Business Administration: International Business Bachelor of Science Degree

In this international business degree you’ll understand the financial, political, cultural, and economic environments that influence an organization’s business strategy and performance in a globally connected world.

Overview for Business Administration: International Business BS

This program is no longer accepting new student applications.

Students interested in studying international business and leadership in a global economy are encouraged to explore the BS in global business management.

As the world continues to become more globally connected, the need to do business internationally becomes increasingly important. The international business degree prepares you to handle all commercial transactions – from private and government to sales and investments – that take place between two or more nations.

The international business degree provides you with the analytical tools and conceptual framework needed to understand the international financial, political, and economic environment, and how that environment influences an organization’s global strategy and performance. In RIT’s international business degree, you will leverage the strength of RIT’s global campuses in China, Croatia, Dubai, and Kosovo, as well as a comprehensive study abroad program to gain experience living, working, or studying in hundreds of countries around the world.

RIT’s International Business Degree

Students in the BS in international business develop the foundation necessary to understand and conduct cross-border and global business. Proficiency in a foreign language is a requirement of the major. You may fulfill this requirement by completing a minor in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, or Spanish. Students with fluency in one foreign language can request to waive the requirement or they may choose to study a second foreign language. A co-major or a minor is chosen in one of the following areas: accounting, entrepreneurship, finance, management, management information systems, marketing, or supply chain management. This combination assures that you have a well rounded foundation in business with a solid understand of the significance of cultural and geographic influences on global as well as local commerce.

Jobs in International Business

International business positions include substantial personal and professional benefits. Graduates of the BS in international business are employed by major global corporations, including Constellation Brands, Capital One, and more. Overseas assignments typically bring long hours and hard work, yet the reward of upward mobility within the corporate world continues to lure young executives to global assignments.

Accelerated 4+1 MBA

An accelerated 4+1 MBA option is available to students enrolled in any of RIT’s undergraduate programs. RIT’s accelerated bachelor’s/master’s degrees can help you prepare for your future faster by enabling you to earn both a bachelor’s and an MBA in as little as five years of study.

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Curriculum for 2024-2025 for Business Administration: International Business BS

Current Students: See Curriculum Requirements

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Business Administration: International Business, BS degree, typical course sequence

Course		Sem. Cr. Hrs.
First Year
ACCT-110	Financial Accounting An introduction to the way in which corporations report their financial performance to interested stakeholders such as investors and creditors. Coverage of the accounting cycle, generally accepted accounting principles, and analytical tools help students become informed users of financial statements. (This course is available to RIT degree-seeking undergraduate students.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).	3
ACCT-210	Management Accounting Introduction to the use of accounting information by managers within a business. Explores the value of accounting information for the planning and controlling of operations, assessing the cost of a product/service, evaluating the performance of managers, and strategic decision making. (Prerequisites: ACCT-110 or NACC-205 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).	3
ECON-101	General Education – Global Perspective: Principles of Microeconomics Microeconomics studies the workings of individual markets. That is, it examines the interaction of the demanders of goods and services with the suppliers of those goods and services. It explores how the behavior of consumers (demanders), the behavior of producers (suppliers), and the level of market competition influence market outcomes. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).	3
ECON-201	General Education – Elective: Principles of Macroeconomics Macroeconomics studies aggregate economic behavior. The course begins by presenting the production possibilities model. This is followed by a discussion of basic macroeconomic concepts including inflation, unemployment, and economic growth and fluctuations. The next topic is national income accounting, which is the measurement of macroeconomic variables. The latter part of the course focuses on the development of one or more macroeconomic models, a discussion of the role of money in the macroeconomy, the aggregate supply-aggregate demand framework, and other topics the individual instructor may choose. (Prerequisites: ECON-101 or completion of one (1) 400 or 500 level ECON course.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).	3
MGIS-101	Computer-based Analysis This course provides students with hands-on experience with the analytical software tools and techniques that are used in today's businesses. Emphasis will be placed on the application of spreadsheet models for supporting management decision-making. A variety of spreadsheet-based cases in market research, financial analysis, accounting applications and other business domains will be utilized to show how to effectively analyze and solve business problems using the spreadsheet tool. (This course is available to RIT degree-seeking undergraduate students.) Lecture 1 (Fall).	1
MGIS-130	Information Systems & Technology To be successful in our globally-networked business environment, contemporary management professionals must have a strong grounding in the principles of information and information technology. This course provides an introduction to the field of management information systems (MIS), including the tools and techniques for managing information and information technologies within organizations. We place a particular emphasis on the nature of systems, the role of information in business processes, the management of data, and the planning of MIS design projects. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).	3
MGMT-101	Business 1: Ideas and Business Planning This is the first of a two-course sequence, 4 credit year long experience, comprising the freshman-integrated experience. In Business 1, students will be introduced to the key functional areas of business, discuss current factors, events, and trends that impact business, build professional, personal leadership, communication, and teamwork skills, and evaluate business decisions, and the business plan process. By understanding the key functions of business and analyzing business decisions in Business 1, students will be able to then develop their own business ideas in Business 2. Lecture 3 (Fall).	3
MGMT-102	Business 2: Business Planning and Professional Development This course, the second in the First-year Business 4 Credit Experience, applies business and technology tools to create a modified business plan. Supported by guest speakers on a variety of professional development topics, along with student and professional mentors, students in this project-centered course use the Business Model Canvas innovation tool and learn to identify and communicate the nine key elements of a business model. Students will complete a team project that outlines the business case for a new product or service to address a selected challenge or opportunity. Student teams present a business case in both a one-page document and a 10-minute presentation pitch. (Prerequisites: MGMT-101 or MGMT-150 or equivalent course.) Lecture 1 (Fall, Spring).	3
STAT-145	General Education – Mathematical Perspective A: Introduction to Statistics I This course introduces statistical methods of extracting meaning from data, and basic inferential statistics. Topics covered include data and data integrity, exploratory data analysis, data visualization, numeric summary measures, the normal distribution, sampling distributions, confidence intervals, and hypothesis testing. The emphasis of the course is on statistical thinking rather than computation. Statistical software is used. (Prerequisites: Any 100 level MATH course, or NMTH-260 or NMTH-272 or NMTH-275 or (NMTH-250 with a C- or better) or a Math Placement Exam score of at least 35.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).	3
STAT-146	General Education – Mathematical Perspective B: Introduction to Statistics II This course is an elementary introduction to the topics of regression and analysis of variance. The statistical software package Minitab will be used to reinforce these techniques. The focus of this course is on business applications. This is a general introductory statistics course and is intended for a broad range of programs. (Prerequisites: STAT-145 or equivalent course.) Lecture 6 (Fall, Spring, Summer).	4
YOPS-10	RIT 365: RIT Connections RIT 365 students participate in experiential learning opportunities designed to launch them into their career at RIT, support them in making multiple and varied connections across the university, and immerse them in processes of competency development. Students will plan for and reflect on their first-year experiences, receive feedback, and develop a personal plan for future action in order to develop foundational self-awareness and recognize broad-based professional competencies. (This class is restricted to incoming 1st year or global campus students.) Lecture 1 (Fall, Spring).	0
	General Education – First Year Writing (WI)	3
Second Year
COMM-253	General Education – Elective: Communication An introduction to communication contexts and processes emphasizing both conceptual and practical dimensions. Participants engage in public speaking, small group problem solving and leadership, and writing exercises while acquiring theoretical background appropriate to understanding these skills. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).	3
FINC-220	Financial Management Basic course in financial management. Covers business organization, time value of money, valuation of securities, capital budgeting decision rules, risk-return relation, Capital Asset Pricing Model, financial ratios, global finance, and working capital management. (Prerequisites: (ECON-101 or ECON-201) and ACCT-110 and (STAT-145 or STAT-251 or CQAS-251 or MATH-251 or MATH-252 or STAT-205) or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).	3
INTB-225	General Education – Elective: Global Business Environment Being an informed global citizen requires an understanding of the global business environment. Organizations critical to the development of the global business environment include for-profit businesses, non-profits, governmental, non-governmental, and supranational agencies. This course introduces students to the interdependent relationships between organizations and the global business environment. A holistic approach is used to examine the diverse economic, political, legal, cultural, and financial systems that influence both organizations and the global business environment. (This course is available to RIT degree-seeking undergraduate students.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).	3
INTB-315	Exporting and Global Sourcing The practice of international business is detailed-oriented and complex as cross-border trade and investment is subject to various market forces and government regulations. In this course students will study the issues of compliance, risk assessment, sources of international information, logistical complexities and intermediaries, and international payments and financing. The course will develop students with the necessary knowledge base and skills to become successful in the practice of cross border transactions. (Prerequisites: INTB-225 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).	3
MATH-161	General Education – Elective: Applied Calculus This course is an introduction to the study of differential and integral calculus, including the study of functions and graphs, limits, continuity, the derivative, derivative formulas, applications of derivatives, the definite integral, the fundamental theorem of calculus, basic techniques of integral approximation, exponential and logarithmic functions, basic techniques of integration, an introduction to differential equations, and geometric series. Applications in business, management sciences, and life sciences will be included with an emphasis on manipulative skills. (Prerequisite: C- or better in MATH-101, MATH-111, MATH-131, NMTH-260, NMTH-272 or NMTH-275 or Math Placement Exam score greater than or equal to 45.) Lecture 4 (Fall, Spring).	4
MGMT-035	Careers in Business	0
MGMT-215	Organizational Behavior As an introductory course in managing and leading organizations, this course provides an overview of human behavior in organizations at the individual, group, and organizational level with an emphasis on enhancing organizational effectiveness. Topics include: individual differences, work teams, motivation, communication, leadership, conflict resolution, organizational culture, and organizational change. (This class is restricted to undergraduate students with at least 2nd year standing.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).	3
MKTG-230	Principles of Marketing An introduction to the field of marketing, stressing its role in the organization and society. Emphasis is on determining customer needs and wants and how the marketer can satisfy those needs through the controllable marketing variables of product, price, promotion and distribution. (This class is restricted to undergraduate students with at least 2nd year standing.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).	3
	Open Elective	3
	General Education – Artistic Perspective	3
	General Education – Social Perspective	3
Third Year
DECS-310	Operations Management A survey of operations and supply chain management that relates to both service- and goods- producing organizations. Topics include operations and supply chain strategies; ethical behavior; forecasting; product and service design, including innovation and sustainability; capacity and inventory management; lean operations; managing projects; quality assurance; global supply chains; and the impacts of technology. (Prerequisites: STAT-145 or MATH-251 or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).	3
MGMT-340	General Education – Ethical Perspective: Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility This course applies concepts of ethics to business at the macro level and at the micro level. At the macro level the course examines competing business ideologies exploring the ethical concerns of capitalism as well as the role of business in society. At the micro level the course examines the role of the manager in establishing an ethical climate with an emphasis on the development of ethical leadership in business organizations. The following topics are typically discussed: the stakeholder theory of the firm, corporate governance, marketing and advertising ethics, the rights and responsibilities of employees, product safety, ethical reasoning, business's responsibility to the environment, moving from a culture of compliance to a culture of integrity, and ethical leadership. (This class is restricted to undergraduate students with at least 2nd year standing.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).	3
	International Business Electives	6
	Co-major Courses§	6
	General Education – Natural Science Inquiry Perspective†	3
	General Education – Immersion 1, 2	6
	General Education – Elective (International)	3
Fourth Year
INTB-550	Global Entry and Competition Strategies (WI-PR) This course explores the opportunities and challenges businesses encounter creating and capturing value in the global environment. Areas of emphasis include: forecasting markets; why firms globalize; analyzing global competitors; the degree of globalization or regionalization; creating value for the firm globally which includes entry mode management, location decisions and timing, role of technology; and how to operate. (Prerequisites: INTB-225 or equivalent course and 4th year standing.) Lecture 3 (Spring).	3
MGMT-560	Strategic Management A capstone course drawing upon major business functions—accounting, finance, marketing, operations management, and organizational theory and how strategic managers integrate functional theories and concepts to create competitive advantage. The course provides an integrated perspective of business organizations toward the achievement of enhanced profitability and a sustainable competitive advantage. Topics include the analysis of business environments, industry attractiveness, and competitive dynamics. Students learn how to formulate and implement effective business-level, corporate-level, and global strategies using theories, cases and a simulation. (Prerequisites: MGMT-215 and MKTG-230 and FINC-220 and DECS-310 or equivalent courses.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).	3
	Open Elective	3
	Co-major Courses§	6
	General Education – Scientific Principles Perspective	3
	General Education – Immersion 3	3
	General Education – Elective (International)	3
	General Education – Electives	6
Total Semester Credit Hours		123

Please see General Education Curriculum (GE) for more information.

Please see Wellness Education Requirement for more information. Students completing bachelor's degrees are required to complete two different Wellness courses.

Students must also complete one semester of cooperative education. Students will strengthen their co-major by adding three semesters of foreign language and two regional studies courses.

† Students will satisfy this requirement by taking either a 3 or 4 credit hour lab science course. If a science course consists of separate lecture and laboratory sections, students must take both the lecture and lab portions to satisfy the requirement.

§ Students may choose to substitute a minor in an area in which a co-major is available (but not a non-business minor or the Business Administration minor). Substituting a minor for a co-major should not require an additional semester of study. Students using a minor to substitute for the co-major may need to take additional open electives in lieu of a co-major course.

International Business Electives

ECON-449	Comparative Economic Systems
FINC-420	Finance in a Global Environment Discusses the problems posed by the international financial environment in which corporations operate. In particular, students learn to quantify and manage risks arising from shifting exchange rates. Other topics include exchange rate systems, international trade finance, international capital budgeting, country risk analysis, and long-term international financing. (Prerequisites: FINC-220 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).
INTB-300	Cross-Cultural Management This course explores the key implementation issues facing global businesses and those firms wishing to expand into the global arena. An emphasis is placed on issues related to the topic of culture. The course examines its impact on management, individuals, groups, and how it affects organizational performance. Leadership styles, in the cross-cultural context, will be deconstructed as will communication, decision-making, negotiation, and motivation. (Prerequisites: INTB-225 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
INTB-310	Regional Business Studies An introduction to the most important and the fast growing economic entities to the students such as the European Union, China, India, and Brazil. The course introduces the idiosyncratic competitive environment in these major economies, the unique business models of the local ventures, and the business opportunities and the hidden risks in these markets. The course will also develop students with the necessary knowledge base and skills to compete with and in these major economies. (Prerequisites: INTB-225 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Biannual).
INTB-320	Global Marketing
INTB-489	Seminar in International Business Current issues in IB are the focus of the course. Topics include but not are limited to current international business trends, development, and other topics at the instructor's discretion. (Prerequisites: INTB-225 or equivalent course and 3rd year standing.) Lecture 3 (Fall).

International General Education Electives

ANTH-240	Muslim Youth Cultures
ANTH-275	Global Islam This course examines the spread of Islam beyond its origins in the Middle East, and the cultural and social clashes, but also the mutual adjustments that have followed. This course explores core tenets of Islam, but also how its practices and beliefs are altered as practitioners in different countries alternately adopt, co-opt, massage, react to, and reject elements in accordance with the meaningful social, cultural, and political lives they build for themselves. The compatibility of Islam with Western society is often debated in contemporary public discourse. This debate is typically marked by an assumption that Islamic beliefs clash with Western secular democratic ideals, an assumption which results in tensions over mosque building, headscarves, and other public signs of Islamic faith. We will explore the diverse ways of being Muslim from a cross-cultural perspective and the sometimes-challenging negotiation of fulfilling these religious tenets while living in Muslim-minority places. Lecture 3 (Fall or Spring).
ANTH-365	Culture and Politics in the Middle East With a focus on everyday life in families, communities, and nations, we examine the diverse cultures and peoples of the Middle East in the context of political and economic forces that have shaped their lives in the past and present. We examine European colonialism and its modern-day legacies, including ethnic inequalities, economic vulnerability, labor migration, urbanism, and social unrest. We look at how art, music, oral traditions, and literatures have engaged critically with the forces of political change and neo-colonialism. We consider political activism, religious diversity, changing experiences and expectations of women and men, rebellion, revolution, and war, and the impacts of and creative responses to globalization. The cultural, political, social, and religious dynamics of Middle Eastern peoples will be discussed from a humanistic perspective. Lecture 3 (Fall or Spring).
HIST-170	Twentieth Century Europe This course examines major themes and controversies in European history from 1900 to the present, placing particular emphasis on the early 20th century crisis of liberal democracy and the political alternatives proposed to parliamentary government: right-wing nationalism, communism, and fascism. Topics will include: the impact of World War I on European societies and politics; Popular Front movements in France and Spain; eugenics and the Nazi racial state; the Holocaust; occupation and resistance during World War II; decolonization; student rebellions in 1968; Cold War domestic politics; and the reshaping of post-communist and post-colonial Europe. Special attention will be placed racial politics and immigration, state surveillance regimes, and European debates over the Americanization and globalization of European cultures. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
HIST-261	History of Modern China China occupies a rather large place in the consciousness of most Americas. It is the most populous country in the world, it has one of the biggest economies in the world and, in many ways, China has been seen to be in direct competition with America. Whatever the truth of these ideas, it is clear that China will play a major role on the world stage for the foreseeable future. This class will seek to analyze the historical circumstances surrounding the rise of modern China. What were the conditions that led to the establishment of, first, Nationalist China, followed by the People's Republic; why did the communist government enjoy such popular support; what were China's relations with the outside world; and finally, what is the state of China today? These are all questions that we will seek to answer in this course. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
HIST-265	History of Modern Japan This course will seek to examine critically the history and culture of Japan and will address many of the stereotypes and misunderstandings that are an inevitable part of Japanese studies. We will do this by examining a number of materials such as primary documents in translation, Japanese films, and art such as woodblock prints. In doing so, I will try to present as complete and balanced a picture of Japan's history and culture as possible. This will not only be useful in understanding Japan and its past, but will also help in understanding many of the important regional issues that are confronting us here in the modern world. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
HIST-270	History of Modern France This course explores pivotal themes in French history from the French Revolution of 1789 to the present. Topics will include the French Revolution, Napoleon III's Second Empire, French imperialism, World War I and nationalism, World War II and the Vichy regime, collaboration and resistance, and the 1968 student rebellions. Special emphasis will be placed on the recurring tension between secularism and Catholicism in French society, the role of French republicanism in shaping historic and contemporary debates about citizenship, race, and immigration, and France's relationship with its former colonial possessions and the United States. Lecture 3 (Fall).
HIST-280	History of Modern Germany This course covers major themes in German history from the formation of the German Empire in 1870 to the present. Topics include nation building and nationalism, industrialization and urbanization, imperialism at home and abroad, the first world war, the Weimar Republic, Nazi racism and the second world war, the divided Germany and the Cold War, and reunification and the fall of the Berlin Wall. The course may focus on specific questions such as gender, class, religion or race and ethnicity. This course leads you to explore how German history shaped the role of Germans and Germany in the world today as well as how it informs problems facing other regions and eras. Lecture 3 (Fall).
HIST-365	Conflict of Modern East Asia The 20th century has sometimes been called the Pacific Century, which is ironic since this period of time has been anything but pacific! The twentieth century saw the rise of four great pacific powers; the U.S., Japan, China, and the Soviet Union, and saw the eclipse of several others, including the British and French Empires. Furthermore a major front of the Cold War was played out on the Asian continent, namely the Korean and Vietnam wars, as well as the U.S. standoff with Communist China. And of course the Second World War, the greatest concentrated period of human destruction, played out at the midpoint of the twentieth century. This class will analyze these conflicts both as conflicts in and of themselves, but will also look at the backdrop against which these conflicts were played out. Beginning with the subjugation of China in the 19th century, our class will examine the many conflicts that defined this region through the end of the twentieth century. Lecture 3 (Fall or Spring).
HIST-462	East-West Encounters The Age of Discovery, beginning in the 15th century and culminating with the advent of European imperialism, is one of the most fascinating, as well as problematic, periods in the history of both Asia and Europe. Too often historians frame the interaction between Asia and Europe in uniquely European terms and present Asia as a passive partner in this process of discovery. In fact, this period presents us with a number of complex issues such as national identity, the nature of European expansion, and the Asian response to European journeys to the East. This course will undertake to re-examine the age of discovery not only from a European point of view, but also from an Asian standpoint. In the process, we will see how many of the issues that we are facing in the region are products of a long and complex relationship between Europe and Asia. Students will also examine the issues that have arisen between the east and the west in the twentieth century and that continue into our own time. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
POLS-350	Politics of East Asia This course examines the East-Asian countries using the following comparative criteria as the organizing guidelines: modern political history of the country, political economy and development, governance and policy making, representation and participation, as well as major domestic and foreign policy issues. The political prospects of the countries for the 21st century will be analyzed and discussed. Lecture 3 (Fall).