For over 30 years, International Business Development (IBD) student teams from Berkeley Haas have solved global business challenges for companies, startups, and nonprofits. Through the program, MBA students have delivered exceptional value to client organizations in 89 countries across a wide range of industries. MBA student teams are supported by faculty mentors and state-of-the-art resources at the Haas School of Business, located at the University of California, Berkeley. Over the course of a semester, MBA student teams analyze their clients’ strategic challenges and deliver actionable recommendations.

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A consulting process you can trust

Berkeley Haas MBA students are informed by cutting-edge business thinking and instruction and have an average of five years of industry experience. IBD faculty mentors offer strategic guidance to each student team, bringing decades of sector and functional expertise, as well as the latest in business theory and practice. The IBD course provides students with an opportunity to solve real challenges while honing their leadership skills.

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Data driven recommendations

During the course of the projects, IBD students speak directly with customers, distributors, and industry experts; they work carefully with client-provided data; and they conduct rigorous analyses to test multiple hypotheses. At each project’s conclusion, the IBD student team works in-country for two weeks at the project site. There they validate their research, refine preliminary recommendations, and deliver data-driven, actionable recommendations to help clients realize their strategic goals.

Learn about the IBD program

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Tomorrow’s business leaders bring a fresh perspective

Berkeley Haas MBA students are future leaders who are motivated to help solve their client’s unique challenge, whether it is in marketing, operations, organizational structure, or any other strategic aspect of the organization. Each IBD student team brings diverse skills and experience that may be impossible for a client to assemble on their own, all at a fraction of the cost of a professional consulting engagement. During each IBD project, students deliver rigorous analysis and problem solving, informed by an open-minded perspective.

Why students should participate

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Berkeley Haas location

The vibrant culture of the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley provides Berkeley Haas students with access to world-class entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and innovative thought leaders. The UC Berkeley campus itself provides multi-disciplinary partnerships in engineering, biotechnology, public policy, energy, climate & environment, and much more.