International Business Major

The international business major is a minimum 17-unit, interdepartmental program designed to assist students in preparing for careers abroad or where knowledge of other cultures and languages is useful.

Students will select one geographic area of the world to focus on: Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, or North America. The focus area should not be the same as the student’s home area or language. The language, experience and area studies will all focus on the selected area. This means, for example, that if a student chooses Europe and studies abroad in Italy, then the student will study Italian and the area studies courses will be related to Italy specifically or Europe generally, but not another European country. If a student chooses Asia and studies Chinese, the study abroad experience could be either in Taiwan or China but not Japan, and the area studies courses must correspond as well.

An exception may be made to allow a student to focus within the home area if the student submits a group of courses that do not draw on the native language and homeland. For example, a student from China may choose to study Japan, if the language studied is Japanese, the area studies courses focus on Japan (not China), and the foreign experience is in Japan.

The successful completion of a broad interdisciplinary major such as international business requires considerable forethought and planning. Accordingly, students should declare their major by the end of their sophomore year. Further, students should have their proposed list of courses for the major approved by the chair of the economics and business department by the end of their sophomore year and before the foreign experience. There is no guarantee that students who apply after this time will be able to complete an approved major.

Students who already have knowledge of several areas of the world should major in business administration or management economics if they are interested in this mix of courses. International Business majors may not double major in economics, finance economics, or management economics, nor may they minor in economics or business.

The major requirement has five components, each of which is an important part of the whole: *No course eligible for the major may be taken Credit/No Entry

Learning Objectives

International Business majors will be able to

demonstrate command of knowledge of fundamental and technical concepts of business and economics, particularly in regard to international aspects;
develop depth of knowledge in one general area of the world, through coherent study of the area’s language, history/art/literature/politics, and a study abroad experience;
effectively and accurately interpret, analyze and present relevant information for business decision-making in oral, written and graphic forms;
apply critical-thinking and problem-solving skills to business and economic issues;
demonstrate sensitivity to the complexities of international business;
determine when change is appropriate and adapt to change as it occurs;
demonstrate a sense of ethics, responsibility, and service to employers, peers, customers and other stakeholders within an international context;
demonstrate an awareness of the global business and economic environment, and an appreciation for differences in culture, marketing, accounting, and other business practices in a variety of international settings; and
better discern personal interests and establish career objectives.

Major Requirements

Economics Courses

ECON 110 , ECON 251 , ECON 252 , ECON 255 or ECON 259 , MATH 105 /MATH 230 /or PSYC 210 , and two additional upper level economics courses with an international emphasis (for example: ECON 282 , ECON 345 , ECON 353 , ECON 370 , and ECON 372 , or an equivalent pre-approved economics course with an international emphasis).

Business Courses

ACCT 217 , BUS 210 , FIN 280 (0.5 unit), either FIN 331 (0.5 unit) or FIN 361 (may receive credit for only one), BUS 476 ; and one upper-level elective business course. A grade or C- or better in BUS 476 is required.

Language Requirement

Two units beyond the level of 111 are required, and may be taken from the offerings of the modern foreign languages department and study abroad programs, or a combination of the above, as arranged by the student. Offerings at Ohio Wesleyan in languages such as Italian, Japanese, Russian, and Swahili are limited, so these languages can be used to satisfy this requirement only if the student completes the language study abroad or at another University.

Students who choose North America (United States and Canada) as their focus area, will meet the language requirement by taking ENG 105 and any two courses in American literature or writing courses as defined by the English department. Writing courses are limited to: ENG 265 , ENG 310 , ENG 312 , ENG 314 , ENG 316 , ENG 318 , ENG 319 , ENG 480 . Other ENG courses do not count.

Foreign Experience

At least one semester (or equivalent time) of the undergraduate program must be spent in study abroad. The study abroad experience must be coherent with the student’s chosen area of world study and foreign language study. Students should consult the Director of International and Off-Campus Programs for information on opportunities for study abroad, both in the summer and during the academic year. For students whose area of study is North America, this requirement is satisfied by their study in the United States.

Area Studies

Three total area studies courses. One course chosen from amongst this list: PG 360 , PG 362 , PG 364 and PG 365 ; SOAN 111 ; and GEOG 345 . Plus two courses that increase one’s knowledge of the student’s chosen area of the world: Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East or North America. Whether taken here or abroad, these two courses may be from different disciplines and should be taken outside of the economics department. The area studies courses, as well as the foreign experience and language, must develop a cohesive program and be directed to only one area of the world. These courses must be approved in advance by the chair of the economics department who is responsible for administering the international business major.