International Business BS

College of Management
Undergraduate major / Bachelor of Science

About this program

The International Business program responds to the increasing interactions of American companies with worldwide marketing, purchasing, financial dealings and other business activities. Larger U.S. companies have historically had a presence or strategic relationship in other countries, and this is becoming increasingly true of small and medium-sized companies. Also, many types of intermediaries have emerged to find markets and/or suppliers around the world for U.S. companies of all sizes and in almost every industry. Virtually every business organization should at least explore the possibilities of developing relationships with companies in other countries, either directly or through intermediaries. The global economy is too interdependent and too competitive for any domestic business to ignore the international marketing, sourcing and investing possibilities.

The International Business program offers three required courses that help students understand the different political, economic and legal environments that affect the ways in which business is conducted in other countries. Building on these foundation courses are more specialized courses focusing on marketing, sourcing and investment opportunities in overseas business. Finally, there is the practically-oriented "Doing Business Internationally" Capstone course that applies what has been learned in core and elective courses to selected nations or world regions in the design of strategies for the achievement of business objectives.

Student outcomes

A student majoring in International Business will be able to: 

  • Understand the main drivers of the global business environment.
  • Analyze national and regional differences in culture, economics and politics.
  • Assess the global legal and regulatory environment of business.
  • Understand and analyze the common foreign challenges of multi-national businesses.
  • Formulate and present a plan for successful foreign market entry.

Enrolling in this program

Program eligibility requirements

Prior to declaring this major, students must complete the COM Foundation Courses with a grade of C- or better.  The COM Foundation Courses are prerequisites for many upper division College of Management courses. Completing these courses early in your program will help you succeed and have the most valuable experience in other College of Management courses.

Current students: Declare your program

Once you’re admitted as an undergraduate student and have met any further requirements your chosen program may have, you declare your major or declare a minor.

Future students: Apply now

Apply to Metropolitan State: Start the journey toward your International Business BS now. Learn about the steps to enroll or, if you have questions about what Metropolitan State can offer you, request information, visit campus or chat with an admissions counselor.

Get started on your International Business BS

More ways to earn your degree: Metropolitan State offers the flexibility you need to finish your degree. Through programs at our partner institutions, you can find a path to getting your International Business BS that works best for you.

About your enrollment options

Program requirements

International Business Major Residency Requirement: At least three (3) International Business Courses must be completed at Metropolitan State.  See also the COM policies page for requirements that are common to all programs.

Course requirements

Requirements (120 credits)

College of Management Foundation (22 credits)

MIS 100 Fundamentals of Information Technology in Organizations

4 credits

This course is the first information technology foundation course in the College of Management. It focuses on the technology literacy, managerial and business problem solving dimensions of computer based information systems. It provides students with an introduction to the fundamental terminology of the hardware, software and the people involved with computer based information systems. The course includes hands on computer lab time to introduce students to word processing, database, spread sheet, and Internet microcomputer applications. This course is designed specifically to prepare students for information technology competence as needed in College of Management courses.

Full course description for Fundamentals of Information Technology in Organizations

MATH 115 College Algebra

4 credits

This course develops the fundamental concepts of algebra with an emphasis on the classification and analysis of linear, quadratic, polynomial, exponential and logarithmic functions. Applications to the natural and social sciences are given throughout. It aims to provide insights into the nature and utility of mathematics, and helps students develop mathematical reasoning skills.

Full course description for College Algebra

STAT 201 Statistics I

4 credits

This course covers the basic principles and methods of statistics. It emphasizes techniques and applications in real-world problem solving and decision making. Topics include frequency distributions, measures of location and variation, probability, sampling, design of experiments, sampling distributions, interval estimation, hypothesis testing, correlation and regression.

Full course description for Statistics I

ECON 201 Macroeconomics

3 credits

This course focuses on the economy as a whole and studies how government can affect the economy. After starting with principles of markets, the price system and supply and demand, the course covers national income accounting, business cycles, inflation, unemployment, fiscal policy, monetary policy and the Federal Reserve System, different approaches to economic growth, and the foundations of international trade.

Full course description for Macroeconomics

ECON 202 Microeconomics

3 credits

This course focuses on the interactions between the consumer and the producer. It begins with the theory of markets, supply and demand, and the price system. Then it covers demand elasticity, the costs of production including the various factor inputs, the four major market structures (pure competition, monopolistic competition, oligopoly and monopoly), and ways to increase the competition in markets.

Full course description for Microeconomics

ACCT 210 Financial Accounting

4 credits

This course in financial accounting acquaints students with the "language of business" and the concepts and practices of accounting in order to understand, interpret, and analyze the financial accounting reports of economic entities. Topics include: economic context of accounting; introduction to basic financial statements with emphasis on the statement of cash flows; measurement fundamentals; analysis of financial statements; cash; receivables; inventories; investments in equity and debt securities including Consolidations; long-lived assets; current and long-term liabilities; stockholders' equity; and time value of money concepts and computations for decision making: international accounting practices are incorporated into every topic. This is not a bookkeeping course.

Full course description for Financial Accounting

College of Management Business Core (20 credits)

DSCI 434 Introduction to Operations Management

4 credits

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the fundamental concepts and techniques of production and operations management for both service and manufacturing organizations. It will address the role of operations in relation to other functions and the methods to increase organizational effectiveness and efficiency. Topics covered include: product and service design, capacity planning, design of work systems, location planning and analysis, material requirements planning, supply-chain management, enterprise resource planning, inventory management, total quality management, Six Sigma, lean enterprise and kaizen approaches, aggregate planning, just-in-time systems, scheduling, and project planning. Also included are tools and processes used in operations decisions such as forecasting, breakeven analysis, and critical path method using available software.

Full course description for Introduction to Operations Management

FIN 390 Principles of Finance

4 credits

This course introduces the application to financial decision-making of mathematics, statistics, economic theory, and accounting procedures. The two central ideas are time value of money and the relationship between expected return and risk, and how these ideas are used to value bonds, stocks, and other financial securities, and to make capital investment decisions.

Full course description for Principles of Finance

MIS 310 Principles of Management Information Systems

4 credits

This course is designed to define the role of information systems in organizations, and in particular the roles of IS staff and end-users in developing and maintaining computer systems. The managerial aspects and implications of databases, telecommunications, hardware, software and e-commerce are included. Special attention is given to management information systems theories in the organizational setting including: infrastructure, transaction processing, operational reporting, decision support systems and executive information systems. Also included are all phases of the systems development life cycle (SDLC) as well as alternative development methodologies. The course prototypically includes analysis of real world business cases and post-implementation audit report of a recently completed management information system. All students taking this class must have completed as a prerequisite the MIS 100 Fundamentals of Information Technology in Organizations course or its approved…

Full course description for Principles of Management Information Systems

MKTG 300 Marketing Principles

4 credits

This course surveys factors that marketing managers take into account when creating a marketing plan, including consumer behavior principles, market segmentation, product life cycle, packaging, branding, pricing, advertising, sales promotion, public relations, personal selling, product distribution methods and key laws affecting marketing practices. The course takes a practical approach to explaining how to identify marketing objectives and determine strategies for reaching them. It is useful to general business students, students who plan marketing management or marketing communications careers and those who wish to be better informed consumers. This course is also offered online. Prerequisite: Goal 1 writing requirement plus 30 credits must be satisfied.

Full course description for Marketing Principles

Core (12 credits)

IBUS 312 International Political Economy

4 credits

This course provides an overview of the geopolitical and historical frameworks that directly or indirectly affect day-to-day operations and management decision making of companies doing business in an increasingly global context. Topics include: perspectives on IPE theories; international trade, finance and monetary systems; global security issues; state-market tensions; the role of multinational corporations; the IPE of economics development and of resource accessibility; and selected global problems.

Full course description for International Political Economy

Electives (8 credits)

ECON 314 International and Comparative Economics

4 credits

This course analyzes selected issues and problems in international trade and also studies how various countries approach basic economic policy questions. Topics include: the theory of comparative advantage, barriers to trade such as tariffs and quotas, exchange rates, balance of payments, organizations such as the International Monetary Fund and World Trade Organization, and an analysis of current issues in American trade policy. The course concludes with an analysis of the economic policies of major trading partners: Japan, China and the European Union with some attention to other capitalist and noncapitalist economies.

Full course description for International and Comparative Economics

MKTG 480 International Marketing

4 credits

This course introduces students to the concepts and disciplines of international marketing. Students develop an understanding of the international environment and its impact on marketing. Topics include: social and cultural influences, political, legal and financial considerations, exporting and importing; organizational alternatives, information sources, market-entry strategies, pricing and distribution, sales and communications practices, counter trade, and other current international marketing issues. Major geographic marketing areas are discussed.

Full course description for International Marketing

FIN 550 International Finance

4 credits

This course is an introduction to the international dimensions of corporate financing, investment, and risk management decisions. Topics include foreign exchange markets, international financial systems, foreign exchange rate determination, currency risk, spot and forward rates, hedging, international monetary and trade flows, multinational capital budgeting, and cost of capital in emerging economies. Overlap: IBUS 550 International Financial Management.

Full course description for International Finance

HRM 585 International Human Resource Management

4 credits

This course covers the current issues, policies and practices of international human resource management within a typical U.S. multinational corporation. It addresses staffing, compensation, benefits, training and development, and labor and employee relations as they relate to Foreign Service employees and local national employees in subsidiary operations. Each student completes a special project related to human resource practices in another country. This course is recommended for general management and business administration students in addition to human resource management professionals.

Full course description for International Human Resource Management

Capstone (8 credits)

Prerequisites for IBUS 490: IBUS 311, IBUS 312, IBUS 350

IBUS 490 Doing Business Internationally

4 credits

This course will bring together the full range of factors influencing companies doing business across borders that were covered in the required IBUS 311, IBUS 312 and IBUS 350 courses - globalization, political economies, culture, ethics, legal systems, trade, investment, currency issues, market entry, production, logistics and marketing - and apply them to management decision-making in national and regional operating environments around the world. The syllabus may be modified at short notice to accommodate current world events impacting the international business environment.

Full course description for Doing Business Internationally

MGMT 499 Case Studies in Strategic Management

4 credits

This advanced course uses the case study approach to develop systems and techniques for analyzing the internal strengths and weaknesses of diverse organizations and the external environments in which they operate. Students craft strategies and develop implementation plans that apply organizational resources to opportunities and threats in its external environment. This course should be taken during the last semester of a student's program.

Full course description for Case Studies in Strategic Management