The Center for Global Business offers a full slate of experiential opportunities for Smith School students in all programs, focused on various areas of global business. While these programs are intended to give students real-world experience, they also provide much-needed support to small and medium-sized companies in their efforts to go global or increase their access to global markets.
Marketing Maryland Internship Program
Sixteen undergraduate students participated in the Marketing Maryland Internship Program, a signature program of the Center for Global Business intended to help students develop professionally and use their digital marketing skills to support small and medium-sized businesses aiming to reach their international customers through digital marketing strategies.
The eight companies that participated in this 10-week program all presented unique challenges to reach their international customer base. Silvec Biologics, a leading manufacturer of RNA therapies for trees, sought to increase its global presence and secure international partnerships. Students also helped to develop engaging communication channels, localize their outreach efforts, and re-create their digital platforms. Another participating company, Lyme Research & Healing Center, had students look at marketing strategies to expand across the UK, EU and Canada, and generate a thriving online community.
Venture for America (VFA), a national nonprofit that gives recent college graduates entrepreneurial experiences, participated in the program hoping to improve their search engine optimization, Google Ad words and storytelling through social media. Victoria Rush, ’26, a marketing and operations management and business analytics major, speaks about her experience at VFA, “While I was there, I was able to analyze company newsletter statistics, help develop a strategy to increase engagement, rebuild and style one of the company sites, and create Google ads. I always felt my voice mattered, and I became more confident in my resourcefulness and skills. I was able to gain marketing and analytical experience, learn what kind of workforce environment I am looking for, and meet amazing people.”
Manufacturing Maryland Internship Program
The Manufacturing Maryland Internship Program provides an opportunity for students interested in manufacturing, supply chain and export to intern with a Maryland company seeking to enhance their operational efficiencies and supply chains. In its inaugural year, two undergraduate students interned for Halethorpe, MD-based Fabpro Technologies, a full-service sheet metal fabricator that caters to global clients spanning defense, cybersecurity, aerospace and safety sectors.
Bonnie McMillan, ’24, an information systems and operations management and business analytics major, and Shaqib Ahmad, ’25, a supply chain management major were paired to work on projects that included streamlining specialty item procurement, market feasibility research, and export compliance.
Ahmad describes his experience as a Manufacturing Maryland intern, “We were exposed to all parts of the supply chain, starting with procurement, and then to manufacturing and then to inventory… When arriving at Fabpro Technologies we were encountered with the perfect opportunity to reassess how we can maximize efficiency and productivity in this company. I made this my biggest priority.[...] I developed a system related to the first-in, first-out method. In doing so, we were able to ease the pressure on the production and the supply chain and create an organized system that Fabpro can use moving forward.” Ahmad believes with this experience, he “feels confident in taking a similar position in a larger company at a larger scale and use my leadership abilities to drive a whole team.”
Global Summer Internship Program
Eighteen participants returned from the summer global internship program, designed to give students first-hand experience working in a global business environment, and receive 6 academic credits while abroad. Students interned at companies such as Blackbox, ARIA Research, EcoLearn, and Vivid Edge, among others. The destinations this summer included Australia, Ireland, Spain, France and Singapore.
Maryland Global Consulting Program
The Maryland Global Consulting Program empowers MBA and business master’s students to translate classroom knowledge into real-world impact. This summer, three diverse companies—Shea Radiance, Blue Wave Semiconductors and SeeTrue Technology— gained consulting support and business strategy from three project teams.
Shea Radiance, a shea butter beauty product company based in Severn, Md., sought to streamline operational processes and incorporate an inventory system and production checklists, all with the goal of being able to scale globally. Over the course of 10 weeks, a team of five students ranging from the MBA, supply chain management and quantitative finance programs were able to provide Shea Radiance with the project deliverables as well as a complete operational floor plan, financial analysis and a functional inventory management system.
High tech manufacturing company based in Baltimore, Blue Wave Semiconductors, worked with a team of five students from the MBA, business analytics, and marketing analytics programs on how to enter the markets in India and China. By the end of the program, the student team presented Blue Wave with a detailed report on export restrictions and a marketing plan to increase Blue Wave’s online presence.
SeeTrue Technology, a microcapillary and microinjection application company, sought to gain market research and recommendations for their products within the European Union, while also considering the key players and investors in these markets. Through this project, the team of students from the MBA, business analytics and information systems programs quickly became experts in the microneedle industry. Rui-Yi Lee, Dec. ’23, MS Business Analytics student, describes the experience as a “ transformative two-month journey that has not only provided invaluable real-time consulting experience but has also opened doors to life-altering insights and knowledge accumulation.”
Maryland Smith students interested in these opportunities for the academic year 2023-24 can meet the Center for Global Business at upcoming career fairs on Thursday, September 14 and Friday, September 15 or check out the programs on our undergraduate and graduate programming pages. Companies interested in these opportunities can visit the website or contact smithglobal@umd.edu.
These programs are funded in part by CIBE, a Title VI grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
Media Contact
Greg Muraski
Media Relations Manager
301-405-5283
301-892-0973 Mobile
gmuraski@umd.edu
About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.