MBA Curriculum Expands Beyond Classrooms with 2018 Corporate Landscape Tour

This summer, Pacific University MBA candidates visited four local companies during their annual Corporate Landscape Tour. Each year, the College of Business at Pacific University seeks out local companies that can accommodate a facility tour and provide business operation insight for MBA candidates that is relatable to the content they are learning in the program.

The College of Business provides the Corporate Landscape Tour as a way to expand the curriculum beyond the classroom. MBA candidates learn about a given business' operations outside of their chosen career; gain an in-practice understanding of the intricacies of international business; and see differences between small, large, and mid-cap companies. 

This year, the students visited four companies in the Forest Grove and Beaverton areas. The day started with a headquarters tour and presentation at Columbia Sportswear, including upcoming trends and the textile room where new gear is imagined.

Next, Nike World Headquarters led the MBA candidates on an extensive tour of their campus, focusing heavily on their international connections, history and employee wellness.

Golden Valley Brewery, in Beaverton, provided a delicious lunch and spoke to their amazing efforts in sustainability, the complexities of a family-run business, and local sourcing of their foods. Dean Jim Goodrich joined the students for lunch, remarking on the importance of experiences like these.

The tour ended as candidates learned the ancient form of sake making at SakeOne in Forest Grove while gaining insight into the wine and spirit distribution; notably how that is processed domestically and internationally.