International Business

This innovative BSc International Business is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively manage and lead in the global marketplace. The course offers a distinctive global perspective through specialised units on international trade and investment; international business negotiations; and cross-culture management in business. These components prepare you to navigate the complexities of global markets, making you an invaluable asset to businesses operating on an international scale.

Facilities and specialist equipment

• Our London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) trading room gives you the chance to experience what it’s like to be on the trading-room floor, reacting to live ‘stock-market’ data

• Access immersive simulation software to aid your learning, including specialist marketing analytics software, Sage (via Sage Cloud), LSEG data platform and the econometrics software STATA

• Gain competencies in key digital skills such as Excel through our Microsoft Office training platform

Career-powered links

Students can join our International Business Club, giving them a lively platform to share ideas and opportunities in the global business world. It’s more than an extracurricular activity; it's a pathway to learning and growth for future IB leaders.

Your student experience

Gain a theoretical and practical understanding of global business operations, on a highly vocational course that combines 21st-century management skills with an international business perspective.

Take up the option of a placement, providing added value in terms of hands-on industry experience; the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world settings; fostering invaluable professional networks; and boosting employability upon graduation.

Learn from lecturers who have corporate work experience internationally.

Build a recognisably high level of professionalism, enabling you to fit in and be effective from day one when working across cultures in international teams.

Develop skill sets much in demand by employers, including communication, analysis, problem-solving, interpersonal and collaborative.

Get involved in research projects at our Centre for International Business and Marketing (CIBAM), as well as short-term consultancy projects and competitions within the School.

Attend talks from business professionals across the world. Recent speakers include international business expert Ahmed El Bassyouni; Rajendra S Shirolé, talking on developing business models in emerging markets; expert strategist Ben Chai; and Colin Jolly, an expert in cryptocurrencies.

Join our International Business Club and benefit from a lively platform to share ideas and opportunities in the global business world.

Fields trips include to TUI headquarters; Qualtrics XM Fair; World Travel Market; and the Property Investor Show.

Course Modules

Year 1
Accounting for business – An introduction to financial and managerial accounting. Applied numeracy for business – Develop key numeracy skills vital for your future employability. Principles of marketing – Use market analysis and data to create plans for products and branding that meet specific briefs. Intercultural competence in business – Gain the skills needed to manage differences in culture and communication when working in international contexts. International business – Explore how international business theory and management strategies apply across different political, cultural, legal and economic environments. Beginning your professional business journey – Take on business challenges and collaborate with peers in a professional environment.

Year 2
Economics for business – How firms, consumers and governments interact in markets, and how business decisions are shaped by costs and market conditions. Career in practice – Build your skills and business insight by taking on a live business project to meet both client and agency expectations. International business negotiations – Examine the international negotiation process and the challenges it faces. International new ventures (INV) and innovation – Compare traditional, gradual approaches to entry into foreign markets with INV, which offers rapid entry to start-ups. International trade and investment relations – Address trade and investment issues, particularly improving international competitiveness and performance. Cross-cultural management in business – Explore the changing face of management across cultures, identifying culture-specific preferences. Data and research methods for business – Investigate research and data-analysis methods to support you in applying research findings to business issues.

Year 3
Strategic leadership – Extend your capacity for strategic leadership in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) business environment. Marketing in a global context – Understand global marketing issues through reviewing current research, globalisation theories and communication strategies. Continuing professional development – Learn to reflect on your own abilities and develop these further through self-assessment techniques. Ethics and corporate social responsibility for business – Examine an organisation’s social responsibilities to investors, employees, customers, the environment and society. International supply chain management and logistics – Gain a strong understanding of this complex, fast-changing field, including current issues, trends and best practices. Business project – Independently design, plan, manage and execute a research project.

Every effort is made to ensure this information is accurate at the point of publication on the UCAS website. For the most up-to-date information, please refer to our website.

This course uses a range of assessment types and methods including essays and reports, portfolios, research proposals and exams. Assessment focuses on tasks that develop vocational skills, underpinned by subject knowledge, requiring higher levels of cognition in the later years of the course. Some group work is included at each level since being able to function as part of a team is a critical skill for international business, and assessments are used to develop your employability as a graduate going into the international market place.

Support to enable you to submit your best work is provided in a variety of ways including briefings in class, supporting materials provided through the virtual learning environment, drop in sessions with the Study Hub team, subject-specific Academic Librarians and individual tutors. In addition, extensive online supporting materials are available.