International Business Concentration

The International Business concentration prepares students for entrepreneurial and corporate opportunities available in the ever-increasing arena of global enterprise. Organizations of all types are facing a rapidly increasing need to understand global and multicultural issues as well as the complexities of foreign markets. Business can no longer function in isolation from the effects of globalization, outsourcing, and increasingly complex technologies. These realities create new challenges and more importantly new opportunities for organizations to grow and thrive. Increasingly organizations need professionals that understand the political, cultural, and financial issues that impact the operations.

The international business concentration provides a solid foundation in core business competencies including accounting, economics, finance, and marketing, which then serves as a framework for in-depth study of international business, international finance, and international marketing management. In cooperation with internationally recognized universities students will study two full semesters overseas, one in Europe and another in Asia. This diversity and level of immersion in overseas cultures creates an experience that allows deep understanding of the nuances and structures impacting business in foreign markets. Through this experience students will gain practical application of classroom knowledge readying them to guide businesses in a complex global marketplace.

This is a customized course of study. Typically, students will travel overseas during the second term of their sophomore year and again during the first term of their senior year. Depending on the interests of the students, the choice of university for foreign study and the prior credits possessed by the student the timing, and exact courses taken will vary. Consult with the Business Administration Department Chair for more information and to formalize your unique course of study.

Program Outcomes

In addition to the program outcomes of the general Business Administration major, the International Business Concentration graduate will be able to:

• Identify areas of ethical concern facing business professionals and articulate appropriate ethical guidelines based upon Biblical principles within a multicultural context.
• Understand the economic, cultural, and political factors that are relevant when doing business in foreign markets.
• Analyze opportunities and risks associated with doing business internationally.
• Work with or manage people from various ethnic, cultural, or religious backgrounds.
• Explain how key concepts, theories, and practices important to the management of organizations differ when compared to U.S. - centric understanding and models.