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The Global Impact Program

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Applications for the 2025 intake are not yet open.

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Make global connections and impact on this exchange program with the University of Virginia (UVA) as part of your MGM experience

In the Global Impact Program, two cohorts from world-leading business schools come together in the US, Germany, and finally during a social impact project anywhere in the world, providing a platform for you to gain hands-on experience tackling the challenges that global organizations face. 
 
More than just an exchange, the Global Impact Program (GIP) is built around sustainability and social impact, allowing you to take on real-world projects that will help set you apart as you embark on your career.  

Study at the University of Virginia and join their MS in Global Commerce for part of your MGM program and combine a global exchange experience that builds strong links between students from ESMT and UVA, with a specialized curriculum strongly focused on global social challenges and the sustainable solutions that businesses can use to address them. 
 

What is the Global Impact Program?

The Global Impact Program combines an exchange to the University of Virginia with a curriculum that is geared towards social issues and sustainability challenges. Run in collaboration with University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce’s M.S in Global Commerce program, the GIP is only offered to Master in Global Management (MGM) students.  

In Term 4, you will study at University of Virginia (UVA) before returning in Term 5 to Berlin where you will study alongside your UVA counterparts and focus on courses related to leading global organizations and taking on sustainability-related challenges. 

You will then take on your Social Impact Projects (SIP) in teams formed of students from both ESMT and UVA, allowing you to leverage the connections you have made earlier in the exchange. 

The Social Impact Project (SIP)

Because the Global Impact Program features a customized curriculum focused on how businesses can positively impact sustainability and societal challenges, the SIP offers a fantastic opportunity for you to put new insights and skills into practice, while relying on, and leveraging the bonds you have built with UVA students. 

The SIP allows you to step into the role of a management consultant for an organization committed to creating positive change and implement many of the skills and insights you have acquired over the last 24 months of learning. 

This five-week experience in an international setting of your choice, challenges you to address real-world challenges, engage in hands-on fieldwork, conduct extensive research, and manage projects that aim to solve pressing societal issues.   

Choose to support an organization whose mission speaks to you or work with one of more than 20 ESMT Berlin partner groups around the world, including CSR departments in for-profit companies, NGOs, local nonprofit organizations, social entrepreneurship ventures, and a host of innovative companies launching products or services to support the neediest members of society, such as microfinance initiatives. 

ESMT students on their SIP in Guatemala 2024

Learn more

Our partner: University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce

About

UVA's McIntire School of Commerce offers an innovative business education that blends cutting-edge technology with global perspectives.

With its strong emphasis on real-world experience and ethical leadership, McIntire cultivates a dynamic, collaborative environment where students are empowered to lead with impact.

The school’s interdisciplinary approach ensures graduates are well-equipped to navigate the complexities of today’s globalized business landscape.

 

Rankings

#4 Undergraduate Business School in the US – Poets&Quants, 2024

#1 in Academic Experience category – Poets&Quants, 2024

#24 among National Universities in the US - US News & World Report, 2024

UVA's McIntire campus in Charlottesville, VA

The McIntire School of Commerce is located on the University of Virginia's historic grounds, home to Thomas Jefferson's Academical Village, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Just a short walk away, Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall offers a lively mix of cultural and culinary experiences with its array of restaurants, shops, and entertainment.

Discover the charm of Charlottesville

Located in Central Virginia, just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Charlottesville offers stunning beauty, rich culture, and endless activities. 

Spend your day hiking scenic trails, exploring historic homes of U.S. Presidents, or enjoying the vibrant Downtown Mall. 

With Washington, D.C. just two hours away, you can easily connect to the nation's capital, providing access to major events and networking opportunities—perfect for students looking to expand their horizons beyond the classroom.

Why take part in the Global Impact Program?

The GIP allows you to build your international network with students from both ESMT and the University of Virginia, while focusing on a curriculum that prepares you for the challenges of managing a global organization and navigating pressing issues around sustainability and social impact. With courses such as Global Marketing in a Digital Age, Global Strategy & Management II, Open Distribution Innovation, Entrepreneurial Finance and Ethics, the GIP enables you to: 

Fast-track your future in global business

Gain real-world experience and a deep understanding of how business is done across the world, firsthand. Explore global challenges, develop essential business skills, and become ready to create sustainable strategies for success anywhere.

Grow your professional global network

Learn alongside an internationally diverse group of students in Charlottesville and Berlin and during your social impact project, in a third location of your choice, where you will work directly with organizations that are tackling critical issues facing the world today. 

Take on real-world projects that set you apart

Get hands-on experience leveraging crucial project and client management skills, relying on your business know-how, collaborating with international teams, and leading an initiative for a real global organization.

Boost your prospects, inspire global impact

Make a meaningful difference on a global scale—from envisioning fresh approaches to solving grand challenges with an international organization or producing innovative strategies for a transnational enterprise.

Who is the Global Impact Program for?

  • This program is exclusively for Master's in Global Management students at ESMT and their UVA counterparts. If you are interested, please indicate your interest in the GIP during your application for the MGM. 

  • The Global Impact Program is perfect for students looking to gain practical experience and find innovative new ways to leverage business and management skills to take on social and sustainability challenges. 

How do I join the Global Impact Program?

When submitting your application to the Master in Global Management  program at ESMT, you can indicate your interest in the GIP. You will be asked to confirm your choice during the first months of your ESMT experience.   

Places in the GIP are limited to 30 slots. SIP teams will be formed among students from both schools while at UVA, building global teams from schools across two continents.   

The Global Impact Program curriculum

Master in Global Management students who participate in the Global Impact Program will be taken through a distinct curriculum during Terms 4 and 5 rather than working through elective courses. For information on Terms 1 – 3 and Term 6, please visit the MGM curriculum page.

Schedule for Terms 4 and 5

x
Term 4
September 2026 - December 2026

Term 4 | At UVA’s campus in Charlottesville

Students will spend their entire Term 4 at UVA, taking a carefully crafted curriculum focused on social impact while immersing themselves in the culture of the USA. 

  • Global Challenges & Sustainability Solutions Seminar (Required)

  • Social Impact Project Prep I: Consulting  (Required)

  • Social Impact Project Prep II: Project Management (Required)

  • Global Financial Markets  (Required)

  • Global Marketing in a Digital Age (Elective)

  • Global Strategy & Management II (Elective)

  • Business Analytics for Decision Making (Elective)

  • Ethics (Elective)

  • Doing Business int the US  (Required)

Students will spend their entire Term 4 at UVA, taking a carefully crafted curriculum focused on social impact while immersing themselves in the culture of the USA. 

  • Global Challenges & Sustainability Solutions Seminar (Required)

  • Social Impact Project Prep I: Consulting  (Required)

  • Social Impact Project Prep II: Project Management (Required)

  • Global Financial Markets  (Required)

  • Global Marketing in a Digital Age (Elective)

  • Global Strategy & Management II (Elective)

  • Business Analytics for Decision Making (Elective)

  • Ethics (Elective)

  • Doing Business int the US  (Required)

September 2026
December 2026
January 2027
May 2027
x
Term 5
January 2027 - May 2027

Term 5 | At ESMT’s campus in Berlin

ESMT students, along with the UVA cohort, will continue their journey together at ESMT. They will take further courses while preparing for the SIP and the actual field study in April. 

  • Negotiation  (Required)

  • Open Distribution Innovation (Elective)

  • Entrepreneurial Finance (Elective)

  • Ambidextrous Leadership (Elective)

  • Social Impact Project Prep III: Social Entrepreneurship  (Required)

  • Social Impact Project Prep III: Impact Consulting  (Required)
     

At the end of this term, students will take part in the 5-week mandatory Social Impact Project, where they will work together with UVA students, supporting an organization anywhere in the world to tackle a social or sustainability challenge.

ESMT students, along with the UVA cohort, will continue their journey together at ESMT. They will take further courses while preparing for the SIP and the actual field study in April. 

  • Negotiation  (Required)

  • Open Distribution Innovation (Elective)

  • Entrepreneurial Finance (Elective)

  • Ambidextrous Leadership (Elective)

  • Social Impact Project Prep III: Social Entrepreneurship  (Required)

  • Social Impact Project Prep III: Impact Consulting  (Required)
     

At the end of this term, students will take part in the 5-week mandatory Social Impact Project, where they will work together with UVA students, supporting an organization anywhere in the world to tackle a social or sustainability challenge.

Schedule for Terms 4 and 5

September 2026
December 2026
x
Term 4
September 2026 - December 2026

Term 4 | At UVA’s campus in Charlottesville

Students will spend their entire Term 4 at UVA, taking a carefully crafted curriculum focused on social impact while immersing themselves in the culture of the USA. 

  • Global Challenges & Sustainability Solutions Seminar (Required)

  • Social Impact Project Prep I: Consulting  (Required)

  • Social Impact Project Prep II: Project Management (Required)

  • Global Financial Markets  (Required)

  • Global Marketing in a Digital Age (Elective)

  • Global Strategy & Management II (Elective)

  • Business Analytics for Decision Making (Elective)

  • Ethics (Elective)

  • Doing Business int the US  (Required)

Students will spend their entire Term 4 at UVA, taking a carefully crafted curriculum focused on social impact while immersing themselves in the culture of the USA. 

  • Global Challenges & Sustainability Solutions Seminar (Required)

  • Social Impact Project Prep I: Consulting  (Required)

  • Social Impact Project Prep II: Project Management (Required)

  • Global Financial Markets  (Required)

  • Global Marketing in a Digital Age (Elective)

  • Global Strategy & Management II (Elective)

  • Business Analytics for Decision Making (Elective)

  • Ethics (Elective)

  • Doing Business int the US  (Required)

January 2027
May 2027
x
Term 5
January 2027 - May 2027

Term 5 | At ESMT’s campus in Berlin

ESMT students, along with the UVA cohort, will continue their journey together at ESMT. They will take further courses while preparing for the SIP and the actual field study in April. 

  • Negotiation  (Required)

  • Open Distribution Innovation (Elective)

  • Entrepreneurial Finance (Elective)

  • Ambidextrous Leadership (Elective)

  • Social Impact Project Prep III: Social Entrepreneurship  (Required)

  • Social Impact Project Prep III: Impact Consulting  (Required)
     

At the end of this term, students will take part in the 5-week mandatory Social Impact Project, where they will work together with UVA students, supporting an organization anywhere in the world to tackle a social or sustainability challenge.

ESMT students, along with the UVA cohort, will continue their journey together at ESMT. They will take further courses while preparing for the SIP and the actual field study in April. 

  • Negotiation  (Required)

  • Open Distribution Innovation (Elective)

  • Entrepreneurial Finance (Elective)

  • Ambidextrous Leadership (Elective)

  • Social Impact Project Prep III: Social Entrepreneurship  (Required)

  • Social Impact Project Prep III: Impact Consulting  (Required)
     

At the end of this term, students will take part in the 5-week mandatory Social Impact Project, where they will work together with UVA students, supporting an organization anywhere in the world to tackle a social or sustainability challenge.