International Business
This co-major supports a primary Carlson School major by providing students with exposure to international breadth in areas such as economics and globalization and deepens their knowledge of a given region by a semester study abroad, language proficiency, and coursework specific to where they are studying. The student learns how business is done within a culture and the importance of understanding the nuances of working across multiple cultures. Recognizing that career placement and early stage career success depends on strong skills (e.g. accounting, marketing, finance, human resources, operations, information systems, or entrepreneurship), the international business major must be combined with another major in Carlson. Students who desire to work in international business will often begin in their primary major and with experiences and language skills, move into roles where they have responsibility for working with partners or offices internationally.
Co-Major Curriculum
Co-Major Requirements:
Note: ALL courses for the major must be taken as A-F grading.
I. Language Study Requirement
At least two college years (four semesters) of a foreign language (or equivalent) and must be A-F grading.
II. International Business Foundations: 4 Courses
MGMT 3040: 2 Credits; The International Environment of Business (must be taken at the Carlson School; ideally before your semester abroad; prereq: MGMT 1001 or 3001)
MGMT 4500: 2 Credits; Senior Seminar in International Business (must be taken at the Carlson School and is to be completed after your semester abroad)
- AND -
Choose TWO of the following:
| Course | Credits | Title & Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT 5310 | 2 | International Accounting (prereq: ACCT 5101, 5102 or concurrent) |
| FINA 4621 | 2 | The Global Economy (prereq: FINA 3001) |
| FINA 4622 | 2 | International Finance (prereq: FINA 3001, 4121, 4221) |
| MGMT 3900 | 3 | International Business Communication |
| MGMT 4031 | 2 | Industry Analysis in a Global Context (prereq: MGMT 3004) |
| MKTG 4080W | 4 | CAPSTONE: Marketing Strategy: Taking a Global Perspective (prereq: MKTG 3010, 3040 and 12 MKTG elective credits) |
| IBUS 3010 (abroad) | 4 | Global Entrepreneurship in Cuba |
| IBUS 3055 (abroad) | 4 | Innovating with Technology: Global IT Entrepreneurship in Action |
| IBUS 3080 (abroad) | 4 | Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility in Costa Rica |
| IBUS 3090 (abroad) | 4 | Striving for Equity in International Business |
| IBUS 4050 (abroad) | 4 | Managing Innovation and Change: Sustainability in Brazil (prereq: MGMT 3001 or 3010) |
| IBUS 4082W (abroad) | 4 | Brand Management in Italy (prereq: MKTG 3010, 3040) |
| IBUS 4125 (abroad) | 2 | Global Banking post-Financial Crisis in Europe |
| IDSC 3511 | 2 | Pitching Business Strategies (prereq: IDSC 3001 or I-Core [completed or concurrent], or instructor consent) |
International major coursework may be taken abroad and must be approved by primary major faculty. For example, International Marketing and International Finance coursework may be taken abroad to fulfill Foundations requirements.
III. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT BREADTH: 2 Courses
Choose two courses from this category that are either on this list or approved to take abroad. Courses should be global and not focused on a specific region or topic.
| Course | Credits | Title & Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| AGRO 3203W | 3 | Environment, Global Food Production, and the Citizen |
| AMST 4301 | 3 | Workers and Consumers in the Global Economy |
| ANTH 3003 | 3 | Cultural Anthropology |
| ANTH 3005W | 4 | Language, Culture, and Power |
| ANTH 3212 | 3 | Globalization and Inequality |
| ANTH 4031W | 4 | Anthropology and Social Justice (prereq: ANTH 1003, 1005) |
| ANTH 4053 | 3 | Economy, Culture and Critique (prereq: APEC 3006 recommended) |
| ANTH 4121 | 2 | Business Anthropology |
| APEC 3007 | 3 | Applied Macroeconomics: Policy, Trade, Development (prereq: APEC 3006 recommended) |
| APEC 5751 | 3 | Global Trade & Policy (prereq: APEC 3001) |
| ECON 4307 | 3 | Comparative Economic Systems |
| ECON 4401 | 3 | International Economics (prereq: ECON 1101, 1102) |
| GCC 3001 | 3 | Grand Challenge: Can We Feed the World Without Destroying It? |
| GCC 3002 | 3 | Grand Challenge: Beyond Atrocity: Political Reconciliation, Collective Memories, & Justice |
| GCC 3003 | 3 | Grand Challenge: Seeking Solutions to Global Health Issues |
| GCC 3005 | 3 | Grand Challenge: Innovation for the Public Good: Post-Pandemic Venture Design |
| GCC 3017 | 3 | Grand Challenge: World Food Problems: Agronomics, Economics & Hunger |
| GCC 3031 | 3 | Grand Challenge: The Global Climate Challenge - Creating an Empowered Movement for Change |
| GCC 5008 | 3 | Grand Challenge: Policy and Science of Global Environment Change |
| GEOG 3331/GLOS 3231 | 4 | Geography of the World Economy |
| GEOG 3379/GLOS 3303 | 4 | Environment and Development in the Third World |
| GLOS 3415W | 3 | Global Institutions of Power: World Bank, IMF, and WTO |
| GLOS 3602 | 3 | Other Worlds: Globalization and Culture (prereq: GLOS 3101, 3144) |
| GLOS 3701W/GEOG 3381W | 4 | Population in an Interacting World |
| GLOS 4221/SOC 4321 | 3 | Sociology of Globalization: Culture, Norms, and Organizations |
| HIST 3419/GLOS 3219 | 3 | History of Capitalism: Uneven Development Since 1500 |
| POL 3410 | 3 | Topics in Comparative Politics: Intro to Political Economy (topics change, students should petition) |
| POL 3833 | 3 | The U.S. & The Global Economy |
| POL 3835 | 3 | International Relations |
| POL 3872W | 4 | Global Environment Cooperation |
| POL 3873W | 3 | Global Citizenship and International Ethics (prereq: POL 1054) |
| POL 4481 | 3 |
Governments & Markets (prereq: POL 1054) |
| SUST 3480 | 3 | COVID-19 and the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals: Resilience, Connections, and Threats |
IV. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT DEPTH: 2 Courses
Choose two courses in this area from the list below or approved from your study abroad program. They should be focused on a specific topic and/or region.
Students may choose to use a 3XXX level business second language course taken at the University of Minnesota or abroad as one of their depth classes. Classes chosen should align with your primary major or the country of your study abroad. These courses satisfying the IB Depth requirements may not be double dipped with the Business Foundations.
| Course | Credits | Title & Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT 5310 | 2 | International Accounting (prereq: ACCT 5101, 5102) |
| ANTH 3005W | 4 | Language, Culture, & Power |
| ANTH 3023/ALL 3676/GLOS 3961 | 3 | Culture and Society of India |
| EAS 3468/HIST 3468 | 3 | Social Change in Modern China |
| FINA 4621 | 2 | The Global Economy (prereq: FINA 3001) |
| FINA 4622 | 2 | International Finance (prereq: FINA 4121, 4221) |
| GEOG 3161/GLOS 3921 | 3 | Europe: A Geographic Perspective |
| GEOG 3379/GLOS 3303 | 3 | Environment & Development in the Third World |
| GEOG 3900 | 3 | The Geography of Latin America (Topics course—other titles will need to be petitioned) |
| GER 3651 | 3 | Thinking Environment: Green Culture, German Literature and Global Debates |
| GER 3655 | 3 | Control and Surveillance in Germany and the US |
| GLOS 3415W/SOC 3417W | 3 | Global Institutions of Power: World Bank, International Monetary Fund, & World Trade Organization |
| MGMT 3900 | 3 | International Business Communication |
| MKTG 4080W | 4 | CAPSTONE: Marketing Strategy: Taking a Global Perspective (prereq: MKTG 3010, 3040 and 12 MKTG elective credits) |
| MM 3001W | 3 | Manufacturing in a Global Economy |
| MM 4035 | 3 | Global Supply Chain Technology (prereq: MM 4102 or professional experience) |
| PA 4414 | 3 | Child Labor and Education |
| POL 3477 | 3-4 | Political Development |
| POL 4481 | 3 | Governments and Markets |
| PORT 3603W | 3 | Portuguese-Speaking Cultures in Translation |
| PSY 3301 | 3 | Cultural Psychology |
| OLPD 3380 | 3 | Developing Intercultural Competence |
| SCAN 3501W | 3 | Scandinavian Culture Past and Present |
| SPAN 3105W | 3 | Introduction to the Study of Hispanic Cultures |
| SPAN 3510 | 3 | Issues in Hispanic Cultures (topics change, students should petition) |
| Business Internship | 3-6 | Sydney, London, Rome, Madrid, Florence |
| Business Internship | 1 | Hong Kong, Singapore |
V. INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT
Students need to study abroad for a semester for the IB major. F-1 visa holders will have this requirement fulfilled.
To Petition Courses:
- Meet with your adviser to discuss possible courses and the petition process if these courses have not already been reviewed
- For Breadth: Courses should be global and not focused on a specific region or topic.
- For Depth: Courses should be focused on a specific topic and/or region.
Please note that all classes are not offered every semester. Please check the class schedule on One Stop for details.
View Program Requirements and Course Descriptions
This major must be completed along with another major in the Carlson School.
Minor Curriculum
International Business Minor: 12 - 16 credits
I. International Business Foundations: 3 Courses
MGMT 3040: 2 Credits; The International Environment of Business (must be taken at the Carlson School; prereq: MGMT 1001 or 3001)
- AND -
Choose TWO of the following:
| Course | Credits | Title & Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT 5310 | 2 | International Accounting (prereq: ACCT 5101, 5102 or concurrent) |
| FINA 4621 | 2 | The Global Economy (prereq: FINA 3001) |
| FINA 4622 | 2 | International Finance (prereq: FINA 3001, 4121, 4221) |
| MGMT 3900 | 3 | International Business Communication |
| MGMT 4031 | 2 | Industry Analysis in a Global Context |
| MGMT 4500 | 2 | Senior Seminar in International Business (prereq: semester abroad) |
| MKTG 4080W | 4 | CAPSTONE: Marketing Strategy: Taking a Global Perspective (prereq: MKTG 3010, 3040 and 12 MKTG elective credits) |
| IBUS 3010 (abroad) | 4 | Global Entrepreneurship in Cuba |
| IBUS 3080 (abroad) | 4 | Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility in Costa Rica |
| IBUS 3090 (abroad) | 4 | Striving for Equity in International Business |
| IBUS 3055 (abroad) | 3 | Innovating with Technology: Global IT Entrepreneurship in Action |
| IBUS 4050 (abroad) | 4 | Managing Innovation and Change: Sustainability in Brazil (prereq: MGMT 3001 or 3010) |
| IBUS 4082W (abroad) | 4 | Brand Management in Italy (prereq: MKTG 3010, 3040) |
| IBUS 4125 (abroad) | 2 | Global Banking post-Financial Crisis in Europe |
| IDSC 3511 | 2 | Pitching Business Strategies |
International major coursework may be taken abroad and must be approved by primary major faculty. For example, International Marketing and International Finance coursework may be taken abroad to fulfill Foundations requirements.
II. International Environment Breadth: 2 Courses
Choose two courses from this category that are either on this list or approved to take abroad. Courses should be global and not focused on a specific region or topic.
Students may choose to use a depth course from the International Business co-major for one requirement in this section. A student may choose one depth and one breadth, or two breadth. Business language courses are an option for the IB minor as a depth offering.
| Course | Credits | Title & Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| AGRO 3203W | 3 | Environment, Global Food Production, and the Citizen |
| AMST 4301 | 3 | Workers and Consumers in the Global Economy |
| ANTH 3003 | 3 | Cultural Anthropology |
| ANTH 3005W | 4 | Language, Culture, and Power |
| ANTH 3212 | 3 | Globalization and Inequality |
| ANTH 4031W | 4 | Anthropology and Social Justice (prereq: ANTH 1003, 1005) |
| ANTH 4053 | 3 | Economy, Culture and Critique (prereq: APEC 3006 recommended) |
| ANTH 4121 | 2 | Business Anthropology |
| APEC 3007 | 3 | Applied Macroeconomics: Policy, Trade, Development (prereq: APEC 3006 recommended) |
| APEC 5751 | 3 | Global Trade & Policy (prereq: APEC 3001) |
| ECON 4307 | 3 | Comparative Economic Systems |
| ECON 4401 | 3 | International Economics (prereq: ECON 1101, 1102) |
| GCC 3001 | 3 | Grand Challenge: Can We Feed the World Without Destroying It? |
| GCC 3002 | 3 | Grand Challenge: Beyond Atrocity: Political Reconciliation, Collective Memories, & Justice |
| GCC 3003 | 3 | Grand Challenge: Seeking Solutions to Global Health Issues |
| GCC 3005 | 3 | Grand Challenge: Global Venture Design: What Impact Will You Make? |
| GCC 3017 | 3 | Grand Challenge: World Food Problems: Agronomics, Economics & Hunger |
| GCC 3031 | 3 | Grand Challenge: The Global Climate Challenge - Creating an Empowered Movement for Change |
| GCC 5008 | 3 | Grand Challenge: Policy and Science of Global Environment Change |
| GEOG 3331/GLOS 3231 | 4 | Geography of the World Economy |
| GEOG 3379/GLOS 3303 | 4 | Environment and Development in the Third World |
| GLOS 3415W | 3 | Global Institutions of Power: World Bank, IMF, and WTO |
| GLOS 3602 | 3 | Other Worlds: Globalization and Culture (prereq: GLOS 3101, 3144) |
| GLOS 3701W/GEOG 3381W | 4 | Population in an Interacting World |
| GLOS 4221/SOC 4321 | 3 | Sociology of Globalization: Culture, Norms, and Organizations |
| HIST 3419/GLOS 3219 | 3 | History of Capitalism: Uneven Development Since 1500 |
| POL 3410 | 3 | Topics in Comparative Politics: Intro to Political Economy (topics change, students should petition) |
| POL 3833 | 3 | The U.S. & The Global Economy |
| POL 3835 | 3 | International Relations |
| POL 3872W | 4 | Global Environment Cooperation |
| POL 3873W | 3 | Global Citizenship and International Ethics (prereq: POL 1054) |
| POL 4481 | 3 |
Governments & Markets (prereq: POL 1054) |
III. International Experience Requirement
An international experience that meets the Carlson School requirements of all students will fulfill the minor requirement.
IV. Language Study Requirement
Additional language beyond high school is highly recommended, but not required for the minor.
Please note that all classes are not offered every semester. Please check the class schedule on One Stop for details.
Career
A career in international business involves thinking globally about the business environment. A global mindset involves a multifaceted approach to understanding cultural differences, governing bodies, and financial variances that are experienced in the international market place. International business primarily deals with managing multinational business and turning local and national companies into international success stories.
Sample Careers for International Business Majors:
- Customs Broker
- Export Sales Representative
- Global Sourcing Specialist
- International Account Representative
- International Buyer
- Product Manager
- International Trader/Broker
Companies that Hire International Business Majors:
There are many different types of companies that hire international business majors. Typical companies include most multinational companies, U.S. companies with an international presence, or companies that do business outside of the United States.
Sample Plans
Contact Undergraduate Program
- Email: CarlsonUG@umn.edu