Undergraduate Major & Minor - International Business

This co-major supports a primary Minnesota Carlson 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 completed with another major or co-major in the Carlson School of Management. 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. 

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A student poses in front of medieval buildings in Spain.

International Business students prepare for globalized world

Understanding business in a global context is especially imperative for students in the Twin Cities. With 17 multinational Fortune 500 companies, the Twin Cities are a hub for global business.

“I always tell my students that you can be as local a company as you can imagine, but you’ll always be influenced by the world,” said Madzar. “There are so many things going on in the world that can influence our economy, so you need to have a broader picture. We are all citizens of the world, even if we never move from our little town.”

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Co-Major Curriculum

There are three active curriculums for this co-major. Please be careful to select the link that matches the time frame that you entered Minnesota Carlson. If you are not sure which curriculum applies to you, connect with your academic advisor.

 

Curriculum for first-year students who entered prior to Fall 2022 & transfer students entered prior to Fall 2023.

Curriculum for first-year students who entered Fall 2022 and Spring 2023.

 

Curriculum for those entering Fall 2023 and later.

 

 

Minor Curriculum

View the full International Business Minor catalog:

International Business Minor Program Requirements and Course Descriptions

Four-year Plan

International Business Major Sample Plan

The APAS is the official method for tracking the completion of your specific degree requirements. Please be aware that there are multiple ways for students to progress through this major. This is just one sample. Students should work with their advisor to develop their individual plan. Note that students must complete an international experience as part of the program requirements. Explore your options: z.umn.edu/CarlsonIE. Review the notes at the bottom of the page for more details.

Italic: course pre-requisites and co-requisites (designated by &)

Bold: Liberal Ed requirement

Print Plan

Freshman Year

Fall Semester

  • Econ 1165 Business Economics (Soc Sci) (4cr)
  • BA 2551 Business Statistics in R (Math) (4cr)
  • BA 1011 Leading Self & Teams (2cr)
  • BA 1021 Design Your Life (1cr)
  • Language (5cr)

16 credits

Spring Semester

  • Acct 2051 Financial Reporting (4cr)
  • BA 2051 Solving Business Scenarios in Excel (2cr)
  • BA 2062 Powerful Problem Solving (2cr)
  • Writ 1301 First Year Writing (4cr)
  • Language (5cr)

17 credits

Sophomore Year

Fall Semester

Maroon Block I-Core

  • Mktg 3001 Principles of Marketing (3cr)
  • IDSc 3001 Information Systems & Digital Transformation (3cr)
  • BA 3001 Race, Power, & Justice in Business (RPJ) (3cr)
  • Acct 3001 Strategic Management Accounting (3cr)
  • Design Your Career (1cr)
  • BA 3051 Data-Driven Business Decisions (BA 2551 & BA 2051) (3cr)

16 credits

Spring Semester

Gold Block I-Core

  • Fina 3001 Finance Fundamentals (Acct 2051 & BA 2551) (3cr)
  • Mgmt 3004 Strategic Management (3cr)
  • SCO 3001 Sustainable Supply Chain Management (3cr)
  • HRIR 3021 Human Capital Management (3cr)
  • BA 3062 Impact Lab Project (BA 2062) (2cr)

14 credits

Declare a major: 
z.umn.edu/CarlsonDeclare

Junior Year

Fall Semester

  • BA 3551 Business Analytics (BA 2551 & BA 2051) (3cr)
  • Mgmt 3045 The International Environment of Firms (2cr)
  • Primary Major course (4cr)
  • Primary Major course (4cr)
  • BA 2005 Corporate Responsibility & Ethics (Civ) (3cr) 

16 credits

Spring Semester

Semester Abroad

  • Coursework may include courses toward the IB major, primary major, liberal education, or electives.

15 credits

Senior Year

Fall Semester

  • BA 3033W Business Communication (3cr)
  • Primary major course (4cr)
  • IB Breadth course (3cr)
  • IB Foundations course (2cr)
  • Mgmt 4505 Senior Seminar in International Business (2cr)
  • Liberal Ed (3cr)

17 credits

Spring Semester

  • IB Foundations course (3cr)
  • IB Depth course (3cr)
  • Primary major course (4cr)
  • Liberal Ed (4cr)
  • Liberal Ed (3cr)

17 credits

Total Credits Needed for Degree: 120

Aleah Anderson

I've always been passionate about exploring cultures and broadening my global perspective. I identified Carlson's International Business Co-Major program as an opportunity to embrace and deepen my understanding of the global opportunities made possible through business.

Aleah Anderson, '26 BSB

Major notes:

  • This major must be completed along with another major in Minnesota Carlson.
  • ALL courses for the major must be taken as A-F grading.
  • Students need to study abroad for at least one full semester for the International Business major. F-1 visa holders will have this requirement fulfilled.
  • Language Study Requirement: At least two college years (four semesters) of a foreign language (or equivalent) and must be A-F grading.
  • MGMT 3045 The International Environment of Firms: Must be taken at Carlson and ideally before your semester abroad.
  • MGMT 4505 Senior Seminar in International Business: Must be taken at Carlson and is to be completed after your semester abroad.
  • International Business major coursework may be taken abroad, but should be reviewed in advance.
  • To Petition Courses: Meet with your advisor to discuss possible courses and the petition process if these courses have not already been reviewed.

Minor notes:

  • Language Study Requirement: Additional language beyond high school is highly recommended, but not required for the minor.
  • An international experience that meets the Minnesota Carlson requirements of all students will fulfill the minor requirement.
  • MGMT 3045 The International Environment of Firms: Must be taken at Carlson

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 marketplace. 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/Orgs that hire International Business students:

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.

FIND MORE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS KEY CAREER INFO

Contact Undergraduate Program