Study tours and site visits are part of the foundation of hands-on learning experiences at the Lundquist College of Business.
Whether it's visiting top executives on the West Coast, Wall Street firms in New York, or touring companies in East Asia, students gain real-world and cultural experiences that will help them thrive in the world of global business.
International Study Tours
Business today is truly global. To prepare our students to achieve success in the ever-evolving world economy, the college launched a far-reaching initiative to expose business students to the culture, history, politics, and economy of countries and cultures around the world.
Each September, shortly before the start of their second year, MBA students have the opportunity to experience Asia, Europe, or other countries firsthand. Past study tours have included visits to such cities as Shanghai, Singapore, Beijing, Hong Kong, London, and more. And these study tours are not just limited to MBA students. In the past, students from the college's other graduate programs have participated, as have undergraduate students in our Business Honors program.
Along with unforgettable cultural experiences, students tour companies and factories, participate in marketing events, attend lectures given by executives at leading firms, and network with top executives during the thirteen- or fourteen-day tour.
Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship
Seattle
Each winter, Oregon MBA students embark upon a trip to Seattle to embrace the entrepreneurial spirit of the Pacific Northwest's largest city. Planned in its entirety by the participating students, the trip provides a chance to hear firsthand about entrepreneurship and business philosophy.
Bend Venture Conference
The Oregon MBAs travel along the McKenzie River into the heart of Oregon's ski and resort community to observe what is, for many, their first entrepreneurial competition. More than 300 entrepreneurs, investors, and business professionals participate in this annual event, which includes keynote speakers, panel discussions, and formal networking functions.
Angel Oregon
Held in downtown Portland, Angel Oregon is the Pacific Northwest's premier education and networking event for Oregon-based angel investors and early-stage entrepreneurs. The conference is educational in focus, touching on topics such as how angel investment works, who can invest as an angel, and what things angels should look for when performing due diligence.
Willamette Angel Conference
Established in 2008 as an effort to bridge the entrepreneurial communities of Corvallis and Eugene, the Willamette Angel Conference (WAC) has evolved into a showcase of the entrepreneurial talent of the Southern Willamette Valley Region. Each year investors from many different communities in Oregon form an LLC to invest in the best ideas and most promising business opportunities. The Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship is involved with the WAC as an experiential learning opportunity for our MBA students. Qualified students work with the investor group on the due diligence efforts during competition screening. These efforts include evaluating the business plans and financial projections of the companies, digging into market projections, and contacting customers. By working with the Angel investment group, students gain a firsthand perspective of how angel investors evaluate opportunities and build a network of local business resources.
Cameron Center for Finance and Securities Analysis
Portland
Just a short drive or train ride north, the Cameron Center for Finance and Securities Analysis makes active use of firms in Portland. In the past students have visited Mazama Capital Management, Ferguson-Wellman Capital Management, Paulson Investment Company, Intel, and Morley Financial Services. Students regularly participate in networking and education activities put on by the Oregon Chartered Financial Analyst Society and the Portland Alternative Investments Association.
New York City
The annual University of Oregon Investment Group (UOIG) trip to New York features visits to a variety of Wall Street firms, the New York Stock Exchange, and meetings with local University of Oregon alumni. MBA students participate in UOIG and the Cameron Center helps organize visits for students in the Big Apple.
San Francisco
Finance and securities analysis specialization students also make the trek to the city by the bay to visit such firms as Wells Fargo, Equilibrium Capital, and First Oak Capital Management LLC.
Seattle
Rounding out the West Coast trips are visits with Microsoft, Alaska Airlines, UBS, and Amazon in Seattle, Washington.
Warsaw Sports Business Center
San Francisco
Each spring, the first-year cohort of MBA students in the sports business specialization take a trip to the Bay Area to meet with industry leaders at some of the most high-profile sports organizations and innovative companies on the West Coast.
New York (with Baltimore and Washington, D.C.)
In-depth meetings with some of the most influential people in sports. An insider's tour of the acknowledged center of the national and international sports world. Plus, the chance to get better acquainted with three very different cities. This is what the annual Warsaw Center New York trip is all about. Second-year MBA students kick off the winter term with a trip to the East Coast to visit with media and apparel companies, agencies, teams and leagues, and other movers and shakers in the sports industry. Three full days of intense seminars, small group meetings, and special events geared to provide an extra edge in the job market and offer valuable insight into the industry from outside the classroom.
Center for Sustainable Business Practices
San Francisco
Second-year MBA candidates travel to San Francisco to meet with top executives of trailblazing companies seeking to combine good works with good profits. Over the course of three days in the city, the students meet with a diverse group of companies and executives from a range of industries. The trip provides students a chance to hear firsthand about innovation, sustainable business, change management, green supply chains, and more within the context of each company's specific business.