The international business secondary major is designed to provide students with an understanding of the international business environment. Students are expected to develop an understanding of factors associated with international business issues as applied to the different functional areas of business. They will also develop skills to prepare themselves for business positions with international responsibilities. The major is designed to prepare students for employment in multinational companies and for business assignments beyond the United States.
Undergraduate Secondary Major in International Business
For undergraduate curriculum in business, secondary major in International Business.
Administered by the Department of Management.
International business is an undergraduate secondary major that may be taken only in conjunction with a primary major in business. Technical knowledge of international business will strengthen the expertise acquired with the primary major. Business students pursuing this major should strengthen their placement opportunities with companies that are engaged in international business and trade.
For students with a primary major in the Ivy College of Business, the requirements for this secondary major include 12 credits in international business courses, one year of the same university-level foreign language (minimum of 6 credits), an approved international experience, and completion of the requirements of their primary major in Business. Fifteen of the 18 credits required for the International Business major must not be used for the primary major.
Students interested in this major should meet with their academic adviser in the Undergraduate Programs Office. For information on potential international experiences, see the Ivy College of Business International Programs Coordinator, also located in the Undergraduate Programs Office.
Students are limited to three business majors/degrees within the Ivy College of Business, or a total of three business major/minors within the college. This limit is on business majors/degrees/minors only, and does not apply to multiple majors/degrees/minors taken outside the Ivy College of Business.
For more information on the undergraduate secondary major in International Business, please visit: https://www.ivybusiness.iastate.edu/undergraduate/majors-minors/international-business/
Undergraduate Minor in International Business
Students with a major in the Ivy College of Business may earn a minor in International Business by completing 15 credits of approved coursework and one year of foreign language study, and completion of an approved study tour course offered by the Ivy College of Business, or an approved study abroad/internship experience. The minor must include at least six credits in courses numbered 300 or above taken at Iowa State University with a grade of C or higher. The minor must include at least 9 credits that are not used to meet any other department, college, or university requirement. Students with declared majors have priority over students with declared minors in courses with space constraints.
| Select 12 CREDITS from the following list: | ||
| ACCT 496 | Accounting in the Global Economy | 3 |
| ECON 355 | International Trade and Finance | 3 |
| ECON 455 | International Trade | 3 |
| FIN 480 | International Finance | 3 |
| MGMT 367 | International Entrepreneurship * | 3 |
| MGMT 414 | International Management | 3 |
| MKT 448 | Global Marketing | 3 |
| MKT 492 | Comparative Marketing | 3 |
| POL S 381 | International Political Economy | 3 |
| SCM 466 | Global Trade Management * | 3 |
| SCM 491 | International Live Case and Study Tour | 3 |
| BUSAD 391B | Professional Experiential Learning: International Internship | 1 |
| BUSAD 391D | Professional Experiential Learning: International Travel and Study | 1 |
| * | Courses not offered on a regular basis. Students should consult with their academic adviser about terms of offering. |
| Select THREE CREDITS from above, or other course as approved. Other courses must include a significant content representing the international or regional, economic, political, legal, or non-US cultural context in which business is conducted. Below is a PARTIAL list of alternate courses. | ||
| AGRON 342 | World Food Issues: Past and Present | 3 |
| ECON 320 | Labor Economics | 3 |
| ECON 385 | Economic Development | 3 |
| ECON 457 | International Finance | 3 |
| POL S 241 | Democracy and Dictatorship: Introduction to Comparative Politics | 3 |
| POL S 251 | Introduction to International Politics | 3 |
| POL S 300+ Any Regional Politics course offered by the POL S department | ||
| Select ONE of the following four options for the international experience component: | ||
| a. One-year sequence of college foreign language (minimum of six credits), and one Ivy College of Business study tour course. | ||
| b. A study abroad experience of at least 12 weeks, with at least 12 credits of business or cultural-related courses. | ||
| c. A study abroad experience of six weeks, with at least six credits while in residence with a host family. | ||
| d. An approved international internship of at least 12 weeks in duration. | ||
NOTE: Students whose primary language (learned first) is not English may take a year of a third language, take six additional credits of English beyond ENGL 150, 250, and 302, or take two additional business-related courses from the approved lists.
Students are limited to three business majors/degrees within the Ivy College of Business, or a total of three business majors/minors within the college. This limit is on business majors/degrees/minors only, and does not apply to multiple majors/degrees/minors taken outside the Ivy College of Business.
For more information on the undergraduate minor in International Business, please visit: https://www.ivybusiness.iastate.edu/undergraduate/majors-minors/
Curriculum:
The requirements for the secondary major in International Business are met by successful completion of the following:
International Experience
An approved international experience must entail study abroad or an overseas internship. The minimum requirements are:
1) Any combination of study abroad programs or international internship* that total at least 6 weeks in length.
* The international internship requires pre-approval. Students who are neither United States (U.S.) citizens nor permanent residents are considered to be international students. International students are encouraged to find internships in the United States to meet this requirement. International students who are unable to find an internship in the U.S. may petition that an internship experience in their home country be approved. International transfer students who have studied a business curriculum in their home country for at least two semesters, and have at least 12 credits of transferable business courses, have met the international experience requirement. Petitions for pre-approval should be submitted to the International Programs Coordinator in 1200 Gerdin Business Building.
International Business and Related Courses (12 credits)
| Required Courses (6 credits): | ||
| MGMT 414 | International Management | 3 |
| MGMT 472 | Management of Diversity | 3 |
| Elective Courses (6 credits): | ||
| Select 3-6 credits from the following list of courses: | ||
| Accounting in the Global Economy | ||
| International Trade and Finance | ||
| International Finance | ||
| International Entrepreneurship * | ||
| Global Marketing | ||
| Comparative Marketing | ||
| International Political Economy | ||
| Global Trade Management * | ||
| International Live Case and Study Tour | ||
| Professional Experiential Learning: International Internship | ||
| Professional Experiential Learning: International Travel and Study | ||
| Select 0-3 credits from the following list of courses: | ||
| World Food Issues: Past and Present | ||
| Economic Development | ||
| International Trade | ||
POL S 300+: Any Regional Politics class offered by the POL S department | ||
| * | Courses not offered on a regular basis. Students should consult with their academic adviser about terms of offering. |
World Language (6 credits)
At least one year of the same university-level foreign language, or other language courses approved by the International Programs Coordinator in 1200 Gerdin Business Building. Students whose primary language (learned first) is not English may take two additional courses from the approved list.