Apr 20, 2024  
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

International Business Major (serves as a second major only with a BS in Business Administration)


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Global trade affects all businesses, even those focused on the domestic market. For students to succeed in this environment, they must have an understanding of cross-border political, legal, economic, social and financial issues. A worldwide perspective is necessary to meet the challenges of our current and developing global workplace, and a requisite knowledge and specialized skills are necessary to prosper in today’s global business environment.

A degree in International Business is designed to prepare students for an international career in variety of business fields. Haslam’s International Business degree is designed to accompany a second major within the Haslam College of Business, which equips them with specific functional skills that enhance their effectiveness as business professionals, while incorporating advanced foreign language requirements and a mandatory semester study abroad experience. Students will develop their international business knowledge, their intercultural fluencies, their technical functional skills, and their communication skills in both English and their chosen second language.

In addition to the double major, students are also required to complete a collateral in a foreign language. This collateral requires at least three courses at the 300+ level. Proficiency in a foreign language is integral to understanding social and historical nuances for foreign cultures. It also positions students to better integrate into their host countries and build meaningful working relationships and successful transcontinental careers.

Finally, students are also required to study abroad for a full semester in an approved destination and program. Through the study abroad requirement, students will gain a deeper knowledge, understanding, and open-mindedness for other cultures and their shared behaviors, beliefs and values. They will also develop different perspectives in regard to other nations and global issues while expanding their capacity to consider, appreciate, and analyze issues for different and even competing viewpoints.

Given the requirements for completion of all aspects of this degree, students must apply for and gain acceptance into the major to ensure appropriate and on-time progression through the coursework. Interested applicants should have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to ensure semester abroad viability. A typical application and selection process will occur in the first semester of the sophomore year, for full integration into the major beginning in the sophomore spring.

Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree with a major in International Business must have a primary major elsewhere within the Haslam College of Business.

The undergraduate major in international business includes the following:


Complete:


College Requirements


Curriculum

The curriculum coursework is divided into four components – general education, pre-business core, business core, and major.

The 58 hours of general education focus on all aspects of human endeavor – written and oral communications; mathematics; social, behavioral, and natural sciences; humanities; foreign language; ethics; and the arts. General education courses span the student’s entire academic career.

The pre-business core courses (17 hours) are taken during the student’s first and second year. The pre-business core provides students with the fundamentals of business education, introducing the tools, the environment, and the functions of contemporary business practices.

Building on the pre-business core foundation, the business core (17 hours) consists of integrated contemporary business management modules in supply chain management, demand management, lean operations, and information management; a discipline-specific course in financial management; coursework on legal issues, and a capstone experience integrating business strategy with a business simulation. As business management perspectives change, the topics in the business core will, by design, adapt.

Simultaneously, students are completing the coursework (27 hours) required by their chosen major. The Haslam College of Business offers nine majors – accounting, business analytics, economics, finance, human resource management, management, marketing, public administration, and supply chain management. Within the 27 hours of their major, students may study two areas of emphasis – their major with a collateral or their major with a concentration. With a collateral, students complete 18 hours in their major and 9 hours in their collateral area. With a concentration, students complete 15 hours in their major and 12 hours in their concentration area. See the chart in this section for details of the collateral and concentration options for each major. A minimum grade of C must be earned in every course counted toward the major, including major, collateral, or concentration courses.

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