College Life

Private Schools That Are Well Known for This Major

• Georgetown University
• George Washington University
• University of Southern California (USC)
• Northeastern University

State Schools That Are Well Known for This Major

• University of Pennsylvania
• Florida International University
• New York University
• University of South Carolina
• University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill

Classes in the Major

International Marketing. Marketing is easy, right? Well, no. Marketing to your own culture is comparatively easy. After all, you're drawing on common cultural associations, idioms, and memories. With international marketing, you're reaching out to people who don't have your background and upbringing, and you have to convince them they need whatever it is you're telling.

Financial Accounting. Ever hear about businesses being in the black or in the red? While this sounds like they might be rooting for different teams, they aren't. Well, maybe they are, but that's not what this is about. At its simplest, a business has to take in more money than it puts out. While this sounds like it should be fairly straightforward, corporations can be elaborate monsters made out of paper, like an origami Godzilla, and you're trying to read what's on his legs while he shoots radioactive fire all over everything. That's why you need a whole class on financial accounting, and you get the extra added difficulties of variable currency exchange rates. How strong is the dollar internationally? That impacts your bottom line something fierce.

Principles of Importing and Exporting. If you're participating in any international business, eventually something solid is crossing a border. Depending on where it's going in relation to you, it's either importing or exporting. Either way, you need to know how to do it. This is the cornerstone of your business, and if you're trying to export your product by shooting it out of a cannon and hoping for the best, your company is not going to do well.

International Economics. Economics is hard. Now add in the economic systems of the entire world. To make matters even more difficult, not every country has the same assumptions about economics as the good ol' USA. Capitalism as you understand it is not a given the world over. So you're going to have to learn how the world markets work and probably concentrate on whatever area of the world you plan to serve.

Language. Not everyone speaks English. Bummer, right? While English is a pretty common international language, it's not like a hundred percent of people, even in the business world, speak it. Those who do might not be nearly as proficient as they think they are. Also, think about what an excellent impression you can make on future partners by showing that you took the time to learn their language. Or, keep your knowledge secret and hear what they really think of you.