The undergraduate major in international business provides students with the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary for successful careers in an increasingly global business environment. The IB major combines broad preparation in business administration with a functional discipline minor, language training, area studies, and a meaningful overseas experience. The major prepares students for employment with manufacturing, service, or knowledge-based firms with international markets, competitors, suppliers, financing arrangements, or a globally diverse workforce. Upon completion of the undergraduate major,the student will have the following skills:
Critical Thinking Skills
- Demonstrate critical thinking and analytical abilities, including the ability to engage in inductive and deductive thinking and quantitative reasoning to assess the advantages and disadvantages of alternative global strategies
- Demonstrate the ability to assess the merits of arguments and counter arguments about key issues in globalization
- Demonstrate the ability to construct a coherent, sustained position/argument about emerging global issues
Communication Skills
- Create and deliver effective oral presentations
- Develop effective written communications
- Contribute effectively to group discussion
- Communicate effectively in a foreign language
Content/Discipline Skills
- Understand and use the tools and techniques addressed in the Business Core
- Use the “vocabulary” of international business
- Describe the complexities of the international environment and their impact on business
- Apply the knowledge of the chosen functional area (economics, finance, information systems, marketing or management) to international business
- Understand the financial and economic infrastructure of international business
- Identify current events and trends affecting international business
To insure that students meet the knowledge, skill, and ability objectives, the international business major comprises five key elements: the 36 semester hour business core; the IB major consisting of 9 semester hours of international business and 9 semester hours of area studies coursework; a business minor concentration in economics, finance, information systems, management, or marketing (12 semester hours); 9 semester hours of a foreign language (above first year level); and the overseas experience.
Required Courses (18 hours)
International Business (9 hours)
Students will choose 3 of the following courses:
- ECO 3703 International Economics 3
- ECO 4713 International Macroeconomics 3
- FIN 3604 International Finance 3
- ISM 4382 Global Information Systems 3
- MAN 4600 International Management 3
- MAR 4156 International Marketing 3
Area Studies (9 hours)
Students choose a total of 9 semester hours of coursework to create a geographic
area/region focus.
Additional Requirements
Overseas Experience (3 hours)
The overseas experience can take a variety of forms from formal coursework during a semester or summer abroad to an international internship that allows the student to combine knowledge and skills gained in functional coursework with knowledge and skills developed in the student’s area studies coursework. Because the IB major is designed to be completed within 120 semester hours, the overseas experience is normally combined with one or more area studies or international business courses.
Language Requirement (9 hours)
The language selected should support the geographic area/region on which the student has chosen to focus. The requirement is for 9 semester hours at the intermediate level or above.
Functional Minor (12 hours)
Students choose a minor (four 3-semester hour courses) in economics, finance, information systems, management, or marketing. One of the four courses must be the international course in that discipline; this course is in addition to the 9 semester hours required for the IB major.
