International Business

This is a Connected Degree

Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after you've started your course.

Overview

Choose an international business degree that gives you experience living and studying abroad as you build your business knowledge and employable skills.

This degree covers vital business topics and gives you the chance to use your new knowledge as you study, including by collaborating with students overseas in our virtual exchange project.

And if you choose to study with a specific partner and complete an industrial placement year before your third year, you’ll earn two undergraduate degrees in 4 years as a dual degree.

In your first year you’ll explore business subjects such as marketing, operations and accounting, and choose where to study during your second year. Our Global Engagement Team will help you choose and prepare for your year abroad.

You’ll spend your second year studying at one of our partner universities in Europe, Australia, Canada, Japan, China, South Korea, Thailand or the USA. You’ll explore business from a non-UK viewpoint and deepen your understanding of global business. You could even divide your time away and study at two institutions in two different countries.

After your year abroad you could complete an optional paid industry placement where you’ll work with a company before your final year of study, with support from our Placement Team.

You’ll return to Portsmouth for your final year and explore business leadership with a focus on subjects like strategic management, sustainability and globalisation. You’ll choose specialisms to study in more detail, such as Equality and Diversity, or Business Improvement.

If you returned to your studies straight after your year aboard, you could take your industrial placement after your final year and work for a company for a year before you graduate.

You’ll graduate with a broad understanding of modern business, the confidence to work internationally, and the skills and experience you need to begin your career across a range of global business sectors.

Course highlights

• Live and study abroad in one or two countries, with all teaching in English

• Gain a second degree in international business from the University of Applied Sciences in FH Münster, or IDRAC Business School in France (details on our website)

• Get practical experience offering advice to local small businesses

• Get support for setting up your own business from our Entrepreneurs in Residence

• Learn a foreign language as part of your studies

Careers and opportunities
This degree will open doors to a wide variety of careers in the business world. Being able to talk about your international experience and global business learning will give you an advantage when applying to multinational companies in particular.

Previous graduates of this course have got jobs as:

• business development manager

• customer accounts manager

• marketing and sales executive

• product manager

• content curator

• merchandiser

• events coordinator

• recruitment consultant

• start-up programme manager

Graduates of this course have gone on to work for companies such as:

• Virgin Media

• IBM

• NATS (air traffic control)

• Asia Pacific Inspection

• BAE Systems

• Liquid Hub (drinks marketing)

• Morgan Stanley

• Kitchen Cut (software)

• Prospect Capital (finance)

• GSMA (worldwide mobile)

• Microsoft

(Data sourced from HESA Graduate Outcome Surveys)

After you leave the University, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years from our Careers and Employability service as you advance in your career.

Course Modules

The University of Portsmouth is passionate about creating career-focused modules that do more than support your studies, they empower your academic journey and prepare you for what comes next.

We design modules that have:

• Clear themes and skills development as you progress through each year
• Assessments that feel meaningful, often based on real-world tasks rather than isolated exams
• Career-enhancing opportunities such as placements, live projects, enterprise and volunteering

For a full list of the modules you will study on this course, please visit the link to the course page.

https://www.port.ac.uk/study/courses/undergraduate/ba-hons-international-business#modules

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
• Chartered Management Institute