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FAQs
General Questions
Where does the MBA Enterprise Corps currently have programs?
Do I have the opportunity to select my preferences for country placement?
I’d like to apply for the January or July program. What is the application and matching process?
I am a first year student interested in an internship before I graduate. Are these available?
As an MBAEC Advisor, who will my clients be?
How can I contact MBAEC alumni to ask questions about their experience?
Once I accept my match, should I begin language training? Should I purchase language materials?
What if I have a prior commitment that will require time off from my Corps assignment?
What assistance will be available to me with the job search upon my return?
Are immunizations or vaccinations and a doctor’s visit required before going on assignment?
Policy on Spouses
What assistance can my spouse expect with his/her job search in country?
Policy on Dependents and Children
What is the Corps’s policy regarding potential applicants that have children?
Guidelines on Pets
Can I bring a pet with me on assignment?
Guidelines on Loans
I have loans to pay off after graduation. Can my loans be deferred?
Guidelines on Language Coursework
Do I have to learn another language? If so, what resources are provided to me to do so?
General Questions
Q: Where does the MBA Enterprise Corps currently have programs?
A: In 2009, MBAEC will work in at least 15 countries in Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America. MBAEC is likely to expand programs as the year progresses.
Q: Do I have the opportunity to select my preferences for country placement?
A: You will have the opportunity to rank your country choices based on the placements available and the skills (including language) required for each assignment. MBAEC makes every effort to place candidates in the countries of their choice.
Q: I’d like to apply for the January or July program. What is the application and matching process?
A: MBAEC fields groups of Corps members twice a year, in January and in July. Prospective MBAEC Advisors must be nominated by their business schools as part of the application process to the Corps. All member schools set their own internal application deadlines, so you should check with your school’s representative. You can access the application here.
Once you have completed an application and your school has nominated you to join the Corps, MBAEC staff will contact you to interview you and to discuss available projects. If you are matched to a position, you will receive a match packet that details your project and the parameters for joining the Corps. You will have seven days to decide to accept or decline the position. In your match packet, we will provide you with the contact information of relevant field staff, current Corps members, and alumni so that you can make an informed decision. The second and third waves of match letters go out under the same process until all positions have been filled. After you accept a position, we will ask you to submit your contract and match letter so that we can begin processing your assignment materials, including visas, medical exams and assignment materials. We will also guide you in the loan deferment process, if necessary.
Q: I am a first year student interested in an internship before I graduate. Are these available?
A: The Corps does not offer short-term assignments or internships. Our program recruits graduating and recently graduated (3 – 5 years out of school) MBAs.
Q: As an MBAEC Advisor, who will my clients be?
A: Depending on the project and the skills required, MBAEC Advisors can work with a wide range of clients and partner organizations, including:
- Small or medium size businesses
- National, regional, or local government agencies
- Educational institutions
- Associations such as chambers of commerce
- Microfinance institutions and banks
- NGOs working on policy, entrepreneurship, empowerment, gender, health, and other areas critical to growth
Q: How can I contact MBAEC alumni to ask questions about their experience?
A: MBAEC will provide a list of alumni and currently serving Corps members upon request.
Q: Once I accept my match, should I begin language training? Should I purchase language materials?
A: If it is necessary for you to speak a new language, you will be provided language-training materials upon arrival at the training site in your host country. If you prefer to get a head start, check your local bookstore for their selection of language education materials. Make sure you contact the MBAEC office before making any purchases of language-training materials for reimbursement.
Q: What if I have a prior commitment that will require time off from my Corps assignment?
A: Your Corps assignment begins the first day of training in Washington and your participation is mandatory. While on assignment, any leave must be arranged with your host organization. You are an integral part of their work, so you must negotiate with them in the same manner as you would with any employer.
Q: What assistance will be available to me with the job search upon my return?
A: The Corps provides an Alumni Directory to returning Corps members and Corps Alumni, which can be used in a job search. In addition, the Corps maintains a reciprocity agreement with member schools in which the MBA schools offer returning Corps alumni password-protected access to their employment listings and career library, available for up to a year following Corps assignment completion. Corps alumni may also submit their resumes to the Corps office for posting on the Corps password protected website. Returning Corps members also receive a discounted membership in Net Impact and a one-year membership with DevEx, an international development-focused job site.
Q: Are immunizations or vaccinations and a doctor’s visit required before going on assignment?
A: Prior to your arrival in Washington, D.C. for traning, MBAEC requires a physical examination and doctor's certification that you are fit to travel and live abroad for the duration of your assignment. While not required, we recommend you consult your doctor or healthcare professional as to which vaccinations or immunizations are suggested for your assignment location. Vaccination and immunization information can also be accessed through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov. The Corps will reimburse you for the cost of the doctor's visit/examination up to $100 and for the cost of vaccinations up to $600. In countries where malaria prophylaxis is recommended, MBAEC will reimburse the cost for the time you are on assignment. Medical expenses are reimbursed upon submission of valid receipts.
Policy on Spouses
Q: I am married or I will be married before I go on assignment with the Corps. What is my spouse eligible to receive from the Corps?
A: Spouses are eligible to receive the same logistical and administrative support that a Corps member receives including, airfare to/from the assignment location, assignment-related visas, medical and evacuation insurance, and participation in both US and in-country training programs. Spouses are not eligible to receive a living allowance or a re-entry stipend.
Q: What assistance can my spouse expect with his/her job search in country?
A: The Corps does not provide placement assistance for spouses.
Policy on Dependents and Children
Q: What is the Corps’s policy regarding potential applicants that have children?
A: MBAEC does not have the ability to support dependent children on assignment.
Guidelines on Pets
Q: Can I bring a pet with me on assignment?
A: MBAEC cannot provide support for pets brought on assignment and it is highly discouraged. For some assignments, pets are prohibited.
Guidelines on Loans
Q: I have loans to pay off after graduation. Can my loans be deferred?
A: Yes, we can help you to defer your loans while you are on assignment, and we can assist you in managing your loans while you are on assignment. The Corps will provide you with general guidelines and verification documents of your volunteer status after you commit to service in the MBAEC. We cannot guarantee that every lender will follow the guidelines we provide; therefore, you must contact your lender and find out the conditions of your loans for an Economic Hardship Deferment (EHD) or forbearance.
Guidelines on Language Coursework
Q: Do I have to learn another language? If so, what resources are provided to me to do so?
A. Most Corps members are not required to learn another language. MBAEC often recruits Corps members specifically for their language skills, but oftentimes, a language other than English is not necessary. If language training is required, MBAEC will provide you with self-study materials (such as Rosetta Stone) to begin before you go on assignment, and we will also provide language teachers/tutors to continue teaching you in-country. In some cases, Corps members take up to 3 months of language training before beginning their assignments.
