Business on the Frontlines

Business on the Frontlines (BOTFL) is a distinctive applied learning course within the University of Alberta MBA program. BOTFL is an experiential learning opportunity that challenges MBA students to apply business knowledge to complex global issues. Working alongside international partner organizations, students explore how business strategy, management, and innovation can contribute to sustainable solutions in areas such as healthcare, community development, humanitarian work, and organizational capacity building.

Through rigorous preparation, international field research, and collaboration with local partners, students develop practical recommendations that address real organizational challenges while gaining valuable consulting, leadership, and cross-cultural experience.

What students do

Led by professor Emily Block, students spend several months preparing before travelling internationally, developing an understanding of the partner organization, local context, and global best practices related to the project. During this preparation, students strengthen their research, interviewing, and consulting skills while working closely with faculty.

Students then spend approximately two weeks in-country conducting field research alongside local partner organizations. This includes stakeholder interviews, site visits, data collection, and collaborative problem solving. Following the field experience, student teams analyze their findings and develop evidence-based strategic recommendations that are presented to their partner organization.

A transformative experience

Business on the Frontlines offers more than a traditional classroom experience. Working in unfamiliar environments alongside international partners helps students strengthen leadership, cross-cultural communication, stakeholder engagement, strategic thinking, and ethical decision-making while applying classroom knowledge to real-world challenges.

"One highlight from my time in the Business on the Frontlines program was realizing how powerful it is when business strategy is directly tied to real community impact. Working through complex, real-world challenges where resources are limited, stakeholders have very different priorities and solutions have to be practical, not just theoretical, really reinforced for me that good strategy only matters if it’s implementable and sustainable."  

- Samantha Wilk, ‘24 MBA

 "One of the most defining moments of my BOTFL program was conducting field interviews in the rural Philippines. There is a specific kind of humility that comes from discussing financial resources with people who navigate daily life with a fraction of the safety nets we take for granted in Canada. It forced me to confront my own biases about what a functioning economy looks like. Those conversations taught me that high-level consulting is hollow if it doesn’t account for the human spirit and the local realities of the people involved. It wasn't just a project; it was a lesson in global empathy that I’ll carry into every organization/situation I enter."  

- Jamie Hunwick, ‘25 MBA

Application details

Enrollment in Business on the Frontlines is competitive and requires a formal application.

Application deadline: December 1, 2026

Please direct all inquiries regarding the Frontiers of Business Initiative and course registration to our MBA academic advisors: mbaacd@ualberta.ca