International Business

International Business

International business isn’t just about making money, or overseas expansion. It’s a complex interaction between global systems, organisational strategy, and human behaviour - and that’s exactly what you’ll explore on this course.

You’ll develop a strong foundation in core business areas such as management, marketing, accounting and finance, while applying them in a global context.

As global markets continue to shift, you’ll examine real-world challenges including geopolitics, trade tensions, climate change, sustainability, and rapid technological disruption. You’ll develop the insight to understand how global businesses respond, and how they should lead.

People matter in business. You’ll explore cross-cultural management, organisational behaviour, leadership, ethics and decision-making, building the confidence to work, lead and thrive in diverse global teams.

Learning is immersive and applied. In seminars and workshops, you’ll put theory into practice using real business data and case studies, guided by expert academics who are active researchers.

With a strong emphasis on digital innovation in a global context, this course is ideal if you’re aiming for a career at the intersection of international trade, digital transformation and sustainability.

And if your ambitions evolve, flexibility is built in. At the end of your first stage, you can transfer to another Kent business degree, such as marketing, business analytics or management, without losing momentum.

Year in Industry

Taking a year in industry in the UK or abroad is the perfect way to put into practice the skills you’ve learnt, and build important industry connections.

Year Abroad

Expand your horizons and tailor your degree to suit you with a year abroad, where you'll study at one of our partner institutions for a year. Studying abroad helps you grow in confidence and enhances your employability. You'll make friends in the country you're studying in and meet other adventurous students from around the world.

Foundation Year

A course with a Foundation Year provides a pathway into degree-level study for students from a wide range of educational backgrounds and qualifications. It is the perfect option if you have school-leaving qualifications below the level required for direct entry onto a degree programme. It offers one year of full-time study prior to the start of your BSc course.

Year 0 (Foundation)

The following modules are what students typically study, but this may change year to year in response to new developments and innovations.

Academic Skills Development

Unlock your potential and gain the essential skills for academic success at university. You’ll develop effective study habits, learn to manage your time, and gain strategies for independent learning. You’ll conduct academic research, by learning to find, evaluate, and use academic sources, while avoiding plagiarism. Your writing skills will be developed through extended writing activities, referencing, proofreading, and editing. You’ll also improve your communication skills by learning how to structure a presentation and use visual aids. You’ll develop your critical thinking through analysis, evaluation, and argumentation. By the end of this module, you’ll be building towards working at Level 4.

Business Decision Making

How do businesses operate today? What are their key functions and how are they organised? Most importantly, what do managers need to know in order to make sound decisions?

You’ll develop a broad understanding of essential business management and accounting models, exploring theories that are integral to how businesses work. By looking at fundamental business strategies and different tools of analysis – like break-even calculations, ratio analysis, capital appraisal models, and decision trees – you’ll develop your understanding of the basics of business and start building up your skills in Excel.

Foundation Project: Research & Reflection

Dive into a project that sparks your curiosity and hones your academic skills, as you choose a topic you're passionate about and transform your research into a compelling essay. This module allows you to develop and apply the learning from your Autumn term module 'Academic Skills Development'. You will improve your research and writing skills further and refine your use of sources. While you conduct your reading and research, you’ll engage in reflective practices improving your ability to assess and evaluate your learning using various reflective models. Independence and time management are key skills you’ll develop as you navigate this module.

To maximise your experience, you are expected to prepare and actively participate in our regular tutorials. These are designed to provide invaluable opportunities to seek guidance and develop your project.

Analysing Global Dynamics with Data

In today's globalized world, understanding economic data holds immense importance. This course offers you an opportunity to delve into key global economic issues while honing crucial skills in data analysis. Through a comprehensive curriculum, you will gain insights into economic trends using empirical data, which informs discussions and policy considerations. The course covers various topics, including economic disparities, business cycles, macroeconomic performance, and government policies, all examined through a data-driven lens.

Global Business Dynamics

How do businesses effectively function in a global context, understanding their markets and their consumers, while managing and leading responsibly? We’ll explore the importance of globalisation to business and finance, delving into the dynamic nature of marketing through concepts such as the marketing mix, in order to develop a holistic understanding of what is happening in the rapidly-changing global marketplace. By taking a case-study based approach to understanding organizational problems and the dynamic nature of business, you’ll gain essential insights into the contemporary business world, and you’ll develop key skills and confidence to prepare you for the rest of your degree.

For full details of module content, please see website for details.

Year 1

The following modules are what students typically study, but this may change year to year in response to new developments and innovations.

Financial Accounting for Decision Makers

How do companies measure, assess and communicate their financial performance? Managers prepare, read and interpret financial information daily and they use it to communicate company financial results to a variety of stakeholders.

In this module you’ll learn how sole traders and limited companies record accounting transactions using bookkeeping and how they summarise and report their financial results to external stakeholders using financial statements. You’ll also gain essential knowledge of the regulatory framework of financial reporting which guides the process of preparing annual reports for a variety of companies.

Business Skills for a Sustainable Tomorrow

Given the startling pace at which human-driven changes are occurring to our social and ecological systems, what skills do you need to be ready for whatever challenges await you when you graduate?

You’ll look at the biggest challenge facing businesses in every industry today: how to organise themselves in ways that ensure a sustainable future for the global community. You’ll look at various case studies to examine the impact climate change is having on business. You’ll also consider the key theories, concepts, and practices of sustainable business, including the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Economics for Business

Economics are a crucial tool for business to utilise to help make informed decision that support success and drive growth. Devloping a knowledge of microeconomics will help you understand how millions of consumers and producers make decisions, how they interact and use scarce resources.

You will learn how to apply microeconomic theories and tools to understand consumer and producer behaviour, resource allocation, and pricing policy, including cost and benefit analysis. The application of microeconomic theory to real-world situations will help you make efficient decisions as a manager and as an entrepreneur.

Introduction to Marketing

Marketing is an exciting and dynamic field that offers endless opportunities for innovation, creativity and growth. With advancements in technology, shifts in consumer behaviour and emerging trends, marketers have the opportunity to explore new strategies and tactics to help firms effectively reach and communicate with their target customers.

Creating brand awareness, engagement, satisfaction and loyalty is vital for sales growth in competitive and dynamic markets. You'll learn how to develop and implement effective marketing plans and strategies as well as exploring how key elements of the marketing mix can be used to create and communicate a distinctive value proposition that helps a product or service stand out from the competition.

Business Analysis Tools

Excel is the industry standard software for data processing and modelling, so if you want to hit the ground running in your career, mastery of Excel is crucial. You'll learn the techniques of Excel and spreadsheet modelling through realistic problems and extensive exercises, giving you real hands-on experience to make rapid progress.

Global Business Environment

What knowledge and skills you need to succeed in a globalised economy? You'll learn about the key drivers of the global economy, the global sustainability, social, cultural, economic, international trade, investment and political environments, and how to identify and mitigate the risks associated with operating in unpredictable environment.

For full details of module content, please see website for details.

Year 2

The following modules are what students typically study, but this may change year to year in response to new developments and innovations.

Compulsory modules currently include the following:

Business Ethics and Sustainability

The focus of this module is on gaining an in-depth understanding of business ethics and cultivating critical thinking skills, enabling you to emerge as a conscientious leader in your field. Corporate social responsibility and sustainability are central themes due to the growing interest and expectations from stakeholders on environmental and social performance.

You'll cover essential theories such as utilitarianism, deontological theories, corporate social responsibility, and the triple bottom line, applying these concepts to real-life business situations through case studies.

International Business Theories and Perspectives

International business is vital for companies around the globe. In a dynamic and interconnected world, how can managers explore the opportunities and ensure a successful international expansion?

You’ll master the theories and skills you need to analyse the external environment and conduct international business successfully. Through exploring these theories, you'll understand how to implement the most effective human resource management, marketing, supply chain management or financial management strategies.

Global Trading Blocs

The globalisation of markets and deepening economic integration have significant effects upon both the strategy and operations of international business. This module will widen your knowledge and understanding of the global business environment and develop your analytical skills with respect to current geopolitics.

Global trading blocs have developed with the aim of increasing regional economic growth through advancing international trade. They include the European Union, USMCA (North America), Mercosur (South America), ASEAN (Asia) and AfCFTA (Africa). You’ll analyse global patterns of trade and the history and development of these blocs to gain a clear insight into their impact and importance for international business.

Doing Business in Emerging Markets

Emerging markets are a dynamic and rapidly growing part of the international business environment. Gain solid theoretical foundations and examine up-to-date case studies that will help you analyse foreign firms' strategic behaviour in emerging markets.

Drawing on material from Latin America, the Middle East and across Asia, You'll understand why multinational firms internationalise and expand into Emerging Markets, the key characteristics of emerging markets and how to grow sustainable business there. You'll analyse emerging markets in detail and develop your capacity to evaluate risks and rewards to investing in them. If you want to start a global career and do business across borders, this is the module for you.

Managing Operations Globally

To manage operations globally, you need the ability to critically evaluate how supply chains function and how the operations of individual organisations that operate across borders are managed and can create value for them and other firm- and non-firm actors.

You'll learn to adopt a global perspective on supply chain management and assess the complex systems of operations through the angle of global value chains management. You will further discover the ways such systems are managing so that they lead to various types of upgrading - economic, social, environmental and technological.

Optional modules may include the following:

Enterprise and Entrepreneurship

Thriving and Leading in Today's Dynamic Workplace

Management Accounting for Decision Makers

International Marketing

Decision Analysis

For full details of module content, please see website for details.

Year 3

The following modules are what students typically study, but this may change year to year in response to new developments and innovations.

Compulsory modules currently include the following:

Global Strategic Management

How do multinational organisations make big-picture decisions about managing their global portfolios? How do they gain sustained advantage over their competitors? You will learn about how multinational enterprises design and manage their operations across borders handling the tensions between their headquarters and their subsidiaries to get results on a global scale.

Gain insight into strategic decision-making by looking at internationalisation strategies, managing strategic alliances and mergers and acquisitions, as well as diving into risk management, knowledge creation, divestment, and corporate social responsibility on a global scale.

Global Trade and Finance

Global trade and finance are rapidly growing fields, with increasing demand for skilled professionals. This is your chance to join these in demand professionals and kick start your career.

You’ll learn to think critically about complex issues in global trade and finance gain the knowledge and skills you need to navigate the global markets and make informed and sustainable business decisions. You’ll explore different types of global trade and how to finance them, including exports, imports, and cross-border investments. You won’t only make rapid process in expanding your knowledge, you’ll be able to apply this knowledge to solve real-world problems.

Global Business Innovation and Digital Technology

What are the innovations, technological advancements, and changes to global business operations that are shaping the future of international business? You’ll explore the origins, types, and outcomes of innovation in a global business context, including digital technologies like cloud computing, artificial intelligence and big data.

You'll develop an understanding of innovative digital technologies and information systems, how they operate within organisations and society, and their transformational impact on product markets, services, business models, and customer interactions.

Optional modules may include the following:

Leading People and Organisations

Digital and Social Media Analytics

Cross-cultural Management

Behavioural Science in the Workplace

Understanding Legal Duties in Business

People Operations: An Analytic Approach

New Venture Creation

Corporate Social Responsibility

Services Marketing

International Entrepreneurship

KBS Challenge

Research Project in Business

Talking Cultures – Exploring Intercultural Awareness and Competencies

Global Leadership Development

https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/2027/865/international-business-bsc

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