Global and Local: Expanding the EMBA Immersion Experience

For University of Notre Dame Executive MBA students, immersive learning has long meant taking their education beyond the classroom — and often across the globe. Now, students will have more choices about where that learning takes place.

Beginning with the Class of 2028, Notre Dame EMBA students can complement the program’s signature immersion in Dublin, Ireland, with international experiences in Singapore and Santiago, Chile, or new regional immersions in the United States. 

The expanded options give students greater flexibility to pursue experiences that align with their interests and career goals while preserving a defining feature of the Notre Dame EMBA: learning firsthand from the businesses, leaders and communities that shape economies around the world.

“In the age of AI and YouTube, you can find MBA instruction online, but learning is about a lot more than just content,” said Brandon Erlacher, academic director for the Notre Dame EMBA. “Notre Dame is an analog institution. We learn in person on campus and during immersions. It makes a difference to be there together, hearing, feeling and helping in real time.”

The 22-month Notre Dame Executive MBA combines monthly, in-person class sessions in South Bend with three week-long immersions that take learning beyond the classroom. Each immersion gives students the opportunity to explore a city or country’s business environment firsthand, examining the forces that shape its industries, organizations and economy.

In the first months of the program, all Notre Dame EMBA students travel to Dublin, Ireland, for the program’s signature international immersion. In the Irish capital, EMBA students connect with each other, meet with local leaders and learn about the country’s unique economic trajectory and business culture.

For the two remaining immersions, students can choose between international immersions in Singapore and Santiago, Chile, or regional immersions in the United States. The first regional immersion, held in South Bend in June 2026, gave students a window into the business culture of northern Indiana.

The idea for a domestic immersion option grew out of conversations with Executive MBA students. About a third expressed interest in U.S.-based immersions, which can better align with their interests, career goals and budgets.

“I live in one of the largest financial markets in the country — Dallas, Texas,” said Andrew Devereaux (EMBA ’28). “It is home to many large financial firms, and if I wanted to work in that industry, I could learn about it here. The subject matter in South Bend was much more interesting to me, and it gave me a chance to spend more time in a place that I love — on the campus of Notre Dame.” 

During the South Bend immersion, students were assigned to one of three local partner organizations: the South Bend International Airport, Beacon Health Services and the South Bend Cubs minor league baseball team. Devereaux was assigned to the Cubs group, which aligned with his professional background in consumer goods, sales and marketing.

“Consumer behavior is something I live in every single day, so the immersion was very pertinent to my work,” said Devereaux. “Coming out of the week in South Bend, I felt like I was armed with information that I could use immediately. Driving fan participation and ticket sales really goes hand-in-hand with consumer goods sales. A lot of the same marketing lessons apply. It was nice to double down, but in a different context.”

Future U.S.-based immersions will likely take place in other parts of the U.S.

“Getting to Singapore is a 24-hour trip,” said Erlacher. “Some students want that, and build on extra time in Asia. But we also wanted to have options that were easier for students to reach”

The program has always had an international component, and he didn’t want to lose that; Erlacher himself even participated in an immersion in Brussels, Belgium, when he was an EMBA student.

“We wanted to keep at least one international immersion for everyone,” Erlacher said. “Ireland made sense because it is fairly easy to reach, it is beautiful, and the shared language makes it easier for students to engage with businesses and organizations. It also takes place early in the degree, when students are still building their networks and each other’s trust. It is the right time to get everyone in the program together in one place.”

The Singapore immersion is tied to the global finance course. The EMBA students met with leaders of local companies, regional organizations and multinational companies such as KPMG, JP Morgan and Johnson & Johnson. “Singapore is a finance hub for the world, and especially for Asian markets,” said Kelly Milosavljevich (EMBA ’27). “The way that Asia operates independently of North America was really eye-opening.  And the growth is really incredible. From a business and economics perspective, that was really exciting.”  Milosavljevich also credits the on-the-ground experience with exposing her to a new cultural context.

“I loved Singapore’s diversity,” she said. “It was interesting to see how the many different cultures and religions were connected to each other, and shared such a clean, safe space. A course like this exposes you to a lot of new things, but it also only scratches the surface of a place like Singapore. Everyone will take away something a little different from the experience.”