Gaining a degree in international business gives you the
tools you'll need to compete for some of the most interesting
and challenging positions in the global marketplace. Imagine
yourself presenting a picture-perfect business and marketing
plan to new investors while impressing even the skeptics
with your understanding of the local customs and business
practices.
An international business degree prepares you to not only
with a strong background in the fundamentals of business
theory and operations, but also with the specific skills,
knowledge, and cultural sensitivity necessary to help a
business succeed in a foreign country.
The demand for business-savvy people with degrees in international
business has never been as great as now. Armed with time-tested
business models whose achievements have shaped the face
of globalization in Europe and Japan, American corporations
and small businesses are exploding in China, Russia, India,
and South America, to name a few. The opportunities abound.
Some of most attractive reasons to enter this field of study
are to:
-
Learn the nuts and
bolts of accounting, marketing, finance and development
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Improve your skill
in public communication, team-building and organization
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Focus on a specific
region of interest to gain specialization and expertise
-
Pursue and reap the
benefits of learning a foreign language
-
Sharpen your knowledge:
take electives in sales, finance, management, etc.
-
Open doors to the
world with awareness of local customs and history
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Combine your interests
of business, travel, culture, and working with people
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Get coveted internships
with companies and government agencies abroad
With an emphasis on the global dimensions of business,
graduates with international business degrees are critical
assets to expanding companies. They also have the flexibility
to secure positions in government and international agencies.
These students will emerge with an understanding of business
and product development, a familiarity with specific industries
(of choice), a grasp of the processes underlying international
trade and the know-how to plan, operate and succeed in the
world of global commerce.
International business degrees can also be a stepping-stone
for students planning to continue their education beyond
the undergraduate level. Advanced degrees most relevant
to an education in international business are international
relations, public administration, specialized areas of business
(such as management or administration), economics and law.
Also, master's programs in international business provide
an intensive focus.
During the course of an international business degree program
students are encouraged to study abroad or pursue internships
with leading firms in the field. There's no substitute for
a solid internship experience when applying for positions
fresh out of school. Internship opportunities are offered
to students who proactively seek them out and apply for
them. Schools' internship offices and internship coordinators
within the business department are the first contact in
the process.
Generally, graduates of international business degree programs
will land jobs that keep them stateside for a few years.
Here they'll accrue the necessary real-world experience
in their industry to take abroad. People with competency
in foreign language(s) or other particularly valuable skills
(ie. diplomacy, public relations, understanding of specific
markets) may receive overseas positions sooner.
There are also fulfilling positions to be found working
in domestic offices of U.S.-based companies coordinating
internationally with overseas offices and partner firms.
Wherever they're headed, students with an education in
international business will come out of school with tangible
skills and focused knowledge, ever in need by industry frontrunners.
They will:
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Develop proficiency
in verbal and written communication to a varied audience
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Communicate their
ideas and opinions clearly and effectively
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Understand import/export
operations, international finance and sales
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Learn essentials of
creative marketing and adapt campaigns to novel markets
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Master indispensable
technological tools like electronic spreadsheets, market
research databases, accounting software and presentation
aid applications
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Practice the use of
a foreign language and know cultural conventions
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Possess insight into
the workings of international systems of trade, national
and global economies, currency exchange, trade barriers
and market analyses
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Know how to work effectively
in teams and individually for high productivity
-
Feel comfortable developing
plans, analyses, and evaluations, and presenting them
in front of a large group of people
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Have a concentration
on a specific region and a practical area of business
-
Gain an ability to
thrive under pressure and take on adversity of all kinds
-
Create ideas tailored
to specific markets based on cultural sensitivities
-
Hold a working knowledge
of the laws that govern international trade
Future world leaders in business are emerging from this
evolving, fast-paced and demanding education track. Time
to get up to speed and climb aboard!
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