Minor In International Business

The Gies College believes all business is international. The Gies International Business Minor is designed to educate and train future business leaders, decision-makers and strategic thinkers to skillfully manage human capital in firms and organizations. The Minor particularly focuses on challenges associated with multi-national firms and management in international contexts with different methods, traditions, and cultures.

Who can obtain the International Business Minor?

The IB minor is available to any Gies Student who is also not a Management major with an IB concentration.  All other Management concentrations can be paired with the minor.  This minor is not open to students earning degrees in any other University of Illinois college. To declare an International Business minor, please submit your Statement of Intent to Pursue a Campus-Approved Minor to Undergraduate Affairs in Gies College of Business in 1055 BIF or undergrads@business.illinois.edu.

Typical Plan of Study

The international business minor consists of five core courses and one elective, all completed with letter grades. Students must also successfully complete all listed prerequisites needed to enroll in the courses. Note that the BADM 383 taken to fulfill the elective requirement option must be on a topic different from that taken to fulfill the core course requirement. The academic director of the minor will also consider substitutes for the elective requirement (e.g., study abroad courses) upon petition.  Students must earn at least six unique credits toward the minor that do not count for a major or other requirement.

Minor Core Requirements - 15 Credit Hours

BADM 338 Global Supply Chain Management
BADM 380  International Business
BADM 381  Multinational Management
BADM 382  International Marketing
BADM 383  Topics in International Business

Minor Elective Requirements - 3 Credit Hours
In order to fulfill the elective requirement, students have the option of taking either a second 'Topics in International Business' section or any language course taught in any modern foreign language beyond beginning and intermediate levels--beyond the 4th level language .  The Academic Director of the minor will also consider substitutes for the elective requirement (e.g., study-abroad courses) upon petition.

BADM 383 Topics in International Business

-or-

Any language course beyond the 4th level  - Any course taught in any modern foreign language beyond beginning and intermediate language instruction (which in most, but not all, language departments is numbered in the 200-series) will be counted.

What can I expect as a student minoring in International Business at Gies Business?

By minoring in international business, you will gain a clear understanding of the opportunities, challenges, and complexities involved with global business. Global managers face a diverse set of circumstances when engaging in cross-border business activities, and this minor prepares students to successfully navigate such complexities when engaging in global business, operating multinational enterprises, and completing international transactions. The International Business Minor also provides a program of study that is designed to complement your existing undergraduate studies in Accountancy, Finance, Information Systems, Management, Marketing, Operations Management, Supply Chain Management, and Strategic Business Development & Entrepreneurship.

Career Opportunities

The International Business minor educates and trains future business leaders, decision-makers, and strategic thinkers to skillfully lead in the evolving global business environment. With this minor on your transcript, future employers know that you have developed a deep understanding of the issues related to international business. Substantive training and exposure to global business activities provide you with an advantage in a competitive job market. Past Gies Business students who focused on international business have obtained full-time positions in such organizations as Boeing, PepsiCo, Amazon, and Nike among others.

And feel free to reach out to Prof. Joseph Clougherty (jaclough@illinois.edu) if you have questions or interest in the minor.