For example, the academic course work is divided into chunks of several months each. Ms. Mendoza, for example, studied at BRAC from February to June of last year in the diploma course, then returned to Peru for three months of putting her studies into practice. She spent a further six weeks in Bangladesh, summarizing and evaluating the work for her diploma, before heading back to Lima, where she did four months of additional research for her master's project, which dealt with how cultures differ among organizations in Peru. And she spent the final four months of the program in Vermont, where she took additional courses and wrote up her research paper, before her graduation in June. Ms. Hafiza is a senior trainer at BRAC specializing in issues of gender and development.
Students typically depend upon scholarship aid and help from their employers to defray expenses.
Alternating periods of work and study also helps to integrate the two, Ms. Hafiza observes. If I had wanted to focus on research, I wouldn't have chosen this program. But it was good for me because it was very much related to my work experience. With at least five years of relevant work experience required for admission, students are not shy about suggesting ways to improve the program and make it more relevant to their needs. Management practices common in North America and Europe, for example, are seen as more bureaucratic and impersonal than those that prevail in other parts of the world.