International Business Schools and Programs in The United States

International Business Studies in The United States

International business is the part of business studies that deals with companies working across borders: trade, foreign markets, international finance, global supply chains and management in different cultures. In the United States it is usually studied inside a university's college of business, as a major or concentration within a business degree, rather than as a separate type of school.

How the degree is organised

The first degree is the bachelor's, which according to EducationUSA is usually completed in four years of full-time study. The most common titles are the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and the Bachelor of Science (BS). Students take the business core shared by all business majors and add international courses. Examples from the schools on this page:

• Florida International University (FIU) in Miami: a BBA in International Business with 60 credits of lower-division and 60 credits of upper-division coursework, also offered online; electives include International Trade Theory and Policy, Export Marketing and Global Logistics
• Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in Boca Raton: two routes, a business administration bachelor's with a concentration in International Business and a Bachelor of Science in Management with the same concentration
• Butler University in Indianapolis: an International Business major with a foreign language requirement and a recommended plan that includes a study abroad semester; the university also publishes a three-year path
• Schiller International University: a BS in International Business, with campuses in Tampa, Madrid, Paris and Heidelberg

A foreign language and a period abroad are frequent features of the major, although not every university requires them. Wright State University in Dayton says its students study importing and exporting, gain language skills and develop cultural competence.

Not every university offers a full major. Wright State offers international business as an undergraduate minor and as a concentration within the MBA. At graduate level, EducationUSA describes the master's as a two-year degree and notes that MBA programmes typically last one to two years.

Community colleges offer two-year associate degrees in business. EducationUSA describes a "2+2" route in which two years at a community college are followed by two years at a university to complete the bachelor's degree.

Accreditation and recognition

US higher education is not centrally organised: institutions are accredited at national or regional level by independent bodies. In addition, business schools may hold a specialised accreditation. The best known is that of AACSB (the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), which describes its accreditation as a framework for quality assurance and continuous improvement in business education. Hult International Business School, for example, states that it is recognised by AACSB, the Association of MBAs and the European Quality Improvement System.

EducationUSA notes that recognition of credits and degrees by other institutions and by employers is linked to an institution's accreditation, and that a school certified to enrol international students may not hold national or regional accreditation. Students who plan to return home should also ask how a US bachelor's or master's degree is recognised in their country.

Admission and language

EducationUSA states that undergraduate applicants in general must have completed high school and be at least 17 years old, and that US universities require an English language proficiency test before admission. Applications for a September start are typically due between November and January, so the search should begin 12 to 18 months before the academic year. Teaching is in English.

To apply for an F student visa, a student must first be accepted by an institution certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).

Where to study international business in the United States

The subject is offered in every region, and the schools on this page range from large public universities to small private colleges. Florida has several of them: FIU in Miami, FAU in Boca Raton, Schiller International University in Tampa and Jacksonville University. Other examples are The University of Texas at Austin, San Diego State University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Temple University and Drexel University in Philadelphia, Northeastern University in Boston, Hult International Business School in Cambridge (Massachusetts), Butler University in Indianapolis and Wright State University in Ohio.

Careers

FIU lists global corporations, banking firms, government agencies and international marketing firms among typical employers. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not publish figures for "international business" as an occupation, but it does for related ones. It projects employment of logisticians, who typically need a bachelor's degree, to grow 18 percent from 2025 to 2035, and employment of management analysts, who typically need a bachelor's degree and several years of related work experience, to grow 10 percent over the same period.

Frequently asked questions

How long does an international business degree take in the United States?

A bachelor's degree usually takes four years of full-time study. Master's degrees take about two years, and MBA programmes typically last one to two years according to EducationUSA.

Do I need to speak a second language?

It depends on the university. Some programmes, such as the one at Butler University, include a foreign language requirement; others treat language courses as an option. All teaching is in English.

Is international business a separate degree or part of a business degree?

Usually it is a major or concentration inside a BBA or BS in business, so students also complete the general business core. Some universities offer it only as a minor or as an MBA concentration.