International Business

Major in International Business

The major in international business is a multidisciplinary major within the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree. The Clarion International Business Program offers a multidisciplinary approach that provides instruction in all the areas of business education.  Cultural and language courses complement the business courses to provide you with an excellent skill package to offer potential employers upon graduation. 

Our international travel and student exchange experiences have sent students to over eight countries in the past year.  This year, international business students will be taking advantage of internship opportunities in Ecuador and Germany.  At Clarion we work with every international  business student on an individual basis to provide the type of international experience that is best suited for them, including those students with proficiencies in languages other than the main languages taught at Clarion University. 

Many of our faculty members travel regularly internationally to teach or consult.  Our faculty have taught recently in such countries as Russia, China, Bahrain, Sweden, Korea, and Peru.  These faculty members bring these experiences back to the classroom for the direct benefit of our students.

Why Choose International Business?

Demand is increasing in this country for people with the knowledge of the international environment within which the United States and foreign businesses operate.

Many domestically educated managers have been at a distinct disadvantage in the  international arena owing to their lack of language proficiency, international sensitivity, and multinational knowledge. These skills are necessary for effective interaction with foreign businesses and government officials.  The major in international business is designed to help remove these obstacles by creating a program of study that allows students to apply the knowledge and skills of the major to an international setting.

Program Requirements

In addition to general education, business core courses, and general academic standards, the major in international business has the following specific requirements. 

Requirement No. 1:
Course work in international business.  Students must complete a total of 18 credits in upper-division international business courses.

Requirement No. 2:
International cultural courses (6 credits).  Students must complete two courses (six credits) from the department's list of Approved Cultural Courses for the International Business Major.  This is not the same list as the College of Business Administration's official approved international course list.  This requirement for International Business Majors replaces and fulfils the six credit international course content requirement each BSBA student must complete.  See General Academic Standards for the BSBA degree. 

Requirement No. 3:
Foreign experience requirement.  Students may meet this requirements in a variety of ways, including completing BSAD 437: International Business Seminar; completing COOP 321/421: Internship in International Business working with a foreign or international firm, completing a foreign study abroad experience, or participating in one of the international language trips organized by the Modern Languages department.  Students who seek an internship in a foreign country are advised to take a commercial  language course and should be proficient in that language at Level II.  Students interested in an international internship or study-abroad experience to meet the requirements of the major need to begin their academic planning with their advisor early in their college career.  International internship opportunities are often awarded competitively and may not be available to all students applying.  For information on finding international internship opportunities, click here.

Requirement No. 4: 
Modern language requirement:  Students must show competency in a language other than English.  This can be accomplished by passing a nationally recognized language proficiency exam at Level I as a minimum in any language covered by that examination or completing at least six credits of a foreign language at the intermediate level or higher. 

Employment Opportunities

The following is a partial list of professional opportunities open to graduates with a major in international business:

Where to Learn More

Those who officially declare this major by completing a change of status form in the office of the dean of the College of Business Administration will be assigned an advisor in the Department of Economics which administers the program.   Students interested in an international internship or study-abroad experience to meet the requirements of the major need to begin their academic planning with their advisor early in their college career usually in the sophomore year.

Students interested in obtaining more information about the major in international business should contact the coordinator of the program, Dr. Sandra Trejos.

Additional information about international experience opportunities to meet the requirements of the major can be obtained from the chairperson of the department of Economics, Dr. Rod Raehsler or from Clarion University's Office or International Programs.  Information and links to useful sites on International Internships are also available.