International Business

Major: International Business
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 180.0
Co-op Options: Three Co-op (Five years); One Co-op (Four years); No Co-op (Four years)
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 52.1101
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 11-1021; 11-1011; 25-1011

About the Program

This major explores the international business environment as well as the internal workings of multinational corporations and the impact of international considerations on the various functional areas of business.

This major includes in-depth study of a foreign language, and students choose from a menu of courses to fulfill additional requirements. The curriculum is interdisciplinary with courses drawn from international business, marketing, management, finance, economics, and other areas. Specialized operational courses are offered, along with more general theoretical and comparative ones. Students are encouraged to explore additional opportunities such as international co-ops, study abroad and global classrooms. 

Additional Information

For more information about this program, contact the School of Economics.

Degree Requirements

Students completing the major in International Business are required to complete six courses in the same language (a language other than the student's native language) at Drexel University. It is recommended that students also take a 320 or 420 language course, focusing on the language of business or professions. This requires a minimum of 6 language courses (24.0 credits) at the college level or up to level 6 placement, including proficiency in at least one language. Some of these courses may count toward the student's general education electives.

Students may satisfy the language requirement through foreign language course replacement by studying overseas. All study abroad programs must be approved by the Study Abroad Office.

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Students not participating in co-op will take one additional credit of Free Elective instead of COOP 101.

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major.

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

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Students majoring in international business (Primary Major) must complete the Language Proficiency Certificate in a language outside their native language. This requires reaching at least the fifth level (202) of a single language and students must take at least 8.0 credits in this language.

Writing-Intensive Course Requirements

In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.

A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Program. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term.

Sample Plan of Study

4 year, no co-op

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Students not participating in co-op will take one additional credit of Free Elective instead of COOP 101.

4 year, 1 co-op (Fall/Winter)

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Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major.

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

5 year, 3 co-op (Fall Winter)

*

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major.

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

Co-op/Career Opportunities

International Business graduates are employed in a variety of corporate settings, including the pharmaceutical, banking and telecommunication industries. Some students pursue graduate studies or find employment in multilateral governmental organizations.

The concentration has been designed to provide a competitive advantage for those students interested in international business careers. In addition to business coursework, students also take advantage of Drexel’s programs in history-politics, sociology, anthropology, and other areas that focus on international topics.

The University offers minors in French, Italian Studies, Japanese, and Spanish. Each minor can include study of the vocabulary needed for business transactions within the particular language.

Proficiency certificates are also available to students at the intermediate level as proof that students are proficient enough to live abroad and interact with native speakers in their home countries and cultures. Proficiency certificates are available in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.

Visit the Drexel Steinbright Career Development Center page for more detailed information on co-op and post-graduate opportunities. Also visit the Career Guides provided by the Steinbright Career Development Center.

Facilities

The 12-story, 177,500-square-foot home for LeBow College of Business is located at the heart of the Drexel University campus, at the intersection of Woodland Walk and Market Street, where it forms a gateway to Drexel and a backdrop to the historic statue of A. J. Drexel (Moses Ezekiel, 1904). The diagonal massing of the lower floors follows Woodland Walk and combines with the new Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building (Diamond & Schmitt, 2011) to energize the University’s central quadrangle. The building’s tower will mark the LeBow College and Drexel campus from all directions while the open, glassy Market Street façade will showcase the College’s student activities to passersby.

The building’s organization unites the school’s various constituencies around a five-story-high atrium ringed by classrooms, student lounges, events spaces, and offices. The atrium is immediately accessible from main entrances at the three corners of the building. An open stair within the atrium leads to a 300-seat auditorium and 100-seat lecture hall one floor below and to a divisible multipurpose room and additional classrooms above. The building’s upper floors contain faculty offices interspersed with seminar rooms and group study rooms. The top floor houses the Dean’s suite and a boardroom and conference suite that opens to east- and west-facing terraces.

The building’s warm masonry and glass exterior reflects the emerging vocabulary of the next generation of Drexel buildings. Sophisticated solar shading devices allow maximum transparency between the inside and outside while supporting the building’s high environmental aspirations.

Key Building Features

• Five-story atrium
• Finance trading lab with Bloomberg Terminal Room
• 300-seat auditorium
• 160-seat event space
• 100-seat lecture hall
• 45-seat seminar rooms
• 44-seat computer classrooms
• 60-seat classrooms
• Executive MBA classroom
• 24-seat classrooms
• Special areas for experiential learning simulations and business consulting
• Videoconferencing capabilities
• Integrated teaching technology in all classrooms
• Recording studio to support LeBow College’s online programs
• Extensive areas for students to gather socially and for collaborative study, including student collaboration rooms, two quiet study areas, and 3,500 square feet of student social space
• EMBA Alumni Lounge for the exclusive use of EMBA alumni
• Behavioral Studies Lab
• Starbucks
• Green Globe certifiable, meeting worldwide sustainability standards

Gerri C. LeBow Hall brings together faculty, students, and staff in a state-of-the-art building on the University City campus. Please visit the LeBow College of Business webpage, the Behavioral Lab webpage, and the Finance Trading Lab webpage to learn more about Gerri C. LeBow Hall.

International Business Faculty