"Wide-reaching" might be an especially apt way to describe Thunderbird School of Global Management, which has global programs throughout the U.S., Asia, Europe and Latin America. The school, created in 1946, is the first graduate school to concentrate entirely on the issues surrounding global business. Thunderbird, also known as "T-bird," offers students the opportunity to earn their MBA through full-time course work or through its global MBA on-demand program, a mostly online plan established in 2008 that lets professionals earn their degrees in anywhere from a one to three years.

In 2008, the school also announced the expansion of its executive MBA program to Geneva, which serves as headquarters for its corporate learning sector. That program has received outside accolades, placing No. 3 in The Wall Street Journal's 2008 worldwide ranking of executive MBA programs.

Though T-bird's global focus means its applicants are somewhat self,selecting, that doesn't mean earning a spot in the MBA class is easy. The admissions process is intense and competitive, students responding to Vault's Buzz Book surveys say, and a high GMAT score is essential. Just don't wait too long to decide whether you want to apply, students say it is getting increasingly harder to gain admittance. To that end, you should be sure to show a proven interest in international exposure, professionally or academically.