International Business

• You will study activities and transactions that involve:
  • the crossing of borders both from the viewpoint of a firm and the individual
  • decision making and management in cross-cultural settings
  • how firms can configure their activities to achieve their owners' objectives in an evolving operating environment
  • the strategic and cross-cultural aspects involved in international business
  • the market for foreign exchange, currency risk, and hedging
  • the viewpoint of a country, the reasons for and the welfare effects of international trade and trade policies such as tariffs and export subsidies.
• You will also study an approved foreign language and/or culture course. International Business students are encouraged to spend a semester studying at an overseas partner university. This provides a great opportunity to learn about a different culture, gain insight into different business environments and practices, and form new contacts.

100-level courses

UC offers a major and a minor in International Business as part of the Bachelor of Commerce. You can also study this subject as a minor within the Bachelor of Arts.

The first-year, 100-level courses required to complete a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in International Business are:

• ACCT 102 Accounting and Financial Information
• ECON 104 Introduction to Microeconomics or ECON 199 (a STAR course for secondary school students)
• INFO 123 Information Systems and Technology
• MGMT 100 Fundamentals of Management
• STAT 101 Statistics 1
• One of MKTG 100 Principles of Marketing or MATH 101 Methods of Mathematics or MATH 102 Mathematics 1A or MATH 199 AIMS – Advancing in Mathematical Sciences (a STAR course for secondary school students)
• 30 points in a single subject from Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Russian or Spanish.*

* Language and cultural courses

We recommend that if either English or Māori is your native language and you do not have prior exposure to a foreign language that you take language courses. You will be directed to the appropriate level of courses based on an assessment of your language ability. This will be carried out by the relevant language department. The selected language or cultural courses must be approved.

Native speakers of a foreign language are not permitted to take courses in that language/culture for credit towards the major.

Finance and/or Marketing and Strategy pathways

There are at least four distinct pathways in the International Business major, depending on what you wish to specialise in and whether you want to take part in an international exchange.

• If you wish to specialise in Finance with or without an international exchange you need to complete MATH 101 Methods of Mathematics or MATH 102 Mathematics 1A (or MATH 199 AIMS – Advancing in Mathematical Sciences STAR course).
• If you wish to specialise in Marketing and Strategy with or without an international exchange you need to complete MKTG 100 Principles of Marketing.

200-level and beyond

Later courses provide a more detailed treatment of the topics introduced at 100-level. These include international management, international entrepreneurship, and international marketing.

International exchange

During your first year, you are encouraged to apply for an international exchange, taken in Semester 2 of your second year. Courses credited from other universities will be complementary to the International Business major and allow progression.

You will need to apply by 1 July in your first year at UC. (Note: some applications are as early as 31 May.) For further information consult the interactive degree plans for the International Business major.

You are encouraged to go on exchange to a country whose language/culture you have studied. However, this may not be possible due to restrictions placed on the number of students that can go to a particular exchange university. You are not able to go on an exchange in your country of origin.

In some circumstances it may be best for you to go on your international exchange in your third year. In this situation, if you wish to complete your degree in three years, it is crucial to choose an exchange university that offers courses which are direct substitutes for the required third-year International Business major courses.

While only 30 points of language and cultural studies are required, further language and/or cultural studies would be highly beneficial.