International Business Major

International Business Major

An international business major enables students to gain knowledge and skills in international business principles. It also teaches the languages and cultures of other regions that will help them become competitive in their careers as they work in the global business market. The management expertise they acquire will be most helpful as they perform jobs in various fields such as in business, government and non-profit organizations.

Students who want to focus on international business learn about the trends and the process of doing business not only in their home country but in other nations as well. They are taught how to serve clients on an international level and the ways to enable a local business succeed globally. Specializations offered for this major are the traditional business disciplines to include finance, marketing, accounting, information systems and operations management.

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Qualified to enroll in this program are students whose interest lies in management. They must meet specific grades in business, show proof of language proficiency and display good human relations skills.

A common requirement for those who choose to major in international business is functional business skills. This can be in the area of accounting, finance or marketing. The international skills are normally taught once students have mastered their functional skills.

In addition, there are other educational requirements depending on one’s career goal. For example, students who eventually want to become a cultural advisor or get a job in an international bank should be able to acquire advanced degrees. Those who are pursuing business degrees but who want to add knowledge on international business may have different requirements.

Students enrolled in this degree program are normally encouraged to choose a region and language. Choices for regional tracks available today are for Europe, Latin America and Asia.

The curriculum for international business degree programs may include courses in geography, political science, anthropology, regional studies and non-U.S. history. Other subjects are on economics, population, the environment and world agriculture, international trade and operations, finance, accounting, financial management, marketing, managing cultural diversity, government relations, strategic planning, policy analysis and supply chain management.

Graduates of an international business degree can work in different organizations. These include private organizations with global interests, government and international agencies as well as in colleges and universities. Varied positions available today and these are as finance advisor, managing consultant, administrator or coordinator, foreign market analyst, senior vice president and business strategy consultant.

Before deciding on your career path, it is essential to do some research first about the current job market for graduates of international business majors. Check as well the schools that offer international business degree programs and the type of career service they provide students. Make it a point to consider only accredited educational institutions to ensure that you obtain the right education that will help you pursue your career goals.

A great opportunity that awaits graduates of this degree program is being able to live in another country. Graduates with an international business degree can expect competitive compensation as managers in advertising, marketing as well as sales managers can earn from $60,000 up to $80,000 based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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