passionately in the power of storytelling in both marketing and learning and indulges her love of stories by writing creatively in her spare time.

Make the most of what your career has to offer with a Masters in International Business from Hult. To learn more, take a look at our blog Future thinking: Taking your Bachelor degree beyond business, or give your employability a huge boost with an MBA in international business. Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to explore everything about the business world, the future, and yourself.