Higher Education Case Studies

Benchmarking Language Proficiency for Aspiring Global Business Leaders: The Lauder Institute of Management & International Studies at the University of Pennsylvania

Students at the Lauder Institute, University of Pennsylvania, are enrolled in a joint degree. They pursue a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) at the Wharton School (or a JD from Penn Carey Law School) alongside a Master’s of Arts in International Studies degree (MA) at the School of Arts and Sciences. The Lauder Language and Culture program (Lauder) is unique, combining world languages and coursework in the social sciences (political science and economics) and history to develop business-focused learners for success in a globalized economy. Leveraging existing language proficiency and amplifying it with advanced coursework and intensive international study abroad are pillars of Lauder’s innovative approach.

This pioneering program for aspiring global business leaders uses, as one of its assessments, the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview® (OPI) to measure student progress toward, and attainment of, Advanced to Superior level of oral proficiency. From the outset, admissions requirements of a minimum of Advanced Low on the ACTFL Proficiency Scale ensure learners are prepared for graduate level, credit bearing, inter-disciplinary content-based instruction in the target language.

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