man in a plaid suit sits at a desk in an office

Class-Based
Master of Business
Administration (MBA) in
International Business

4-week
COURSES

Year-round
enrollment

230K+ Alumni Worldwide

Overview

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) program prepares you for leadership and management positions in an ever-changing business environment. The program provides a conceptual understanding and practical application of essential business disciplines, including accounting, economics, data analysis, finance, management, and marketing. In addition, you’ll acquire the skills needed for effective team building, quantitative and qualitative decision-making, and creative problem-solving. To ensure the program meets your needs, you’ll be assigned to a faculty mentor to review your career objectives and provide course selection and specialization guidance.

Modern business activities have an increasingly global reach. From supply chains to expanding consumer and B2B markets, successful companies and professionals must thoroughly understand international business environments to grow and thrive. With the International Business specialization, you’ll explore cultural, economic, and legal issues, as well as international exporting, licensing, franchising, foreign direct investment, outsourcing, risk analysis, and human capital development. You’ll also be able to travel to a foreign location for a full-immersion international experience.

Admission Requirements

In preparation for your Master of Business Administration studies, you need to complete the following two courses. These may be waived with the completion of the appropriate accounting, finance, and mathematics courses as a part of an undergraduate business degree at a regionally accredited university or if you score 80% or above on a challenge exam.

  • ACC 600 – Financial Accounting for MBAs
  • MNS 601 – Statistics for Business

Course Details

Required Courses

For the Master of Business Administration degree with a specialization in International Business, you must complete seven foundational courses, four specialization courses, and a capstone course.

Foundational Course Listings

Course Name

An in-depth examination of marketing environments and the impact marketing activities have on organizational operations. This course explores modern marketing problems and solutions from conceptual, legal, social, and ethical perspectives. It also discusses domestic and international frameworks for fundamental marketing functions, including marketing information systems and the use of advanced technologies in marketing decision-making.

An analysis of the global economical, political, and cultural factors affecting international businesses. Coursework provides an overview of international trade and investment theory, the pros and cons of protectionism, the global financial environment, and the role of the multinational corporation. Special emphasis is on international sourcing, marketing, and strategic management for global business.

This course presents a customer-oriented view of organizational operations. You’ll explore how strategic planning and operations deliver products and services to customers efficiently and effectively. Particular issues of focus will include quality, physical design, and systems management.

A study of information technology applications in large businesses and how these tools facilitate improved decision-making. Specific topics include the effective and efficient management of projects, inventory, and transportation. The course concludes with the evolution of logistics into the broader concept of supply chain management. You’ll focus on how enterprise-wide information systems enable cross-functional, interfirm collaboration that can produce new competitive advantages.

This course explores the accounting concepts and reporting techniques applied in management decision-making. You’ll study accounting data from real-world case studies and present the analysis, conclusions, and recommendations. Managerial accounting models and reporting techniques used by diverse enterprises in many countries will be examined, including cost accounting, the behavior of costs, budgeting, differential analysis, and responsibility accounting.

A study of pricing systems, market structures, and consumer theory as they apply to managers in decision-making environments. You’ll focus on using mathematical and economic tools to determine the optimal output, resource usage, and capacity planning with an organization.

In this course, you’ll explore the elements of corporate financial management through case studies and term projects. Topics of study include long-term financing sources, cost of capital, capital budgeting, dividend policy, mergers and acquisitions, bankruptcy and reorganization, the globalization of finance, ethical standards, information technology, and financial strategy.

This capstone course provides an opportunity to integrate and execute the knowledge acquired throughout the MBA program. Readings and lectures will illustrate strategic management theories and frameworks, while case discussions, experiential exercises, and team projects provide opportunities for application. An integral part of the course will involve preparing a comprehensive, written case analysis. The emphasis will be on developing, implementing, and analyzing organizational strategies and policies that impact a firm’s survival and success in a competitive global marketplace.

Specialization Courses

Select four courses from the following:

Course Name

This course studies the impact of country-specific cultural, economic, and legal factors on managing multinational corporations. Case studies will focus on North American, Latin American, European, and Asian settings and customs to illustrate the feasibility of adapting and combining different management styles for domestic and multinational corporations.

This seminar-style course covers business trends and new areas of interest in different countries and regional environments. You’ll assess and analyze international markets based on cultural, country risk, taxation, government intervention, and other factors that facilitate or hinder business partnerships. Other topics include differences in business ethics between nations and the evolving economic integration of Europe and South America. Students with international backgrounds are encouraged to share their experiences and observations.

An exploration of the strategic theories and trends available to multinational companies in world markets. Instruction and coursework will emphasize applied strategic analysis gathered from case studies of multinational companies and their operations in various global settings.

A study of strategic research, planning, and marketing for consumer products, industrial goods, and services in world markets. This course explores international advertising and promotion efforts, personal selling, pricing, distribution systems, export mechanics/logistics, financing for international marketing, trade agreements, and coordinating and controlling global operations.

This course examines the cross-border operations of multinational companies. Coursework and instruction focus on country assessment and market entry, market research, segmentation, marketing mix adaptation, outsourcing, and corporate social responsibility. You’ll also analyze the role of exchange rates, the mechanics of global trade and payments, and the role of social media in global operations. The course culminates with the preparation of an applied international business project.

An immersion more than a class, this course allows you to tour a foreign country and gain real-world experience with its business, economic, political, legal, and cultural environments. You’ll develop your knowledge and first-hand exposure through pre-journey study, on-site lectures and presentations by host country experts, and post-tour analysis and reflection.

Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete the Master of Business Administration degree with an International Business specialization will learn to:

  • Appraise the critical economic, cultural, and legal factors that shape the international business environment
  • Assess differences between domestic and international business environments
  • Evaluate financial statements and quantitative information for decision-making through appropriate information systems and tools
  • Analyze and apply strategies to the competitive business environment of an organization using external and internal factor analysis
  • Create and communicate business plans and reports in an efficient and compelling way
  • Design alternative solutions to logistical and operational problems using critical-thinking skills and innovative approaches
  • Assess the economic environment within an industry and recommend appropriate financial decisions for a business
Program Disclosure

Successful completion and attainment of National University degrees do not lead to automatic or immediate licensure, employment, or certification in any state/country. The University cannot guarantee that any professional organization or business will accept a graduate’s application to sit for any certification, licensure, or related exam for the purpose of professional certification.

Program availability varies by state. Many disciplines, professions, and jobs require disclosure of an individual’s criminal history, and a variety of states require background checks to apply to, or be eligible for, certain certificates, registrations, and licenses. Existence of a criminal history may also subject an individual to denial of an initial application for a certificate, registration, or license and/or result in the revocation or suspension of an existing certificate, registration, or license. Requirements can vary by state, occupation, and/or licensing authority.

NU graduates will be subject to additional requirements on a program, certification/licensure, employment, and state-by-state basis that can include one or more of the following items: internships, practicum experience, additional coursework, exams, tests, drug testing, earning an additional degree, and/or other training/education requirements.

All prospective students are advised to review employment, certification, and/or licensure requirements in their state, and to contact the certification/licensing body of the state and/or country where they intend to obtain certification/licensure to verify that these courses/programs qualify in that state/country, prior to enrolling. Prospective students are also advised to regularly review the state’s/country’s policies and procedures relating to certification/licensure, as those policies are subject to change.

National University degrees do not guarantee employment or salary of any kind. Prospective students are strongly encouraged to review desired job positions to review degrees, education, and/or training required to apply for desired positions. Prospective students should monitor these positions as requirements, salary, and other relevant factors can change over time.