WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A DEGREE IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS?

As globalization of the world’s economies continues, more employee positions can be considered to be international, whether the job is physically located within or outside of the U. S. The global orientation of the information highway has only served to hasten this trend. Now, more than ever, successful business people need to be acutely aware of the global nature of business and must develop skills and competencies that enable them to compete internationally. International business majors have an edge in competing for employment and acceptance to graduate schools. They have all the traditional knowledge, skills and abilities characteristic of business program graduates, augmented by competency in a second language and a thorough understanding of the international dimensions of business.

Careers

Many of the students who have graduated from the international business program have found jobs locally in the international trade community; others have found employment in foreign countries such as:

• Brazil
• Chile
• Germany
• South Africa
• Sweden

College of Charleston International Business majors and faculty work closely with our neighbors at the South Carolina World Trade Center, the South Carolina Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the South Carolina State Ports Authority and other key international organizations. These working relationships provide real-world experience to our students, giving them an advantage in today’s competitive job market.

Active Learning Opportunities

International internships. Students are encouraged to engage in an international internship. Currently, the most popular opportunities include:

• Brazil – Year-long study at one of three Brazilian universities, including summer language immersion and an internship with a Brazilian firm involved in international business.
• Canada – A one-semester program available at either a French language or English-language university, including language immersion and an internship with firms involved in import/export or supply chain management.
• Cuba – One-semester study program in Havana that includes working with a U.S. firm with operations in Cuba.
• Germany – The prestigious Carl Duesberg Society (CDS) Internship summer program that combines intensive language study in Berlin with a two-month paid internship at a German firm.
• Mexico – A one-semester program that includes language immersion and an internship with an international trade or supply chain management.

Domestic internships. Many multinational companies do business in South Carolina; in fact, one in ten South Carolina employees works for an international company. This means you’ll have many opportunities nearby to engage in meaningful working relationships with members of the international business community.

Study abroad. The Office of International Education and Programs is an excellent resource and is constantly developing new programs for students. The primary types of academic programs include:

• Semester programs in Argentina, Cuba, Chile, England, France and Spain. Supervised, and in many cases taught by college faculty, these sites are, in effect, branch campuses of the College of Charleston.
• Bi-lateral agreement programs with universities in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, England, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and the Virgin Islands.
• Summer programs in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean.

International service learning. The College of Charleston strives to make community service an integral part of your education through both coursework and meaningful volunteer efforts. International service learning helps broaden knowledge and understanding of foreign languages, cultures and environments, and fosters increased
compassion, greater sensitivity and a deeper understanding of how Americans and American values are perceived abroad. The international business program currently has international service learning opportunities in the Carribbean, Nicaragua, Brazil, and Ghana.

College of Charleston Advantages

College of Charleston international business majors enjoy the best of all possible worlds: a world-class business education in a city centered around international trade, world-wide study abroad, international internships, international service opportunities, and top-notch foreign language programs.

• Our undergraduate program is one of the strongest in the nation, offering far more international business courses than most other colleges or universities.
• The College of Charleston offersthe widest range of foreign language and area studies options in the Southeast and our languages division is the only one in the state that has earned a commendation for excellence.
• Within the International Business program, every full-time faculty member in the School of Business holds a doctorate in a business discipline, andthe majority of our faculty members have either lived or worked abroad. This means that your professors not only have expertise in their teaching fields, but they also bring an impressive wealth of cross-cultural experience to the teaching of business.
• You gain cross-cultural competencies by completing a required internationally oriented minor.
• You can choose from amonglearning opportunities on every continent of the globe.

“Not many universities or colleges offer an International Business major. Here at the College of Charleston, I am earning the degree I want and receiving a first-class education in a first-class facility. In today’s growing global economy, my international business degree will give me a substantial advantage over my peers when I start my job search upon graduation.”

Monica Wajsman ’08