International Business (BA)
Career choices in International Business include working in foreign countries for businesses, non-profit organizations, or government agencies, or working within the US for organizations that operate internationally. All functional areas of business are relevant to International Business.
Program Mission
The mission of the International Business Program is to develop graduates who add value to an enterprise by applying their knowledge of business and international business theory and practice, communicating persuasively, and acting with character and compassion. Graduates of the International Business program will be able to understand, respect, and work effectively in international and intercultural interactions with people whose thoughts and values differ from their own; will know geopolitical forces, events, and trends, both historic and current; and will be able to navigate the ambiguity and uncertainty that characterize international and intercultural interactions.
Program Outcomes
- Graduates will be able to use professional-quality business communication skills to persuade or inform a specific audience regarding a business issue, mindful of the cultures and values of diverse stakeholders.
- Graduates will be able to act with consistency and integrity, while acknowledging the inherent dignity of all human persons, to influence others and contribute to the greater good by following the model of Jesus Christ.
- Graduates will be able to understand, interpret, identify strengths and weaknesses, and plan for future improvement of an organization’s performance (financial, operational, etc.) by gathering and analyzing relevant quantitative data.
- Graduates will be able to identify internal and external problems and prospects relevant to an organization’s existence (emphasizing social-societal, economic, technological, political-legal, and global issues), and plan for future improvement by persuading internal and external stakeholders to take and support appropriate and ethical action.
- Graduates will be able to analyze complex and ambiguous international business situations and take appropriate action, applying international business theory and tools in accordance with contemporary professional international business practice.
Graduation Requirements for a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Requirements Common to All Majors in the School of Business: Accounting, Finance, International Business, Management, and Marketing
All B.A. candidates in Accounting, Finance, International Business, Management, and Marketing must satisfy the following requirements:
- The candidate must complete the General Education requirements of the College. (See Academic Regulations and Procedures in the Course Catalog.)
- The candidate must complete all courses required for the degree from the School of Business with an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher. Courses required for the degree are grouped in three categories known as the Common Body of Knowledge (common to all Business majors), the Major Requirements (specific to each degree), and the Capstone Curriculum (common to all Business majors). The list of courses in each category is as follows:
- The nine Common Body of Knowledge courses:
Course List Code Title Hours BUSI-2650 Business Statistics 3 or MATH-1220 Introductory Statistics MGMT-2250 Prin of Business Management 3 ACCT-2090 Principles of Financial Accounting 3 ACCT-2100 Principles of Managerial Accounting 3 ECON-2090 Principles of Macroeconomics 3 ECON-2100 Principles of Microeconomics 3 BUSI-3710 Legal Environment of Business 3 MKTG-3100 Principles of Marketing 3 FINC-3100 Principles of Finance 3 Total Hours 27
- The nine Common Body of Knowledge courses:
b. The Major Requirements for Accounting, Finance, International Business, Management, or Marketing. (See below.)
c. The three components of the Capstone Curriculum:
BUSI-4900 Strategic Management BUSI-4850 Seminr on Executive Writing and Communic, BUSI-4860 Seminr on Ethics & Morality for Bus Prof. (It is important for students and advisors to note that THEO-2000 Christian Moral Life and PHIL-3250 Ethics are prerequisites for this Seminar.)
3. Policy Statements:
a. Students may petition for more than one major in the School of Business (e.g., a student may double major in Accounting and Finance, or double major in Finance and Marketing, etc.). Students who petition for the International Business major must declare a co-major within the School of Business (e.g. Accounting, Finance, Management, or Marketing).
b. The minor in Business Administration is not available to majors in the School of Business. However, the minors in Accounting, Finance, and Entrepreneurship are available to majors in the School of Business.
c. For students who transfer to Benedictine College and are accepted as a major, the School of Business reserves the right to determine which transferred courses will satisfy the requirements of a major. This determination will be based on a careful review of previous course content and rigor.
Program Requirements
In addition to the ten Common Body of Knowledge courses and the four components of the Capstone Curriculum, the major requirements for a B.A. in International Business are as follows:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BUSI-4250 | International & Global Environment Busin | 3 |
| MGMT-3250 | International Management & Culture | 3 |
| MGMT-4660 | Operations & Logistics Management | 3 |
| FINC-4900 | International Finance | 3 |
| MKTG-4810 | International Marketing | 3 |
| BUSI-3901 & BUSI-3902 | Student International Business Council 1 and Student International Business Council 2 | 2 |
| One international related elective selected from upper courses in business, economics, modern foreign language, political science, or another allied field approved by the department chair. | 3 | |
| INTB-COMP | Senior Comprehensive Exam | 0 |
| A declared co-major within the School of Business (e.g. Accounting, Finance, Management, or Marketing). | ||
| Total Hours | 20 | |
The student must gain exposure to the culture of another country through completion of a for-credit study abroad program of at least 60 days or a similar immersion experience in another country approved by the Director of the School of Business, or attain proficiency in a Foreign Language to include three courses (or 12 hours) beyond 2040. Proficiency requires a C– or better grade in each course. For French, these courses should include FREN-3040 Introduction to French Literature and two additional upper-level courses. For Spanish, these courses should include SPAN-3040 Introduction to Hispanic Lit & Lit Analy, SPAN-3400 Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics, and one additional upper-level course. For ESLG, these courses should include ESLG-2220 Advanced Composition & Research, ESLG-2930 Public Speaking, and one additional course above 2040. International students who seek the major already fluent in two or more languages (including English) may obtain approval from the Director of the School of Business for waiver of all or part of the language proficiency requirement.
Students who have previously resided in a country other than the United States for more than two consecutive years will be exempt from this requirement.
Suggested Sequence of Courses for a Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Business
The International Business co-major must be paired with a second business major. This sample 4-year plan uses the Management major as an illustration.
| Freshman Year | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | ||
| ENGL-1010 | English Composition | 3 |
| THEO-1100 | Introduction to Theology | 3 |
| EXSC-1115 | Wellness for Life | 1 |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| ACCT-2090 | Principles of Financial Accounting | 3 |
| Hours | 13 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| Aesthetic Foundation | 3 | |
| PHIL-2100 | Principles of Nature | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| THEO-2000 | Christian Moral Life 1 | 3 |
| BUSI-2650 | Business Statistics | 3 |
| ACCT-2100 | Principles of Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| Hours | 18 | |
| Sophomore Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| Historical Foundation | 3 | |
| Natural World Foundation | 4 | |
| ECON-2100 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| MGMT-2250 | Prin of Business Management | 3 |
| BUSI-3710 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
| EXSC Fitness Course | ||
| Hours | 16 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| Philosophical Inquiry Foundation | 3 | |
| Historical Foundation | 3 | |
| ECON-2090 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| MKTG-3100 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| FINC-3100 | Principles of Finance | 3 |
| BUSI-4850 | Seminr on Executive Writing and Communic | 1 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Junior Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| Study Abroad Immersion | ||
| Aesthetic Foundation | 3 | |
| Foreign Language | 4 | |
| Foreign Language | 4 | |
| Faith Foundation | 3 | |
| GNST-3000 | International Study Reflection & Practic | 1 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| PHIL-3250 | Ethics 1 | 3 |
| Natural World Foundation | 4 | |
| MGMT-3250 | International Management & Culture | 3 |
| Co-Major Required Course | 3 | |
| POLS-4010 | International Relations | 3 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Junior-Senior Year | ||
| INTB-4780 | Experiential Learning Recommended | 0 |
| Hours | 0 | |
| Senior Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| Co-Major Required Course | 3 | |
| Co-Major Required Course | 3 | |
| Co-Major Required Course | 3 | |
| MKTG-4810 | International Marketing | 3 |
| FINC-4900 | International Finance | 3 |
| MGMT-4660 | Operations & Logistics Management | 3 |
| Hours | 18 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| Co-Major Required Course | 3 | |
| Co-Major Required Course | 3 | |
| BUSI-4900 | Strategic Management | 3 |
| BUSI-4860 | Seminr on Ethics & Morality for Bus Prof | 1 |
| MGMT-4710 | International Business Law | 3 |
| ECON-3150 | International Economics | 3 |
| INTB-COMP | Senior Comprehensive Exam | 0 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Total Hours | 128 | |
- 1
Course required for the major.