Whitman Students Get an Inside Look at the World’s Largest Retailer

Thirteen students from RMT 333, Whitman’s Retail Management Professional Practice course, traded the classroom for the boardroom last fall for a career exploration trip to Walmart’s new corporate campus in Bentonville, Arkansas. 11 juniors and two seniors took advantage of this rare, up-close look at what a career in retail management can actually look like, straight from the executives who live it every day.

The new 350-acre campus, which opened in January 2025, is less a typical office park than a small city. Alongside its offices, the campus features shops, restaurants, an expansive gym, and child and dog daycare.

Over a day and a half, students met with executives from recruiting, retail and supply chain, who walked them through internship opportunities and Walmart’s full-time Emerging Director Program. Students also explored Bentonville itself, visiting local museums and the Walmart Museum to see the company’s history firsthand. As a special preview, they even got a look at next summer’s clothing line—a glimpse into Walmart’s broader mission of making fashion affordable for everyone.

Students pose in front of the visitor center on the new Walmart corporate campus in Bentonville.

This trip is the latest milestone in a relationship built over several years. Since Spring 2023, Whitman has worked to deepen ties with Walmart, which now recruits directly on campus. Through this relationship, Whitman students have also visited Walmart’s New York City office, for career exploration and shadowing opportunities. 

The impact of the trip to Bentonville cannot be overstated. Walmart is the third-largest employer in the world, trailing only the Chinese and U.S. governments, and remains the top retailer globally—ahead of Amazon. Each summer, the company hires more than 500 interns, many with a clear path toward full-time offers.

Standing inside Walmart’s headquarters, talking directly with the executives who make hiring decisions and learning from staff who execute strategy is an invaluable experience. Real-world opportunities like this demystify career paths and build professional networks, while turning classroom concepts into concrete next steps for the students’ futures.