If you’re looking for a study abroad experience that goes beyond cafés and cathedrals, you’re not alone. A growing number of students are choosing study abroad programs with company visits — programs that pair cultural immersion with real access to the business world. Imagine sitting across from an executive at BMW in Germany, walking the floor of an IKEA distribution center in Vietnam, or learning how Coca-Cola operates across international markets. That’s not a hypothetical. That’s what some programs are actually built to do.
This post breaks down what study abroad programs with company visits look like, which organizations offer them, and why GLO’s model stands out from the crowd.
What Are Study Abroad Programs with Company Visits?
Study abroad programs with company visits are structured international education experiences that include direct, facilitated access to businesses — ranging from global multinationals to local enterprises — as a core part of the curriculum. Rather than limiting learning to a university classroom, these programs take students into the real world: into boardrooms, factories, offices, and corporate campuses where they can see how business actually works across cultures.
These visits typically include presentations from senior executives or department heads, Q&A sessions with professionals, site tours, and sometimes networking opportunities. The best programs don’t treat company visits as field trips. They treat them as curriculum.
Students in these programs come away with something no textbook delivers: firsthand exposure to how global business operates in different economies, regulatory environments, and cultural contexts.
Why Company Visits Matter for Your Career
The data on study abroad and career outcomes is compelling — and it keeps getting stronger.
A 2025 study published by the Forum on Education Abroad found that students who studied abroad earned an average of $4,159 more in their first job after graduation than peers who did not. A separate survey of over 8,800 students and alumni found that 90% said education abroad was an important asset for career success, and 57% called it “very” or “extremely” important to their own career path.
Now layer company visits on top of that. Programs that include direct corporate exposure don’t just give you the general benefits of studying abroad — they give you something specific to talk about in every job interview you’ll ever have. You can name the company; You can name the executive; You can describe what you observed, what surprised you, and what you learned. That’s a story. Employers remember stories.
NACE research consistently ranks cross-cultural communication and global business fluency among the most sought-after competencies in new graduates. Study abroad programs with company visits are one of the most direct ways to build both simultaneously.
Programs That Include Company Visits
Study abroad programs with company visits aren’t everywhere, but they’re offered by a range of institutions and organizations. Here’s a look at who’s doing it:
BYU Marriott School of Business runs short-term study abroad programs lasting ten days to nine weeks that include visits to businesses ranging from large multinationals to small entrepreneurial ventures across multiple countries. Students engage with executives on topics including branding, supply chain, human resources, and trade policy alongside cultural and historic site visits.
Marquette University offers faculty-led programs in Europe that incorporate corporate visits as part of a credit-bearing course on international business. Past company visits have included Ford, Nike, the European Parliament, and a range of local enterprises across Belgium and neighboring countries.
University of Cincinnati’s Lindner College of Business structures its study abroad programs around a framework that explicitly includes company tours and industry presentations as a component of professional development, alongside academic lectures and cultural activities.
University of Miami Herbert Business School sends students to destinations like Barcelona where they engage with global and local companies on real-world business challenges, including analysis and strategy presentations to actual business leaders.
UCF College of Business operates a Global Advantage Program with a heavy emphasis on company presentations and tours. Past visits have included Barclays, Deloitte, Microsoft, Harrods, and 3M, among others.
These programs vary in length, cost, destination, and depth of corporate access. Most are tied to a specific university and available only to enrolled students.
Then there’s GLO.
GLO: Study Abroad Programs with Company Visits at the Core
Global Learning Opportunities (GLO) was founded in 1977 with a single organizing idea: that the best way to understand the global business world is to go inside it. Over 49 years and 650+ seminars, GLO has taken more than 33,000 alumni into corporate environments across Europe, Asia, Africa, and beyond.
Where most programs treat company visits as a supplement to academic coursework, GLO builds its entire model around them. Every GLO program is designed as “your first business trip abroad”, a structured immersion experience that gives students the kind of access that would normally take years of professional experience to earn.
What that looks like in practice:
GLO students have sat across from executives at BMW, walked through Coca-Cola’s international operations, visited AT&T’s global offices, and engaged with companies like IKEA and Intel in markets across Asia. These aren’t brief tours. They’re facilitated sessions where students ask questions, hear directly from industry professionals, and see how global business strategy plays out in specific cultural and economic contexts.
Every GLO program pairs these company visits with:
- Faculty-led academic seminars that connect what students observe with what they study
- Cultural immersion through sightseeing, local cuisine, and guided city experiences
- University credit that transfers back to students’ home institutions
- Accommodation at 4-star hotels — the same standard companies use for business travelers
GLO programs run during academic breaks (summer, winter), which means students can participate without disrupting their degree timeline. Programs typically span one to three weeks, making them accessible for students who can’t commit to a full semester abroad.
Current GLO destinations include:
Japan, Italy (Milan), France, Iceland, South Africa (Cape Town), Germany, the UK, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Thailand, Vietnam, and more. Each destination’s company visits are curated to reflect that region’s specific business landscape — manufacturing in Germany, finance in London, sustainability leadership in Iceland, emerging market dynamics in Southeast Asia.
What Makes GLO Different from University-Run Programs
The key distinction between GLO and university-run study abroad programs with company visits comes down to access, intentionality, and flexibility.
University programs are typically available only to enrolled students at that institution. GLO is open to students from any college or university. If your school doesn’t offer a study abroad program with robust corporate access, GLO is how you get that experience anyway.
GLO also isn’t designed as a supplemental feature. Company visits aren’t one line item in a longer itinerary. They’re the foundation. Programs are structured to give students the maximum possible professional exposure in a short, intensive timeframe — and that focus shows in the quality of the companies involved and the depth of the access provided.
Finally, GLO has been doing this for nearly five decades. The company relationships, the logistical infrastructure, the faculty expertise — all of it reflects an organization that has refined this model across hundreds of programs and tens of thousands of students.
Who Should Look for Study Abroad Programs with Company Visits
Study abroad programs with company visits are a strong fit for any student who:
- Wants international experience that translates directly to career conversations
- Is studying business, international relations, marketing, finance, supply chain, or a related field — but honestly, any major benefits
- Can’t commit to a full semester abroad due to academic, financial, or personal constraints
- Wants to build a professional network beyond their campus
- Is early in their career and looking for real-world context for concepts they’re learning in the classroom
If you’re a faculty member or academic coordinator, programs like GLO also offer a proven structure for building faculty-led international seminars that give your students something beyond standard tourism, and that reflect well on your institution’s commitment to global education.
The Bottom Line
Study abroad programs with company visits are a distinct and genuinely valuable category of international education. They exist on a spectrum from university-specific, departmentally integrated programs to independent organizations like GLO that specialize in exactly this kind of access.
If you’re a student who wants to step into a global boardroom before you ever have a business card, GLO is worth a serious look. If you’re a faculty member or administrator building or expanding a study abroad portfolio, GLO’s model — 46 years, 650+ seminars, 33,000+ alumni, company visits at companies like BMW, Coca-Cola, IKEA, and AT&T — represents both a benchmark and a partnership opportunity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are study abroad programs with company visits?
Study abroad programs with company visits are international education experiences that include structured, facilitated access to real companies — multinationals, local businesses, and industry leaders — as a core part of the curriculum. Students typically attend executive presentations, participate in Q&A sessions with professionals, and tour corporate facilities. These visits go beyond field trips: they’re designed to give students direct exposure to how global business operates across different markets, cultures, and regulatory environments.
Does GLO include company visits in its study abroad programs?
Yes. Company visits are the foundation of every GLO program, not an add-on. GLO was founded in 1977 specifically to give students their “first business trip abroad” experience, and that means guaranteed face-time with executives at global companies like BMW, Coca-Cola, AT&T, IKEA, and Intel, depending on the destination. GLO has delivered 650+ programs and worked with 33,000+ alumni, and its corporate partnerships are one of its most enduring differentiators.
What kinds of companies do students visit on GLO programs?
GLO programs include visits to companies across a wide range of industries and markets, depending on the destination. Past company visits have included BMW (Germany), Coca-Cola (international operations), AT&T, IKEA (Southeast Asia), Intel (Vietnam), and a range of other multinationals and regional businesses. Each destination’s company visits are curated to reflect that market’s specific business landscape — manufacturing, finance, sustainability, consumer goods, and more.
Are study abroad programs with company visits only for business majors?
No. While business, finance, marketing, and international relations students have obvious reasons to prioritize programs with corporate access, students from any major benefit from understanding how global business works. Company visits build professional networks, sharpen communication skills, and give students firsthand stories to bring into job interviews — outcomes that matter across every field.
How do GLO study abroad programs with company visits compare to university-run programs?
University-run study abroad programs with company visits are typically available only to students enrolled at that institution. GLO is open to students from any college or university. If your school doesn’t offer robust corporate access through its own study abroad programming, GLO is a direct path to that experience. GLO also structures every program around company visits as a primary outcome, rather than treating them as supplemental to academic coursework.
Do GLO programs with company visits offer academic credit?
Yes. GLO programs are designed to transfer academic credit back to students’ home institutions. GLO works with faculty and university partners to ensure the academic component of each program — which includes company visits, business seminars, and cultural immersion — meets institutional credit requirements. Students should confirm credit transfer details with their academic advisor.
How long are study abroad programs with company visits?
GLO’s programs typically run one to three weeks, designed to fit into summer, winter, or spring break schedules. This makes them accessible for students who can’t commit to a full semester abroad — without sacrificing the depth of experience. In that compressed timeframe, GLO programs include multiple company visits, faculty-led seminars, cultural programming, and multi-destination travel depending on the itinerary.
